The sun setting behind her, she guzzled her water. Five days she had been traveling, and no sign of anyone. She had camped under a sign, saying “Welcome to Bozeman, Montana”. Her protein bar was tasteless; her canned Lima beans, the same. Soon, she would be heading into Yellowstone. From her observations of stay dogs and cats, she assumed there would be an assortment of wild animals. Luckily, she was going in the peak of summer, so there wasn’t much of a chance for snow. She grabbed the tourist map she had found, and scrutinized it. She wanted to make a beeline for the east coast, and the detour around the national park didn’t seem worth it. Besides, she had never gone there before. She would stock up on supplies here and continue on tomorrow. Un-zipping her tie-dye sleeping bag, she wondered if there really was anyone left. Her mind raced at the possibilities of what had happened. Did everyone warp to another dimension? No, sounded too much like a “Star Trek” episode. Could it be aliens? Maybe, but unlikely. Could she be part of a virtual-reality experiment? A larger possibility. She puffed away the hair hanging in her face. Deciding it could wait until tomorrow, she gazed at the stars until sleep carried her away.
~
From the sun, she guessed it was around 3:oo pm. The smell of the forest exhilarated her as she blazed down the trail. She was going a lot faster than before, because she had only brought the bare essentials. As she entered a small grove, she stopped. A small cry resembling a goat emitted from the bushes. She paused and stooped to investigate. Lifting the branches of the huckleberry bush, the small black eyes of a baby bear gazed back at her. But where was the… A roar blasted through the clearing. Without looking back, she launched herself to her feet and sprinted for her get-a-way ride. She felt the thudding of the mother bear’s paws through the earth; its hot breath on her neck. Stooping for her bike, she thought better of it and continued running down the trail. The bear was gaining with every step. She muttered a prayer and prepared for the end… when someone pulled her behind a tree. A boy about 15 pressed his finger over her mouth as the bear slowed, wondering where she had gone. Broken only by the bear’s breathing and her thudding heart, the strained silence was deafening. Eyes scanning the trail for any sign of life, the grizzly turned away, frustrated at losing its prey. She fell to her knees in relief. “Thank you,” she gasped. “I don’t want to imagine what would have happened if you hadn’t helped out back there.” She got a better look at him. His long, spiky blond hair fell over his forest green eyes. He stood a few inches taller than her and wore an aviator’s jacket, jeans and a black t-shirt.
“No problem. We survivors gotta help each other out. My friends call me Emery.” Emery chuckled. “Don’t bother telling me yours. I assume you won’t know it.” She gasped. Going through her entire history, she realized she DIDN’T know her name. Or anyone else’s name. All the people in her life, her parents, brother, teachers, and friends, were all nameless. Emry smiled reassuringly. “It was hard for all of us. The guys back in camp will find a name for you.” He turned around and strode off into the forest. She grabbed her backpack and dashed after him, not knowing what else to do. After a few minutes’ walk they came into a clearing. Arranged around a fire were several lean-tos, each with its own sleeping bag. Some kids were sitting on logs eating some roasted fish. A girl looked up as they approached and giggled, “Look what Emery brought back instead of fire wood!” Everyone turned their heads and stared for a few seconds. Emery patted her back. “She riled up that bear we saw last night. Jocelyne? You wanna name her?” Jocelyne, a small Asian girl with black hair and eyes, stood up and looked quizzically at her. “Hmmm… I’m running out of names here… How about Hazel? Like her eyes?”
Emery grinned. “That sounds good to me. Do you mind?” She shook her head senselessly, not wanting to disagree. The name rippled around the clearing, everyone trying it out. “Hazel, Hazel, Hazel.”
Emery’s endless smile got even bigger. “Well, welcome to our camp, Hazel. We were about to set off but we can wait for another day or so.” With that, all the others rushed up and introduced themselves. There was Jocelyn, whom she had already seen, Alexis, Heather, Brian, Chace, and Leo. Hazel blinked, absorbing it all. Alexis had long, curly brown hair and blue eyes. She towered over everyone and possessed a dominate presence. Heather had feathery caramel hair with eyes of the same color. Her voice was quiet, but she spoke in a tone that made you listen. Brian’s black crew cut and grim expression made him look like a guy you did not want to see the bad side of. Hazel made a mental note to steer clear. Chace had glasses, a goofy grin plastered to his face, and slapped her back good-naturedly. Leo was expressionless and shook her hand, muttering his welcome. He had emerald green eyes and blond hair bleached with streaks of white. Than Alexis sat everyone down by the fire to finish their meal while Hazel told her story. When she was done, Heather explained that they had all been here for vacation when “The Disappearance” happened. They were planning to leave for the same destination as Hazel today, but they would delay until tomorrow since she arrived. They all talked of plans until dark, with the exception of Leo, then bedded down for the night. Hazel laid back in a make-shift lean-to next to Jocelyn, tossing and turning ‘till she fell into sleep.
