Alone at Reedy Creek
I knew something was off when we arrived. Things felt out of place, but then again when’s the last time things felt right? I couldn’t remember either. As I was getting Bagel ready for our walk on the trails, I noticed a shirtless guy walk to his car parked a few spots away. He looked familiar, then I realized I had met him before at the Planet Fitness on University City. This was years ago. He had gotten bigger since our initial—and only—meeting. His name was Marvin. He had asked to work-in with me on the triceps pull down and we talked about women and him transferring to UNCC. Marvin is a strange guy in that he seems to lack social skills, yet he attempts to be social, almost as if he’s trying to change that about himself. The transitional period is always the most awkward; ask any middle schooler. Although we’ve only had one interaction, I respect that about him because it takes courage to better ourselves and to step out of our comfort zones. Once I strapped Bagel’s backpack on, we were ready to go.
Our walk at Reedy began like any other walk. I let him pee on a tree within a 10-foot vicinity of the parking lot, made him heel, and began walking. As we progressed, the sky began getting darker. I left the umbrella in the car because it was sunny and humid when we arrived. I didn’t make anything of the skies because the trails we walk are covered heavily in trees that provide phenomenal shade on a sunny day and are great rain deterrers on a gloomy day. A third of the way on the walk, there were two girls sitting on a bench laughing hysterically. One of the girls wearing a striped pink/white tank top and jean shorts let her dog run up to Bagel. Her dog was a small white toy dog who couldn’t weigh any more than 6 pounds. She apologized while covering her mouth trying not to laugh as we caught eye contact. Her friend in a black hoodie sitting on the bench with her face in her hands had never stopped laughing hysterically as Bagel and I walked past. I felt like I was Dr. Hartford from Eyes Wide Shut. Confused and curious as to why things felt strange from the beginning, yet everyone else seemed to be so comfortable with the way things were unfolding.
During a part of the trail Bagel and I walk, there’s a pond named Dragonfly Pond we walk around. As we were walking around, the wind picked up and the sky shined the most stunning grey gloom I’ve ever seen. I paused the walk and took a second to take in how cinematic everything looked. The trees were blowing back and forth, their green complimenting the grey backdrop of the clouds and the shade of their trunks. Dragonfly Pond had ripple waves from the wind. Bagel and I walked as it began drizzling. Out of nowhere there was a bright flash followed by a loud whip lash. Lightning. I love storms, I love the rumble of thunder, but I hate lightning. It scares me, I’ve never been a fan. It was so loud Bagel tucked his tail and ran forward when he heard it. That’s when the bad feeling set in, so we began running.
We passed a group of frisbee golf players when the drizzle turned to constant rain. The lightning didn’t cease, it got worse as the rain got harder. We passed a picnic area where the two girls we saw before were still laughing. This time, the dog didn’t approach Bagel. I waved to them and the girl with the striped pink/white tank top waved back, her friend still laughing hysterically with her face in her hands. Bagel and I were soaked, but the rain was bearable.
It wasn’t until we got to the last quarter-mile back to the car that things got worse. That part of the trail is one big dip. As the rain picked up, it was a monsoon. The rain was cold, the wind was aggressive, and it was flooding at the bottom. I couldn’t catch my breath. If I put my head up, I couldn’t breathe due to the heavy-nature of the rain. By this point, Bagel and I were beyond soaked. The more I walked, the more out of breath I became. A few minutes pass and I couldn’t breathe. I try taking deep breaths, but my own body cuts off my inhalation. My heart is beating 1,000 miles per hour. My body goes into shock in the middle of a torrential down pour.
I attempted to breathe under my shirt, but I couldn’t because it was soaked. It’d be like I was inhaling water. I had never felt like this before. It was terrifying. Nobody knew we were out here, and no one was in sight. I couldn’t help but to think of a status I saw Brandon post earlier about his friend passing away and his last words to him when they last spoke were “Love you always bro.” When you can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel, your mind goes to those dark places. It wasn’t good for me, nor was it good for Bagel.
We’re alone.
I kept thinking that while we were showered in rain and wind. The sounds and sights of the lightning kept hitting like strong electrical currents through my body. I always thought I liked being alone. I’ve always enjoyed my time alone, but maybe I’ve enjoyed the conveniences of being alone. Perhaps I loved being alone on my own terms, rather than life’s as I find it's much more manageable during the initial. In what seemed like a 50-mile trek, we made it back to the car. To no one’s surprise, we were the only car in the parking lot. Reedy Creek, which is typically busy, was a ghost town. Still pouring, I picked all 86lbs of Bagel and put him in the back seat. Once I let myself in the car, I checked my Fitbit, and it’s reading of my heart rate was 182 bpm. I get anxious about these kinds of things, so I sat with my eyes closed for a while.
My drive home was an outer-body experience. Imagine being light-headed throughout your whole body, that's how I felt. I couldn’t believe what had happened. The rain had ceased back to a drizzle as I pulled in the drive way. The first thing I did when I got in was dry Bagel. After Bagel was dry for the most part, I went in the bathroom, turned on the light, and stared at myself. My mind was completely blank. No emotions. No logic. I took a warm shower. During my shower I looked down at my hands, and clearly, I was still shaken by what had transpired earlier.
When I got out the shower, I looked at Bagel carrying on like nothing had happened. What short memory he has, I could sure learn an abundance from him. He was laying in bed, staring out the window. The rain had stopped. I got dressed and went outside to look at the sky and sure enough there was a beautiful rainbow at the forefront of the clouds moving on in the background.
I looked back at Bagel who was smiling at the door. I told him to come out and he ran next to me. I kneeled and put my hand on his shoulder as we embraced the end of the storm together, thankful to be alone.