The weather was clear and cloudless.
Bronco rolled up bursts of dust and shuttled across the endless, wide and straight I-15 interstate highway. Uncle Ya's ecstatic "Mom" on the tape recorder echoed in the car.
The wind through the car window gently slapped Dean's face in the driver's seat. He squinted his eyes slightly and observed the scenery on both sides with the corner of his eyes. The windmills and street lights that appeared from time to time added a touch of fun to this long journey.
Behind the street lights is a wide and flat wilderness, which looks golden in the weather in late July. The mountains further away are generally not high, and most areas are covered with withered yellow grass, occasionally dotted with lonely shrubs and small trees.
More than an hour after setting off from Las Vegas, they entered California from Nevada.
The scenery has changed slightly, with more gathering points and gas stations, and occasionally warehouses with triangular roofs can be seen on the roadside. However, the warm-toned scenery is stunning at first sight, but after a long time it becomes a bit desolate and monotonous.
Abby and Gretchen in the back row were listening to music with their tape recorders and didn't talk much.
Dean couldn't help but yawned,
"Where are we camping this time?"
"A certain section of the Sierra Nevada Mountains." Gretchen explained softly,
"I heard that there is Yosemite National Park nearby, which is great for viewing and camping. Why not go there?"
"You can see the best scenery when you go in spring." Gretchen shook her head, "But it's a little late now, and Yosemite only allows camping in a few fixed areas. I've been there several times, but it's not interesting."
"This time we change the place. There are also canyons, forests, and lakes. I promise you won't be disappointed."
"Sounds good." Dean turned to look at the monotonous sand outside the window and yawned again.
"I-15 is a bit boring. When we return from Santa Monica Beach, we can try Mother Road 66. The scenery will be better." Abby took the initiative to chat,
Dean nodded and glanced out the window at a stupid bus with a Mercedes-Benz gray greyhound painted on the side. He suddenly changed the subject, "What kind of car is this?"
"The Greyhound long-distance bus looks like the one departing from Las Vegas." Abby explained, "It runs between Los Angeles, San Diego, and San Francisco. If we don't want to stop for hiking and camping along the way, we can also take this bus. Take a shuttle.”
"But it's best not to sit on it." Gretchen suddenly interjected, "This kind of bus has a large interior space, but there are few passengers, it is highly concealed, and the journey is long. If a pervert wants to do something bad to you, it will break your throat. No one is coming to save you."
"Ha ha."
…
The two girls had good personalities and started chatting, not caring about Dean's previous bad misunderstanding. During the chatter, the awkward silence in the car became harmonious.
…
"Ladies, you will enter grade 12 next semester. Have you chosen your favorite university?"
Dean looked out the window. The car happened to pass by a vineyard of more than a thousand acres. On both sides of the earth-yellow road, the leaves in the grape trellis were swaying like waves in the green sea. The air was filled with sweetness. The breath makes one's mind clear.
"My grades are not very good, and I have no athletic talent," Abby said with some shame. "I don't plan to go to college. I will go back and inherit my supermarket after graduating from high school."
Dean's eyelids twitched, it turned out to be a hidden rich woman.
"Here we go again, Abby, don't say such depressing words. Why don't you have any talent? Don't you often contribute to books and magazines?" Gretchen, the sister living in the building, shook her shoulders and showed off to Dean, "Abby Bee is already a writer for a well-known local fiction magazine in Las Vegas and has published five novels, which have been well received by the public."
"That's amazing. What are their names? I'll buy them in advance and collect them, and I'll ask you to sign them." Dean turned around and smiled at Abby, "When you become a great writer, you will be worth a lot of money. "
Abby's face turned red after being praised, and the pimples on her face became more obvious.
"You have a very unique vision, I think so too." Gretchen was so impressed that Dean nodded.
"You two have such a good relationship."
"Of course, we have been good sisters for more than ten years and have been neighbors since birth," Abby said with a smile. "If she hadn't gone to college, I wouldn't have been able to separate."
"What college are you going to, Gretchen?"
"I like sports and dream of putting on a police uniform and fighting criminals." This cheerful girl puffed up her chest, and the waves surging under her blue T-shirt flashed in the rearview mirror. Dean was dazzled, "I'm working hard to prepare for the exam. Nevada Police Academy.”
"You must be fine... You have excellent academic and sports scores, and you have a cheerful and lively personality. Everyone likes you." Abby's red face pressed against Gretchen's pretty face. The pimple-covered tomboy looked like a big star. The contrast between the prosperous beauty and the beauty made Dean feel a little uncomfortable. At the same time, he had a question in his heart, how could girls with such a big gap in appearance become good friends.
"What's more, a daughter inherits her father's business." Abby turned to Dean, "Gretchen's father is a police officer in the LVPD, Thomas Allen. After she graduates, she will apply for the LVPD and then go to the police academy for further studies."
"Thomas Allen?"
A fat police officer with a bright smile and licking cream from his fingers suddenly appeared in front of Dean's eyes.
"You know my father." Gretchen saw something.
"Not long ago, I happened to meet him when I went to the LVPD for business. His enthusiasm and friendliness were impressive."
Gretchen smiled with her gums exposed and discussed various police matters with Dean.
And Dean spent the last month in the ward studying volunteer information, and had a decent conversation with Gretchen.
Four hours after departure.
The three vehicles passed a huge wind farm, then turned from I-15 onto another state highway and arrived at a gas station at the beginning of the campground.
The group got out of the car and took a break, bought lunch, and checked and packed their luggage. Gretchen left a note at the convenience store - if they didn't return within 72 hours, the store owner would help report the incident.
Afterwards, they put on mountaineering equipment and entered the plain area beside the road.
…
At noon, the golden sun rose to the center of the sky.
Nine figures carrying huge mountaineering bags shuttled through the wilderness on the east side of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. They wore uniform hiking boots and functional clothes made of breathable materials. They did not move fast, but their steps were steady and almost maintained at a constant speed, even if they looked the most delicate. Ashley can easily keep up, too.
Gretchen as the guide walked in the front, followed closely by Dean and Abby...Beck and Jenny followed behind.
It was approaching late July, and the temperature on the side of the Sierra Nevada Mountains where they were located was still a little high, so they felt a little hot even wearing thin coats.
After entering this wilderness in person, Dean discovered that it was not as vast and barren as he had seen on the highway. It was covered with low shrubs, Joshua trees, goldenrod orchids, and even cacti in various forms. Small animals inhabit these plants, making this seemingly barren land glow with charming vitality.
Dean slowed down his steps and turned his gaze to the right under a cactus. A palm-sized lizard with green patterns on its skin was squatting there quietly. It stared at the uninvited guests like a statue with its eyes wide open. It's so naive.
"Look there." Gretchen pointed to the left, and everyone looked at it.
Twenty meters away, under a green bush, a rabbit with gray-brown fur was chewing grass roots. Its ears were erect and shaking, and it was in a state of alert.
"Desert cottontail rabbit, as the name suggests," Abby explained in a low voice, "the tail is like a looped cotton ball. It's cute, right?"
Dean nodded solemnly, thinking about whether if he quietly took a few steps closer, he could let "Shadow" control the board and shoot the little guy without anyone noticing.
Rust quietly took out the Nikon F3 from the package and handed it to Britney, who looked moved.
There was a "click".
The camera accurately captures the cuteness of the little animals.
But the alert cottontail rabbit was alerted by the sound of the shutter. He turned his head and glanced at the group of eager humans. He kicked off his hind legs and disappeared into the depths of the vegetation into a streak of gray lightning.
Its fur is the perfect camouflage color, and it is difficult for even the most skilled hunter to find it when it is hidden in the vegetation.
"The little thing can run quite fast." Baker laughed playfully, "Next time I will bring a gun and hunt a few to have a taste."
“Remember to bring night vision goggles,” Gretchen said. “This area only allows cottontail rabbit hunting at night.”
…
Everyone continued to move forward. The terrain was undulating, constantly cycling from hillsides to valleys. Gretchen stopped from time to time with her hands on her hips to introduce to her companions the animals living in this wilderness, such as the alert Jack Rabbit and the naive gopher. , the ocelot whose traces are mysterious... suddenly hovered above everyone's heads like a naughty child, squawking strangely, and the crows cast curious glances.
She will also use her pleasant voice to tell some knowledge about wilderness first aid: which plants can be mashed to reduce inflammation and relieve pain, which ones can be eaten in small amounts when hungry and thirsty, as well as some tips for hiking: choose a harder ground to walk on than walking on it. Soft ground saves more energy.
Abby looked at her good sisters with admiration.
Everyone also had a favorable impression of this lively, cheerful, dashing and eye-catching guide.
After walking for three hours without realizing it, the sunlight in the sky gradually softened and the temperature began to drop. They stood on a ridge, overlooking the wilderness below. Green gradually replaced the withered yellow, and the green bushes were like water. Green-colored satin spread on the ground.
Farther away, the terrain suddenly rose up, forming a lush and lush mountain forest. They were finally leaving this khaki wilderness and climbing towards the other side of the mountain.
“The rainwater flows through here.”
Gretchen led everyone towards the green bushes and found a pile of black feces under the leaves.
"Coyote poop."
"Wait, are there wolves around here?" Ashley's face turned pale and she asked in surprise, "Will they attack us? Is it dangerous?"
"Don't worry, according to my hunting experience, unless the coyote is so hungry that he is delirious, the coyote will only be more scared when it sees a group of people than you are now." Baker patted his hairy chest, "Not to mention us boys standing in the front. , it can’t hurt you.”
"I will protect you, my dear." Lang put his right hand around Ashley's shoulder and patted her bony chest with his left hand, looking as if he was ready to sacrifice for love at any time with a righteous look.
Ashley hugged his arm tightly with a look of emotion on her face.
"Don't worry too much about the coyote. The cold is much scarier than the wild beasts." Gretchen unwrapped the package and began to take out the thick warm coat. "Everyone put on thick clothes."
"I feel like I can still hold on." Baker disapprovingly opened his hands and turned around, feeling the temperature and wind speed of the air.
"What do you know?" Abby glared at him displeased and explained, "After entering the mountains, the temperature will get lower and lower, and the humidity will get higher and higher. Guess what, your skin will unknowingly... It evaporates moisture from your clothes and takes away a lot of body heat. If you encounter wind, you will quickly experience excessive hypothermia. When your core body temperature drops below 28 degrees, not even God can save you."
"It's that serious, you didn't mean to scare me, did you?" Baker said stubbornly, but his hands were not slow at all. He quickly took out a thick blue down jacket and wrapped it in a slightly thin functional clothes.
A few minutes later.
The group all changed into warm clothes, took out their hiking poles, and walked towards the forest.
As soon as we entered the forest with towering ancient trees, our originally broad field of vision suddenly became narrower.
And because the terrain has risen, the ground has become soft and difficult to exert force on, and the rate of physical energy consumption has greatly increased.
Dean's 11.6-inch body is much stronger than that of a normal person. The walk was easy and even a bit unsatisfying. This level of exercise could not consume the energy he had accumulated for a month of recuperation.
He looked around comfortably, admiring the various fungi at the roots of the trees, the various shrubs filled with berries, the crystalline spider webs between the branches, and the chirping birds on the branches, observing this vibrant mountain forest from a God's perspective.
The vegetation in the mountain forest is luxuriant, the air is fresh, and there are more animals than in the wilderness before. In many places, you can smell the smell of urine that they deliberately left to mark their territories.
"This place is great for hunting."
"Everyone, how long does it take to get to the camping site? My feet are so sore that they almost don't belong to me anymore."
On the other side, Ashley was sweating profusely and pouting, while Lang nodded with a stiff face.
"Hold on, there are still two hours before the sun sets. We must reach the mountainside before then. There are houses specially prepared for climbers there." Gretchen encouraged,
"It's dark, and there are not only wolves in the woods." Baker and his girlfriend Jenny made a scary pose towards Ashley, who looked like a little girl, with her mouth wide open. "There are also some mysterious monsters in the legend, such as Wendigos and werewolves only eat little girls like you who have delicate skin and tender flesh!”
"ah!"
Ashley screamed and turned pale,
"If you try to scare people again, believe it or not, I will sew your mouth shut!"
A group of people simultaneously denounced Baker and Jenny.
The two of them raised their hands in surrender.
…
Halfway up the mountain.
A dilapidated cabin appeared under the fir trees not far away. The wooden walls were covered with green vines and moss, and the glass windows were covered with a layer of dusty curtains. It looked quite old.
"Wow, I'm liberated. I want to lie down. I want to lie down all day and don't want to move for a second!"
Ashley threw her backpack to her boyfriend and rushed over with a yell.
"Slow down, there's someone inside."
Dean lifted the God's perspective and stopped her.
With a creak, the closed door of the wooden house was pushed open, and a man wearing denim overalls and a wide-brimmed hat walked out. He had a rugged appearance, a heavy reddish-brown beard, and his eyes were big and bright, like a pair of aiming eyes. Scanning the crowd like a mirror,
"Come to climb a mountain?"
"Yes, hello, sir. We climbed all the way up and wanted to find a place to rest temporarily. I didn't know there was someone in the house."
"Young man, this is not a private house. If you need it, feel free to move in." The man waved and his hearty smile made people feel good. "If you don't mind, come in and squeeze in. It's getting dark. Just a few tents and sleeping bags. But it can’t keep you warm.”
Gretchen exchanged glances with everyone after hearing this. Except for Dean, a group of people nodded eagerly.
Baker even bulged his well-developed biceps, and his eyes were full of confidence.
…
There are no partitions in the 40-square-meter wooden house, and there is only one hall with simple furnishings and dim lighting from kerosene lamps.
The fire in the stove made of stone and clay danced, and the broth in the iron pot hanging above was boiling, and a rich fragrance filled the air.
After consuming a lot of physical energy, the hungry people all showed expressions of eagerness to try.
There was a second person sitting in the room.
Wearing a black cold-proof suit, his facial features were as cold and hard as an escort in a Western movie. He was sitting quietly by the wooden bed. He was unsmiling and seemed not to be easy to contact. He carried a Winchester M1897 shotgun and kept wiping it. It seemed that Didn't see this group of visitors.
The atmosphere in the house suddenly fell into silence.
Dean quietly called out "Shadow" just in case.
Lang looked at the dark shotgun, "Gurgled" and visibly swallowed his saliva.
"Man, don't put the gun away, you scared the guests." The bearded man roared, and the companion silently put the gun into his backpack, and then kept looking at everyone with his small eyes.
"Sorry, Sam is not good at words, but he is a good person like me. This gun is for hunting, so there is no need to worry."
The man took off his cowboy hat and smiled apologetically. He wiped his muddy palms on the cowboy straps and shook hands with everyone one by one.
"Sit down, the house is simple, I can only make do with it."
Dean sat down next to Tom and smiled at him. From a God's perspective, he began to check their backpacks and weapons. They were not fully automatic.
The other teammates saw this and sat down one after another.
"I'm Owen, and this is Tom, from San Francisco. Do you still look like students?"
The man's eyes swept across the green cheeks, stopped at Gretchen's bright face, and then covertly glanced at the fullness of her chest.
"Um."
"which school?"
"Sacramento, graduate of Lewis High School, currently at graduation camp."
Gretchen looked calm.
Sacramento is in central California, not far from their camping spot.
Lang was surprised why his companion was lying. He turned around and found Dean sitting opposite giving him a sharp look.
He was inexplicably afraid and swallowed the question in his stomach.
"If I had known that you two were using this house, we would have climbed to the top from the other side of the mountain with other students."
Gretchen raised her eyebrows.
"Oh, are there other students?" The fat man stood up and scooped out a bowl of steaming stew from the iron pot. He took a few bites with the spoon and showed a satisfied expression.
"Well, sixteen classmates...we made an appointment to have a mountain climbing competition, and the loser will invite everyone to have a seafood dinner in Santa Monica."
Everyone tacitly agreed not to expose Gretchen's lies.
"Young people are full of energy. They are exactly like my nephew who is in high school. But after climbing for so long, are you already starving?" The fat man handed the soup bowl to everyone, "Come and have a taste. I hunted it at the bottom of the mountain early this morning." Cottontail rabbit, stewed just right.”
People here didn’t have so many polite things to say. Seeing that he drank most of the bowl, they each scooped up a bowl and ate happily around the bonfire.
"Well, sweet potatoes, onions, and corn kernels are stewed. The meat is soft and delicious." Baker praised it, "Your skills can open a stew restaurant in San Francisco."
The fat man burst out laughing when he heard this.
"Eat with an open belly, there is plenty in the pot."
The two parties gathered around an iron pot to have a meal and communicate, and the students shared snacks, drinks and beer in their backpacks.
But Tom the hunter disliked the blandness of the beer, so he handed his flask filled with vodka to the boys in the team. Except for Dean, who didn't drink alcohol, Rust, Baker, and even the skinny Lang all went there. I drank a few big gulps in my stomach, my face was drunk and my whole body was warm.
Upon seeing this, Owen, a man with a oily face and a beard, began to eloquently tell everyone all kinds of interesting things he encountered during the hunt. His storytelling was very good, with ups and downs, and attracted the young man's full attention.
"Uncle Owen, you are so well-informed, but do you know there are Wendigos in this mountain?" Ashley asked timidly, thinking of what Baker had said to scare her.
The bearded man chuckled and said smoothly, "That thing only comes out in the cold winter. Now that summer is approaching, it is hiding in the cave and sleeping."
"Currently, there are only wild boars, stone goats, American badgers, star weasels, red cats, flying squirrels, and pig badgers in the mountains... Speaking of pig badgers, they usually come out at night."
The bearded man stood up in front of everyone's astonished eyes and looked at the sky outside the window. The moonlight fell like flowing water into the courtyard outside the house.
"It's a pleasure to have dinner with such a young and energetic student like you, but happiness is always short-lived. When the hunting time comes, the house will be left to you."
The two hunters carried heavy mountaineering bags, hung a Remington M1100 on their left shoulders, and another AR15 on their right shoulders.
"goodbye."
The bearded man waved his hand and left the gate with his companions without any hesitation.
…
After a long time, the two figures disappeared under the moonlight outside the window. Gretchen held her chest and breathed a sigh of relief.
"Have you watched too many horror movies to see who are all bad guys? Why don't they just use those three guns to threaten us if they have bad intentions?" Baker's face, reddened by vodka, was full of confusion, and he couldn't help but feel sorry for the two of them. The hunter stood up and Jenny and Ashley nodded.
"Have you grown so big in vain? Didn't your brain absorb any nutrients?" Rust knocked on his head. "Who would have bad guys and perverts written on their faces? And that Tom has been peeking at him lustfully. Girls don’t look like good people.”
"How do I remember that you drank several sips of vodka and ate several bowls of stew? Aren't you afraid of them poisoning you?"
"Do you think I'm as careless as you? They took their mouths first and then I started eating."
"Okay, stop arguing." Gretchen stared at the darkness outside the window and muttered, "Safety comes first when you go out, and the most careful thing is people. Don't camp outside tonight, put your sleeping bags in the house, and take turns keeping watch. , grab the flare gun and hiking poles."
"I'll keep vigil tonight." Dean said solemnly,
He didn't want to be beaten while sleeping soundly. With the support of Ironman Talent and Balance Meditation, it wouldn't be a big deal if he stayed up all night after climbing a mountain for a whole day.
"You can sleep peacefully."
