Alice's car pulled gently onto the gravel, coming to a halt with a slight squeak. There hadn't been anything around her for well over a mile as she drove further and further towards the trailhead. As she stepped out of the old '86 Mustang, she was immediately hit by the warm summer breeze, simultaneously flooding her with the menagerie of smells from the forest.

  It was a lonely tradition now, ever since her grandfather died. Nearly every summer since she was a girl, the two of them would make the lengthy trek up north to these forests. It has never been the same since. But she does it anyway not only because it lets her cling to the memory of her grandfather but it also gives her a desperate escape from the insanity and monotony of everyday life.

  As Alice looked around the familiar unpaved lot she noticed there was another car parked away in a corner, that she hadn't noticed upon pulling in. She can't recall the st time there was someone else all the way out here. This park isn't exactly the most famous and is so remote many who live in the area don't even know it exists. It is nice however, to know that there are others who are able to enjoy this incredible pce, no matter how much the other part of her wants to keep the forest and all its memories to herself.

  Popping open the trunk Alice collects her backpack; stocked full of snacks, water, and socks. There were many parts of the trail that got uncomfortably muddy, and with mud comes water and soiled socks. Taking a hearty sip more akin to a chug from her water bottle, she closes it back up and stashes it back into its pouch and closes the trunk.

  She pnned on taking a different loop than usual this time, the *Eastern trail*. That's not to say she hasn't taken it before, she's done all five of the trials many times, but tends to stick to the *Western trail,* which to her is the most scenic. Before striking out she makes a search along the brush for any fallen branches or sticks, ones that could easily be worked into a suitable hiking stick. Unfortunately for Alice her search came up null. Frowning slightly at the ck of a stick she resolved herself towards the trailhead, marked by the rustic sign warning of ticks and foreign insects.

  The gravel from the lot faded into packed dirt and the occasional tufts of grass. The *Eastern trail* cut thru just over four and a half miles of raw untamed wilderness, well untamed besides the quite tamed path. Alice had barely even made a quarter mile when her eyes were caught by item most intriguing, a stick, one perfect for her evening purposes. The branch was gnarled and warped, but there were two knots perfectly pced in a way to brace ones grip while using it. She jabbed it towards the ground a few times, testing its durability. Seeming satisfied with its performance she continued her journey.

  The trail for much of the journey was fnked by what were either birch or aspen trees. Alice was notoriously bad at her tree identification much the chagrin of her grandfather who knew basically everything about all trees. But judging by how close all the trees were to each other her guess was leaning towards aspen. The bright summer light was just barely able to cut its way down from the thick yellow foliage, but the light that did sparked brilliantly against the rocks and creeks.

  Following the trail to about the halfway mark took Alice to the look out point, a tall rocky cliff face that overlooked a rge ke. Carefully sliding over the stone Alice took a seat on the edge just barely keeping her legs from dangling over. Slipping out of her bag and opening it, she retrieved a bag of various nuts and dried fruit to munch on. Satisfied with her snack she pulled out a small candle and pced it beside and carefully lit it, and she sat there in the silence of the forest with the memory of grandfather beside her.

  ***

  The leaves around her rustled in the wind, she was caught up in the sounds of nature for long enough that the small candle had just about burned through. Curious as to just how long she's been sitting on the cliff-side she reaches into her bag, pushing aside all the other snacks and socks and pulls out a slightly tarnished gold pocket-watch. The watch, a parting gift to her from her grandfather. Alice clicked open the guard and revealed the face of the watch, followed by the mechanical whirls and clicks, easy to hear all alone.

  Stirring from her position she slides the watch into her pocket and extinguishes the candle. After pulling the backpack over her shoulders she returns her attention back to the lengthy trail back. Sweeping across the path, a satisfying crunch of leaves beneath her. It may be summer but since these trails are hardly ever tended to the old leaves from the season prior still litter the ground. The trail soon began to wind downward, descending the cliffs that made up the area.

  It was on the way down that the mystery of who the other car belonged to was solved. A rather tall figure came into view, although not located on the trail but instead about a fifty yards out to her left, where he was just sitting beside a tree. Alice wasn't quite able to make out what it was he was doing but she could see he was fiddling with something in his hands. And if she wasn't mistaken she could almost make out the faintest hint of music. Her curiosity having been greatly piqued she decides to break the cardinal rule of hiking, and strays from the path. Cautiously approaching the stranger who upon closer inspection is indeed pying an instrument, a flute perhaps? The strangers eyes flick up to meet Alice as the two of them both freeze, the stranger lowering his flute.

  "Sorry didn't mean to spook you." Alice curiously approached a little closer, perhaps not the best course of action when you meet a stranger in the woods pying a flute but she couldn't help it. "I've never seen anyone else out here before and well if you were trying to draw attention you certainly got mine".

  "Not exactly," the stranger gave her a puzzling look. "I find it easier to think out here, like you said hardly anyone comes out to these woods." his eyes swiped up and down her warily, "If you don't mind me asking what brings you out to here. Don't sound like you're from around here".

  "It's a memorial thing, me and my grandpa used to come and camp and hike these woods when I was younger. Sadly he passed a few years back. But it's a thing to do and helps me process everything a little better." Alice began to trail off at the end wistfully.

  "Oh, I'm sorry to hear that, in comparison my reason seems a bit vain I suppose." the stranger chuckled slightly dispying his flute a little clearer.

  "How long have you pyed?" Alice stared at the flute. It was a nice flute as far as she could tell, clearly well used but all the parts seemed to be well maintained.

  "Most of my life it feels like." the stranger glides his hand across the instrument pushing down the keys as he went. "Started when I was about 8, took a break in high school and picked it back up in college".

  "You must be pretty good then, yeah?" Alice mused. "I always wanted to py an instrument, but it was too expensive to rent and the school I went to didn't exactly have the best music program".

  "That's a shame, I've always been drawn to music, anyone who wants to learn should be able to". He shifted around in is seat moving to a more comfortable position. "If that's still the case I'm sure you could easily find something for cheap online? Flute or otherwise."

  Their conversation on forests and music continued for quite some time, much longer than either had initially anticipated, certainly not the stranger who Alice ter learned was named Connor. The two eventually made their way back to the gravel paved lot and parted ways, having exchanged phone numbers from the insistence of Alice.