I didn’t realize how much effort it would take to just get to the beginning of the hiking trail. I got up early, put on my new hiking gear that took longer than I imagined, called a gig-car to take me to the car rental lot. I rented a car and headed to Marin county to get to a hiking trail.
I read about the Dipsea trailhead at Stinson Beach (a part of the Golden Gate National Recreation area) it was off a side road from Highway 1. It climbed gradually through some thorny scrubby sort of brush and then I saw a forest grade. I was so happy to see the cool shade. Just a little bit of a hike and I was already hot, sweaty, and my legs were cramping.
Hiking was part of my new physical activity as part of the effort to lose weight. I was new to hiking and bought all the equipment suggested by AI. I overspent. I was equipped for a long excursion and not a walk on a trail. One of the habits I will have to break, thinking that buying special gear is going to solve a problem.
All the equipment I brought was getting heavier with each step. I rationed my water intake but began to worry that I may not have brought enough. I sat down in the shade next to a tree to catch my breath and to stop sweating. It was so quiet, except for some birds. I was sleep deprived from going over the plans and equipment in my head last night instead of getting rest. I didn’t realize I fell asleep until I woke up.
It was already dusk when I awoke. I thought I heard a woman’s voice saying, “Wake up, come to me.” I rubbed my eyes and yawned. I thought the dream would fade but it didn’t. I could swear I could still hear that woman’s voice.
I got up, brushed off the forest debris from my pants, and started walking. I wasn’t on a trail anymore. I didn’t know where the trail was and as it was getting dark I thought I’d best check my phone to get an idea of where I was.
No cell signal. Well, that’s a bummer. I checked my paper map and took out my compass, only to find that I had sat on my compass and broke it. I’m off to a rotten start.
The only thing I could think of was to go down hill. If I came across a stream I could follow that. All streams lead to the ocean, don’t they. I should come across some buildings, maybe with some people living there. They might have a land line, or even a vehicle. I could offer to pay them to take me back to my rental car. I was full of wishful thinking.
I could still hear the echo of the woman’s voice in my head. I was hearing things from being hungry and thirsty. I drank a little bit of my rapidly diminishing water supply and had a protein bar, I hoped that would help clear my head.
After the sun set I did come across a clearing, a part of the mountain that seemed like it was leveled for a building or homestead. It was very quiet and I could only hear my breath, heartbeat, and my footsteps in the dried grass.
I saw a yellow light behind some tall brush and I heard a woman softly singing. I couldn’t make out the words she was singing but I definitely recognized the voice. It was the voice from my dream. I was obviously lightheaded from exertion, lack of food, and water.
I hurried towards the light and came upon a tiny house built in a shape of a tugboat. Like the boat sailed right up the mountain and docked itself in the bushes.
The light came from an open window or porthole. I felt odd to just go knocking on a stranger’s door in the dark, but I really had no choice. I cleared my throat, hoping she would hear me and her singing stopped.
“Excuse me.” I called out, “I’m lost and I saw the light from the window.” I hoped I sounded harmless.
“You’re lost, you say?” the woman said from the porthole. It was a voice of a young woman. “Well, I supposed you should come aboard.” The door to the tiny house opened up and a golden glow silhouetted the shape of a petite woman. Her features were in the shadow.
“Thank you so much. I’m new to hiking, fell asleep under a tree, woke up and found myself lost.” I explained, embarrassed that I was blubbering, as I walked toward the open door.
“It happens a lot.” She said in a voice that was pleasant. “You must be thirsty and hungry. Please come in.” She stepped back from the door.
There were 3 stairs that led up to her door way. I wondered if I should offer to take off my shoes so I didn’t track dirt into her home. “I should remove my shoes. I don’t want to track in dirt.” I said as I stuck my head in her open doorway. She was tiny, shorter than me. I felt like a big oaf next to her, bigger than usual.
“If that would make you feel comfortable.” The woman said, her back to me as she went to the small kitchen area, “I’ll put on some water for tea.”
I sat on the top stair and took off my shoes to leave them on the outside doorsteps. I put them to one side so no one would stumble over them going out. I didn’t want to make a mess when she was helping me.
I stood up, closed the door, and turned around to face the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen. She had long golden hair that fell in waves, pale skin, bright blue eyes, pink lips that played with a smile she was seeming to resist. She was like a Disney fairy princess. I had to remind myself to close my mouth.
“I’m Flora Mallory.” She said as she reached out to shake my hand. I had reached out to knock knuckles because that was the usual greeting. So our hands stopped within inches of each other in that awkward open hand – knuckle gesture. We both pulled away smiling but never touching.
“I’m Brennen. Brennen Alistar. Could I wash my hands, please?” I asked, holding out my muddy hands. I was self conscious of how dirty my hands were.
She laughed softly and said, “What’s that old saying? ‘Got to eat a bushel of dirt before you die.’ Dirt never hurt anyone, but sure, the sink’s right there. I’ll show you how to use the foot pump.” She led me to the sink that was made of a porcelain bowl with blue and white glaze, the design seemed to be people dancing or swimming.
“See, the pump is right down here. Step on it and water will come out.” She showed me how to do it. By some trick of the eye the blue people in the bowl seemed to be moving when the water flowed over them. I was soon distracted by her foot that was so petite and pretty in white slippers with gold designs on it.
“Pretty slippers” I said as I washed my hands. The aroma of her hair was intoxicating. I had to struggle not to bury my face in it. She would have been within her right to kick me out if I did that. Kick me out or shoot me if I didn’t want to go. That was an odd thought.
“You’d be surprised to know that the designs are made of straw.” she said stepping back to show them off. “It’s an old technique and the gold is a natural color of the straw.”
“Or Rumpelstiltskin was the designer.” I joked and then saw her smile suddenly fade.
“No, he wasn’t.” She said somberly and moved to the stove to tend to the pot of water that was boiling.
“I’m sorry, bad joke. The shoes are lovely.” I said and looked for a tea towel or something to dry my hands. I couldn’t find anything so I dried them on my shirt. Everything I did was so clumsy. Anything I could have done around her would look clumsy. She moved like she was floating instead of walking.
I took out my phone and found that I still didn’t have cell service. I looked around to see if there was a land-line phone and couldn’t find any. “Do you have a land-line phone I could use so I could call a gig-car to come pick me up?” I asked as I sat where she gestured me to by the small wood burning stove. Everything in this tiny house made me feel like a giant. The stove, table, seating area were all perfectly suited to her. I was over-sized for everything.
“Unfortunately the land-line is not in service. Winds blew down some trees and the service isn’t back up.” She said as she poured tea into two cups on the small table.
“Do you have a car? I would be happy to pay for your gas and time if you could drive me to where I left my rental car.” I asked, hoping against hope that she didn’t have a car.
“I use my bicycle to get about. I don’t think it would be wise for the two of us to be on the bike at night.” She said and laughed merrily.
“Oh, gosh, that’s going to make it awkward. I don’t want to impose on your hospitality by spending the night. I doubt if I could find my way out in the dark when I got lost by daylight.” I said, feeling hopeless. I didn’t see any humor in the situation. “I could sleep outside in my emergency sleeping bag.” I offered.
“Let’s think about that after dinner. I was just about to eat and there’s enough for two.” She said and got up to go to the kitchen area. She reached down and brought up a covered casserole dish. I didn’t see an oven when I was over there washing my hands but I wasn’t looking for one.
“Get two plates from the shelf,” she said and pointed with her chin to a shelf on the opposite side of the seating area. Plates of different designs were displayed upright on narrow strips of wood.
I got two plates, a pink one for her and a blue one for me. I set them beside our cups and she set the hot casserole dish at the center of the table. I didn’t think there was going to be enough room on the table but there was.
She reached back over to the kitchen area and pulled out three spoons. One serving spoon and two dinner spoons. She opened the top of the dish without any care as to the heat and began to serve large portions of a creamy pasta dish that looked to have chicken, carrots, and peas in it.
She put the lid on the dish and handed me my spoon. “I hope you like chicken and vegetables. You’re not allergic to wheat are you?” She asked as she began to take her first bite.
“Thank you. No, I mean, no wheat allergies. I eat chicken.” I said and paused, “There goes my diet.” I laughed weakly.
“This is not the time to worry about a diet. This is a special occasion. You got lost and then you found my home. I made too much dinner for just myself and now I get to share it. Everything is going to be fine.” She said and ate her dinner with a gusto that belied her petite frame.
“You’re right. I’m a lucky man.” I said as I took the first bite. The casserole was delicious. Better than anything I had ever eaten in my whole life.
“Yes, you are.” She said seriously, looking up at me through her long lashes. She watched me eat her dinner.
Weeks later the body of Brennan Alistar was found in an empty field, starved and dehydrated, with his shoes off. Autopsy showed his stomach was filled with dirt. The field was the site of a suspected murder and arson that happened years ago. The background of the murder/arson scene was a love affair that went wrong. A woman lost her life in the fire of a tiny house. Her boyfriend had an alibi being in San Francisco at the time. Rumor had it that he was dissatisfied with her because she had gained a lot of weight after an illness. Their romance faded and it was said he was with another woman when the tiny house burnt to the ground with Flora Mallory in it. Oddly, Brennan Alistar is not the first fatality to have been discovered on that site, what locals are now deeming as haunted.