Free Olivia's Trek (1) by DM Sharp

interesting to know that the word Utah is derived from the name of the Ute tribe. It means ‘people of the mountains’ in the Ute language.”
    “Why would that interest me?”
    “Well, your mother was Native American, wasn’t she?”
    “Guess so.”
    “We’re going to my rehabilitation facility called Cedars and you’ll stay with us for a bit while we give you all the help you need.”
    “I don’t need help,” I mutter darkly under my breath as the car door shuts behind me and the blacked out windows give my eyes a break from the surrounding brightness.
    The car winds its way through the slick, rock canyons, aspen and pine forests. I’d seen pictures of the red rock cliffs in magazines before, but this was something else. My eyes are barely able to take in one type of scenery before it totally changes again. There are more notices for national and state parks and monuments than I’ve ever seen in any other region in the country.
    Dr. Carmichael’s voice fades into the background as he tells me that our route follows the Colorado River then approaches the La Sal Mountains through Castle Valley. Flashing images of the Carters’ Upper East Side apartment, the feel of the thick carpet on my bare toes, the smell of Victoria’s alyssum bath oil completely overtake me. Alternating waves of nausea and abdominal cramps have crept up on me. I need to concentrate on the outside and focus on what Dr. Carmichael is saying as we travel through the Manti-La Sal National Forest.
    “Motorists will wind their way up to an elevation of 12,700 feet and then drop into the red rock canyons of the Colorado River plateau. That’s where Cedars is, Olivia.” My nose is starting to run and my muscles ache.
    The enormous rocks, cliff walls hundreds of feet high, and sandstone spanning across the landscape, send me to sleep.
    *
    I’m sitting slumped in the back seat on my own. My mouth is all dry apart from the right hand side where I’ve obviously been drooling. Gross. As I reach up to wipe it with the back of my hand, a lady in a peppermint green golf top and beige chinos holding a folder with my name on it pops her head into the side of the car and beams the broadest smile I have seen in a long time, enhancing her perfect lovely white teeth.
    “Miss Carter. Glad to see you’re awake. Welcome to Cedars, my dear. My name is Cynthia. Come and follow me and I’ll escort you to your room. You must be tired, so let’s get you all settled in and then I can show you around.”
    Her soothing voice is full of compassion and charity and I automatically trust her like the old Olivia would. Quickly I tell myself that everyone is here to trap me, hold me against my will and stop me from making the choices that I’m free to do. So much for fucking liberty.
    Ava and Asher Forrester Payne always described state of the art spa facility type of places. This looks like some kind of luxury campground. I’m surrounded by waterfalls, green shrubbery and a large red hut to which beaming-smile-and-white-teeth is headed like she’s on a mission.
    I’m starting to feel shivery and jumpy as Cynthia leads me through what looks like a five star hotel lobby reception area and then down a long whitewashed corridor with an eclectic mix of pictures hanging on the walls. She must have sensed that I’m not feeling too good as her pace quickens.
    We turn around a corner and she unlocks a white door.
    “This will be your room while you are staying with us, Miss Parker, before you are ready to go on a trek. I hope you’ll find it to your taste and comfort.”
    Huh? What happened to the white straitjackets and locked wards that you see on late night TV? Trek? As in hiking? I must be tripping. Sure, good luck with that one.
    Inside the room I look at the white walls, white ceiling and white bedcovers on the white double bed. Everything is so white here, but not at all clinical or scary. It’s modern and makes me feel clean and pure. There’s some kind of