Free Regeneration X by Ellison Blackburn Page A

opposed to trying.’
    “‘Look,’ he said, trying to distract me, pointing to our right. ‘See the lake? It’s a wonder it’s so blue. It’s extremely cold, too. It freezes your fingers if you touch it, but it’s crystal clear when you’re standing in front of it—you can see through to the bottom.’ For a while, he didn’t say any more.
    “Frustrated, I could hear my voice pitch slightly higher. ‘We’ve been walking for hours. We’re supposed to enjoy the whole view, all the way up, not just the inside of the shelter when we get there and a mountain lake in the distance. You know? Like, ‘it’s the journey that’s important, not the destination.’?’
    “He stilled for an instant and with the fleeting twitch of his jaw muscle I could clearly hear his thoughts, Shit! Enough with the drama . Instead, he said in the same steady emotionless tone, ‘You can enjoy the view on the way down. It’s already getting dark. Soon you won’t be able to see two feet in front of you. On the Alps, you could easily step those two feet off a cliff.’
    “I knew we were following the red and white stripes painted by the Swiss Army, so I looked across the landscape for the next mark. Thankfully, the rocks on this side of the peak were more scattered. It was a steeper and narrower path down to the lake, but at least it would be smoother and greener. I spotted the shelter at the top of the next peak. It looked so close, but I knew it would be a long hike. Looking down I said, ‘Look at these little frogs, they are so tiny. I just now noticed them. I hope we haven’t stepped on any.’
    “As he looked out, his well hidden agitation was replaced with a growing unease. ‘Life is short. Let’s keep going,’ he said not bothering to look out for the tiny critters at our feet.
    “‘Aw, that’s mean,’ I said. ‘I know you think I’m being a brat. But really, you’ve seen this all before. I’m just trying to make the best of it. The highest peak I’ve ever climbed was really just a big rock—Wedge Rock in Turkey Run.’
    “Again in the dream I heard his thoughts as if he had spoken them out loud without moving his lips, Traveling together tells you a lot about people, Miles seemed to say. He was also thinking, in a very different way, the novelty has worn off for me too; I know I should tell her, but I can’t, I have to choose the right moment . Maybe it was the guilt of this these thoughts because next he said, ‘alright, I get it. If you want, we can take a break, a short one, OK? Getting past the rock field was the toughest anyway. It’s a straight path from here.’
    “Miles sat on the edge of one of the craggy boulders and stared down at the lake. I sat down beside him and leaned my head on his shoulder. I glanced at the lake and then peered out at the lonely shelter perched above us on the next peak. Neither of us spoke for what seemed a long time. ‘Look at how low the clouds look. I feel like if I reach out I can grab a handful of cloud fluff in my hand,” Miles said. ‘And the air is thinner, can you feel it?’
    “Even before he’d said it, I had noticed how each breath seemed to reach my lungs with a kind-of sharpness. ‘It’s surreal,’ I gasped out.
    “Miles had hiked this route many times. But he was thinking of one special time. ‘Once I came up here with my dad. I told him the same thing, that it didn’t seem real.’ The clouds so misty and fuzzy have this effect. It’s as though you’re having a waking dream. I remember my dad saying, ‘Maybe this is what being near god feels like—awe and contentedness. It’s strange, but at the same time, wonderful.’’’
    “Too soon, Miles pulled himself to standing. ‘We better get moving. It’s getting colder; it will be full dark soon.’
    “I slowly stood and wincing I said, ‘It’s only going on 4 o’clock, but you’re right, my legs are stiff and they burn.’
    “‘Easy. You go first; just keep to the trail,’ Miles