Lonesome

Only a few days ago I moved here. It's a nice area here at the Banff national park. It's summer so the weather is beautiful as well. I'm driving down the road as I get a call from Trevor, my friend who got me the job in the first place.

“Hello?”

I say as I hold my flip phone to my ear.

“Hey Will, I left your tower keys in the office so you can get it when you get there.”

He said though it was hard to tell since it was crackling like a fireplace.

“Yeah ok thanks.”

I put my phone back down once I heard the disconnect tone. As I drive I almost don't feel the potholes and cracks with how smooth the car is. To get away from the silence I turn the radio station on. I have it set to 85.7 F.M. which is my favorite station.

As I drive a little longer listening to the music I see the Banff national park offices. Driving over the still impossibly smooth road I pull into the parking lot. Before I exit the car I take my park pass so I can get in. As I exit the car I see Trevor.

“Hey!”

He hollers towards me.

“I thought you would be inside.”

I say with a bit of confusion.

“Nah, I was waiting for you.”

I smile.

“Thanks, y'know I almost got lost getting here.”

I said with a bit of embarrassment in my voice.

“Yeah the roads do seem to be winding. Anyways I have your tower key in the office and I will go to mine in a minute.”

He said, probably doubting that I would find the keys.

“Ok thanks, I'll find them.”

I said walking towards the doors.

“Don't forget that your tower 12 go there, try not to hang around outside, don't want the Wendigo to get you.”

He said in such a way that I couldn't quite tell if it was sarcasm or the truth.

“Yeah, ok thanks.”

I said not believing that the Wendigo could exist.

I enter the building and head towards the office to get my keys. As I entered the office I saw an old woman typing on a computer at a desk but still dressed as if she was young.

“Hi.”

She said her voice was monotone and filled with boredom.

“You're William right?”

She said her voice was uncaring.

“Yes, that's me.”

I said even though I had no idea who she was.

“Your locker is there I think your name is on it.”

She said, pointing towards a tall and thin locker wedged between the wall and another locker.

“Thanks.”

I said picking up the keys from the desk and going to my locker taking out a walkie talkie and a compass. I head towards the door about to walk out of the room but she looks up from the computer she was typing on.

“The door to the park is jammed a little so you have to push more than normal.”

I look back as she said this.

“Thanks.”

I said leaving the room. My shoes clack against the floor. They always did that. I'm not sure why. As I reach the door to the park I realize she wasn't lying about it being stuck, and pushing it wasn't doing the trick. In an attempt to open the door I slam my body against it. In doing so the door flew open and surprisingly didn't break.

Walking out the door into the park I make my way to my tower. I'm thankful that it hadn't rained there so I didn't have to get my shoes covered in mud. Walking along the walkway I can hear the bugs flying around and the wildlife. Walking further into the woods headed for my tower I see a sign. It's a map of the whole park. It's quite big and both of the towers are visible on it so I knew where I was going. My walkie talkie goes off, and from the sound of it, it's Trevor at his tower already.

“Yes?”

I ask, wondering what he wants.

“When did you get to your tower you were fast, huh?”

Trevor says, I become heavily confused on what he means because I'm not there yet. I'm still on the ground and at least a half of a kilometer away.

“What? N—no I'm not at my tower yet.”

I think to myself that the lights are on or something.

“Really, because someone is standing in there right now.”

I think somebody has broken in and is either stealing or vandalizing.

“I'm going to get there ASAP now!”

I yell as I start to run towards my tower turning a 15 minute walk into a 10 minute run. I can see my tower on the horizon. I trip over a branch in the way and fall but I pick myself up and keep going. Reaching my tower I rush up the stairs. As I reach the top nobody is there.

As I try to turn the handle it doesn't move and it occurred to me that Trevor had lied to me.

“You liar.”

I say into the walkie talkie out of breath and holding myself up from the railing on the tower.

“I just wanted you to get there faster.”

He laughs over the walkie talkie. It sounds like a clown at a circus or at a birthday party.

“You're a horrible person.”

I said in annoyance and disbelief that he would do that to me.

“Me, a horrible person? never.”

He said sarcastically.

“I'm dumbfounded by you.”

I say as I finally regain my composure and unlock the door to my tower.

“Sure—”

Trevor was about to say something but I turned off my walkie talkie. I'll turn it back on later. As I enter my tower I see a radio set on a burgundy desk. And there is also a bed in the corner, as well as a map of the park on the wall just like the one that was near the entrance of the park when I came in.

Looking around the tower more I see an analog clock on the wall above the door. I go to the burgundy colored desk and there is an old newspaper with the heading ‘Another Wendigo sighting in Jasper national park’ it gave me the chills. Though I didn't read and instead had thrown it into the trash. I turned my walkie talkie back on so I could talk to Trevor.

“Hello, Trevor you there?”

I asked and I stood there waiting for a reply.

“Yes I'm here.”

He said in a vexed voice.

“Did you know that in 1999 there was a Wendigo sighting in Jasper park.”

I said not expecting the most surprised response.

“Yeah I did and please try not to bring up Wendigo's name in conversation. The local people here are scared of that.”

He said in a demanding tone.

“Oh, ok yeah of course.”

I said in agreement because I don't want to get into trouble here since I'm new in town.

“alright you should turn the radio on because i think my walkie talkie is low on batteries.”

Trevor says with hope that I actually listen to him.

Walking over to the radio on the desk I sit down in a metal chair that is there by the desk. Sitting down I turn on the radio.

“Hello, do you copy.”

I say over the radio waiting for Trevor over in tower 7 to respond.

“Hi, yes I do.”

Trevor says after only just a small moment.

“Look, you can see the sunset.”

I said in awe, still looking at it.

“Yeah I see it anyway this is all I wanted to help you with so if anybody happens to say anything over this frequency you should be able to hear it. I'm clocking out.”

Trevor says to me before I see the blinds shutting.

“Ok.”

I say knowing that I will be in my lonesome in this tower. I stand up from the desk and walk outside to the balcony of the tower. The air was crisp and clean. Banff National Park was breathtakingly beautiful, with towering mountains and lush forests stretching as far as the eye could see. As I settled into my new role as a fire watcher, I couldn't help but be in awe of the natural beauty that surrounded me. Tower 7 was always visible in the distance, a small speck against the vast wilderness. The sun started to set and the sky became an orange and reddish canvas. The tree's along the skyline it's a surrealistic sight for me.

This is awesome I think to myself as the sun had setted and revealing the starry night became visible. I sat in my tower, gazing out at the starlit sky, I heard a faint rustling in the trees below. Brushing it off as a trick of the wind, I continue my watch of the sky and woods. The forest itself seemed to come alive at night, with the trees swaying in an unnatural manner. I tried to brush it off as my imagination playing tricks on me, but deep down, I couldn't shake the feeling of unease.

“Hey!”

I yell into the empty forest but all I hear is my own echo. It's like an eerie silence. All I can hear is the bugs buzzing around the tower all huddled around the lamp hanging from the center of the room. The radio crackles as somebody tries to get through. I rush over and sit down trying to speak.

“Hello, is anybody there?”

But there's no answer, it's radio silent, no luck with it. Must be something with the connection line.

I have to go repair it. I think to myself as I stand up and head towards the door leading to the stairs in the dark. I am holding a flashlight because of how dark and gloomy it is. I head downstairs. I can't see that far, the forest is too thick. The flashlight cuts through the dark like a knife through butter.

“Hey!”

I yell out as I see something move at the tree line. The only bit of light is coming from the moon out past the mountains. I continue my walk further into the woods towards the shack for the radio connection. It feels eerie out at night all I can hear is the buzzing of the bugs and the wind blowing in the trees. I shine my flashlight ahead and I can see the shack. I reach the old wooden door of the shack it creeks as I open it. As I walk into the shack I pull a string from the ceiling the light turns on.

“Woah.”

I let out a sigh. It looks old and dusty like it hadn't been touched in years. Walking over to the corner I reach for the switch to turn it back on. It turns on yet I still have the uneasy feeling lingering in my mind. I leave the shack after turning the light off and head back towards my tower.

That's when I saw it. A tall and hunched skeletal figure with empty and lost eyes, its twisted body blending in seamlessly with the shadows and trees. I'm frozen in fear though I get the power to run. I run and my heart pounds heavy in my chest. The forest around me seems to come alive, the trees twisting and contorting in unnatural ways.

“HELP!”

I tried to yell but it's no use, nobody could hear me. I was too slow.

“AHHHHHH!” I let out a blood curdling scream as a skeletal hand with sharp nails jousting into my back and penetrating out of my chest. The pain is unbearable. I try to yell but nothing comes out, just oozes blood from my mouth. The world starts to fade to black and I can't stand it. I fall to my knees as it's hand retracts then I fall onto my back. Over the radio I hear Trevor saying something but I can't respond. The world fades to black the last thing I see is its horrifying face growing closer to mine.