One Night on the Trail by Littlewing1957
One chilly day up in the mountains, Jack and Ennis were hiking after a particularly heavy and satisfying lunch. They left the horses right at the beginning of the trail, fully expecting to make it back to them well before nightfall. But once Jack began a slow climb up a small hill, his well formed butt straining his jeans, Ennis couldn’t help himself. He took Jack right there on the spot! After they were cleaned up a bit, the grinning pair found that night had fallen. They made their way down, walking slowly, trying hard to retrace their steps. The mountain was as dark as the grave, but Ennis and Jack were experienced campers, and knew the area like the back of their hands. But navigating the terrain in the dark was a challenge.
Jack whistled a happy tune as he walked hand-in-hand with his lover down the hiking trail. Ennis thought back to the time up on Brokeback when Jack held his hand whenever he could. The memory made Ennis glow. He squeezed Jack’s hand and they continued on.
It was getting cold – colder even than Ennis and Jack anticipated. They could have kicked themselves for leaving the heavy coats back at camp, but they planned to be back before nightfall. Jack walked a few paces ahead of Ennis, but slowed his steps when he felt a blast of ice cold air! And in a split second, 3 eerie figures rose from the earth with a piercing cry, and just as fast as they materialized, they descended back into the ground. Ennis screamed as Jack fell back into his arms. They both saw the entities! The apparitions appeared to be men who were dressed in period clothes: late 1800s it seemed, and they seemed to glow red and yellow.
“Rodeo, did you see that?” Ennis asked Jack as he held him up. Jack found his footing and took a few steps back.
“You saw it too?” Jack spoke softly. “I thought I was losing my mind! What the hell was that?” Ennis didn’t want to admit that he was afraid, but he pulled Jack close.
“I don’t know, Jack, but I’ve heard some strange stories about this place,” Ennis began. “I heard tell of travelers being killed for their belongings, and my dad used to talk about 3 guys being beaten to death in these parts.” Jack was a believer in ghosts, and Ennis’ story did little to calm his now fragile nerves.
“Well, I wish you had told me, Cowboy!” Jack said evenly. “We could a found another spot to hike. I don’t like being surprised like this. C’mon, En, let’s get back to the horses before the spirits decide they like us and want to come back for a little visit!”
Ennis agreed with Jack. They quickened the pace, but were still careful as they traveled in the dark. Once they reached the horses, Jack mounted his mare and watched as Ennis did the same.
“You know, Cowboy,” Jack serious now. “My ma says that when a body experiences a bad trauma, especially one that results in death, the spirit may get trapped on Earth, sometimes in the form of an inanimate object.” Ennis looked at his lover.
“Why are you telling me this, Jack?” Ennis asked, a bit irritated now.
“No reason,” Jack stated. “Just seemed appropriate under the circumstances. C’mon, I’ll race you back to camp!”