Chapter Three

MAYA RHINEHEART

July 20, 2024

Maya stepped out of the rustic cabin, inhaling deeply as the crisp Yukon air filled her lungs. The dense forest stretched out before her, a tapestry of green hues and dappled sunlight. Towering pines and spruce trees surrounded the small clearing where their temporary home stood, their branches swaying gently in the cool breeze.

The cabin itself was a far cry from the luxurious accommodations Maya was used to. Its weathered logs and slightly crooked porch spoke of years withstanding the harsh Canadian wilderness. Inside, bare necessities awaited them—a wood-burning stove, simple furniture, and not a single modern amenity in sight. No Wi-Fi, no cell service, not even a landline. They were truly cut off from the world.

As Eric emerged from the cabin, Maya felt a familiar mix of affection and irritation. He was older than she was by almost ten years. He was tall and lean, with the kind of physique that spoke of regular sessions with a personal trainer rather than any real outdoor experience. His sandy blond hair was artfully tousled, likely with some overpriced styling product, and his clean-shaven face bore the healthy glow of expensive skincare routines.

Eric adjusted his designer hiking boots, which looked like they'd never seen a speck of mud. His outdoor gear, all branded with high-end logos, were more suited for a fashion shoot than a real wilderness excursion.

His steel-blue eyes, usually sharp with the focus of a predatory Wall Street trader, now held a mix of boredom and slight disdain as they swept over their rustic surroundings. He exuded an air of confidence that bordered on arrogance, his posture and expression making it clear he felt out of place—and above—this woodland setting.

As he zipped up his premium fleece jacket, the glint of his luxury watch caught the sunlight, a not-so-subtle reminder of the world of high finance he'd temporarily left behind. Everything about Eric screamed successful investment banker, from his manicured nails to the faint scent of expensive cologne, and was out of place in the fresh forest air.

"Ready for our wilderness adventure?" Eric asked, a hint of sarcasm in his voice.

Maya nodded. "Absolutely. Who knows? We might even spot a Bigfoot." She showed him her movie camera.

Eric rolled his eyes, a gesture Maya had grown all too familiar with whenever she mentioned her passion. "Right. Well, let's try not to get eaten by a bear, shall we?"

They set off down the narrow trail leading away from the cabin. Maya's boots crunched on the carpet of pine needles and fallen leaves, the sound mingling with the chirping of birds and the distant rush of a stream. Despite her unease about being so isolated, she couldn't help but feel a thrill of excitement.

This was Bigfoot country. The Yukon wilderness had been the site of numerous sightings over the years. Every shadow between the trees, every rustle in the underbrush, held the potential for discovery. Maya's eyes darted from side to side, taking in every detail of the forest around them.

"You know," she said, breaking the silence that had fallen between them, "there was a reported sighting just a few miles from here last month. A hiker said he saw a large, bipedal creature covered in dark fur."

Eric sighed. "Maya, please. Can we not do this now? I thought this trip was supposed to be about us, not your obsession with fairy tales."

His words stung, but Maya pushed the hurt aside. "It's not a fairy tale, Eric. There's too much evidence, too many sightings to dismiss. And this area has a long history of—"

"Enough!" Eric snapped, coming to an abrupt halt. "I'm sorry, but I can't take any more of this Bigfoot nonsense. I need a break." He glanced around, then pointed to a large fallen log just off the trail. "Why don't you wait here? I need to take a piss."

Maya frowned, a flicker of concern crossing her face. "Don't go too far, okay? It's easy to get turned around out here."

Eric scoffed. "I think I can manage to pee without getting lost. I'm not a child."

With that, he strode off into the trees, leaving Maya alone on the trail. She sighed and made her way to the log, brushing away some debris before sitting down. The silence of the forest was suddenly more oppressive than peaceful.

Minutes ticked by, and Eric didn't return. Maya swatted at a mosquito buzzing near her ear, then another. She wished she'd thought to bring insect repellent. She shifted uncomfortably on the log, the rough bark catching on her clothes.

Feeling a flutter of unease in her stomach, Maya reached for her phone, a reflexive action born from years of constant connectivity. She tapped the screen, hoping to distract herself with social media or maybe check the weather forecast. But as she looked at the top of her screen, her heart sank. No bars. No service. She held the phone up higher, waving it around slightly as if that might magically summon a signal. Nothing. They really were cut off from the world out here.

Trying to quell the rising panic in her chest, Maya opened her photo gallery instead. She began scrolling through the images, each one a small comfort in the growing silence of the forest. There were pictures she had scanned of her parents. They would have loved to have been here on this trail with her.

A wave of loneliness threatened to drown her. She should be nicer to Eric. He was trying, wasn't he? She didn't want to end up all alone, did she? But as the minutes continued to tick by with no sign of Eric, not even the comforting glow of her phone screen could fully keep the worry at bay. Maya looked up from her device, peering into the trees where Eric had disappeared, and felt the first real tendrils of fear begin to take hold.

"Eric?" she called out, her voice sounding small in the vast wilderness. There was no response.

More time passed. Five minutes. Ten. Fifteen. Maya's concern grew with each passing moment. She stood up, peering into the trees where Eric had disappeared.

"Eric!" she called again, louder this time. "Eric, this isn't funny. Where are you?"

Only the chirping of birds and the rustle of leaves answered her. Maya's heart began to race, her palms growing sweaty. This was too familiar, too close to that day fifteen years ago when she'd found herself lost and alone in a forest much like this one.

She closed her eyes, trying to calm her breathing. "Don't panic," she whispered to herself. "You're not lost. You're on the trail. You can find your way back."

But what about Eric? What if he was the one who was lost? What if he was hurt? Images flashed through Maya's mind: Eric lying unconscious after a fall or face-to-face with a bear.

No. She couldn't think like that. She had to stay rational. Maya took a deep breath, forcing herself to think logically. The smartest thing to do would be to head back to the cabin. Maybe Eric had already returned there, taking a different route. And if he hadn't, she could get help.

Decision made, Maya turned and began walking back the way they had come. Her steps were quick but careful, eyes scanning the ground to make sure she stayed on the trail. She had gone perhaps a hundred yards when a loud roar shattered the silence. Maya's heart leapt into her throat as a large, fur-covered figure burst from the underbrush directly in front of her.

For a split second, time stood still. Maya's mind raced. Bigfoot? Here? Now? Her hands instinctively reached for her backpack, fumbling with the zipper in her haste. The movie camera—she had to get this on film. If this was real, it would change everything.

But as she struggled with the bag, her expert eye noticed details that didn't quite fit. The fur, while convincingly matted and wild, had a sheen to it that spoke more of synthetic fibers than natural growth. The proportions were close, but not quite right. The arms were a bit too short, and the chest was too narrow for a true Bigfoot.

As reality began to set in, Maya's excitement gave way to a creeping sense of disappointment and then suspicion. This wasn't like her childhood encounter at all. Back then, there had been no dramatic entrance, no theatrical roar. The young Bigfoot that had saved her had moved silently. She hadn't even known he was there until he was right beside her.

This was a performance. A crude imitation of what a human might think a Bigfoot encounter would be like.

The "creature" before her was undeniably human-shaped, its fur a costume that, while impressive, didn't meet the sniff test. As Maya's fingers finally closed around her camera, she realized she didn't need it. This wasn't the discovery of a lifetime. It was something else entirely, and a sinking feeling in her gut told her she knew exactly what—or rather, who—was behind that mask.

The initial shock faded, replaced by a mixture of anger and hurt. How could he do this? How could he take something so important to her and turn it into a joke?

Maya's hand fell away from her backpack, leaving the camera untouched. She straightened up, her eyes narrowing as she prepared to confront the figure before her, and the betrayal it represented.

"Gotcha!" Eric's voice was muffled from behind the mask, filled with triumphant glee.

Maya stood frozen, a whirlwind of emotions coursing through her. Relief that Eric was safe warred with the realization of what he had done. As the initial shock wore off, anger began to bubble up, hot and fierce.

"What the hell, Eric?" she spat, her voice shaking. "Do you have any idea how worried I was?"

Eric pulled off the Bigfoot mask, revealing a face flushed with excitement and a wide grin. "Oh, come on, Maya. It was just a joke. You should have seen your face."

"A joke?" Maya's voice rose, her hands clenching into fists at her sides. "I thought you were hurt or lost. How could you be so insensitive?"

Eric's grin faded, replaced by a look of confusion and growing annoyance. "Insensitive? It's called having a sense of humor. Something you seem to be lacking lately."

"A sense of humor?" Maya couldn't believe what she was hearing. "You know how I got lost as a child. You know how traumatic that was for me. And you thought it would be funny to make me relive that?"

Eric rolled his eyes. "Don't be so dramatic. It was just a harmless prank. I thought you'd appreciate the effort I put into this costume. Isn't this what you're always going on about? I don't put in the effort?"

As Eric spoke, something shifted inside Maya. It was as if a veil had been lifted, allowing her to see their relationship with painful clarity. This wasn't just about a tasteless prank. It was about years of dismissal, of belittling her passions, of failing to understand or even trying to understand what was important to her.

"You just don't get it, do you?" Maya said. "This isn't about the prank. It's about respect. It's about caring about my feelings and my interests, even if you don't share them."

Eric's face hardened. "Oh, here we go again. Poor Maya, always misunderstood. When are you going to grow up and realize that the real world doesn't revolve around your childish fantasies?"

His words hit Maya like a physical blow, but they also cemented the decision that had been forming in her mind. "You're right about one thing. This isn't the real world—at least, not my real world. My world is one of wonder, of mystery, of believing in something greater than ourselves. And I realize now that you have no place in it."

Eric's eyes widened, a flicker of uncertainty crossing his face. "What are you saying?"

I'm saying I'm going to adopt a cat.

Maya took a deep breath, feeling a strange sense of calm settling over her. "I'm saying it's over, Eric. We're over. This relationship hasn't been working for a long time, and I think we both know it."

Eric put the mask back on. "Look, let's just start over. Maybe we can role play a little. Get a little frisky."

Maya couldn't believe he was this disillusioned. Wait. No, she could believe it.

"Go fuck yourself," she said and brushed by him on the trail.

He reached out and grabbed her by the upper arm. "Don't you walk away from me. Not after all the work I did to set this trip up."

Maya was so angry that she couldn't even speak. She opened her mouth to let him have it.

And a terrifying roar made her knees wobbly. It made the trees tremble. The birds took flight. Eric let go of her.

The roar hadn't come from her.

Branches snapped and the thunderous sound of something big approaching shook the woods. Storming into the clearing was an eight-foot-tall man. No, it was hairier than that. It was an ape. No. Her mind finally clicked at what was striding towards her. Her backpack slipped off her shoulder and thudded to the forest floor.

Kale.

Bigfoot.

Before she could process what was happening, she was scooped up and thrown over his enormous shoulder. The forest became a blur as the creature ran, his powerful strides carrying them swiftly away from the trail, away from Eric, and into the unknown depths of the wilderness.

Maya's world had just been turned upside down, literally and figuratively. As the reality of what was happening sank in, a small part of her mind registered the irony. She had come looking for Bigfoot, and Bigfoot had found her instead.