Let's Not Meet Again

Hunted By Masked Men In The Great PNW

This happened last summer over a course of 4 days and I'm beginning to talk about it now. I don't know whether I have PTSD from it but I sure as hell know that the nightmares and flashbacks started after the incident.

Anyway, this is going to be long (a lot of shit, obviously, happens in 4 days) but I'll try to cut down as much as possible. You've been warned.

So, yes, here's to another long ass camping incident.

Background: From the title, you probably guessed that I live in the PNW. We're known for the lush greenery and the camping / hiking scene is pretty poppin' up here. I grew up with regularly climbing Mt. Rainier with my dad (gorgeous place, right?).

For reference purposes: I'm a fairly muscular and super tall woman so I don't get creeped on often. I mean, no one has ever tried to start shit with me (or my friends if I'm with them) when I'm walking home late at night. I'm pretty fucking scary unless I open my mouth. Think of a busted version of She-Hulk with tan skin - that's me. Most people can sense that I'm not the kind of person to fuck with. So, being in danger, is a new experience for me.

THE BEGINNING

The incident took place between July 31st up until the early morning of August 3rd. My friends and I just graduated from college and we decided to go on a last trip together. A last hurrah before going off into the world. I, personally, headed to grad school (physicists represent whaaaaat~ hmu) but the three of them were heading off to different places to see new things.

For privacy reasons, I'll change their names to: Nick, Jeremy, and Maria.

We all piled into my beat-up ass (totally lovable, though. Don't get it twisted.) Jeep and headed off towards our agreed upon camping spot. The weather was nice, everyone was laughing, Jeremy kept farting so much that I'm surprised he didn't shit his pants, and it was bittersweet because we all knew we'd miss each other.

The scenery was unbelievable. The thick green trees, the water, and the bright sky. Looking out into the world and experiencing its raw beauty is awe-inspiring. Soon enough, we finally got to the base camp and parked our car. We unloaded everything, locked up the car, and headed out into pure nature.

The forests here are fairly dense and we, like most people, think that we can pretty much handle anything. We're not beginners at this so we decided to go off-trail most of the time. I mean, no big deal, right? Get that blood pumping and feel alive. It's always good to know that you're still breathing. Nick led the way, followed by Jeremy and Maria, with me following them closely behind.

Jeremy and Maria had just started dating, so, those lovebirds were caught up in their own world within their honeymoon phase. Since I'm a protective ass friend, I was spending most of my time yelling at them to "FUCKING PAY ATTENTION" than enjoying my surroundings. I got so exasperated that I left them behind and ran up to hike with Nick.

We were all dicking around, laughing, and enjoying ourselves when we had our first encounter with a rather odd group of people. I didn't notice them until Nick tugged on my braid and almost made me trip over a twig when I looked up to see three men walking towards us.

Okay, here's the thing. We all know what campers and hikers look like: proper gear, durable clothing, hiking footwear, etc. These men were wearing dirty jeans, sneakers, and I'm pretty sure I only saw like 5 teeth among the three of them. The leader of the group, standing in the middle, had long/greasy brown hair hidden under a red baseball cap. The other two were, clearly, his henchmen and I'm pretty sure they were all packing. Henchmen #1 looked like he was healing from taking a beating. Henchmen #2 looked like he'd just buried someone alive because his hands and pants were more dirty than the other two.