Thick white fog rolled rapidly down the rocky mountainside, swallowing the tall green pines in a blanket of grey shadow. The temperature dropped instantly.
Mark: Stay right behind me! Hold onto my backpack strap if you need to!
Sarah: I can barely see five feet ahead of us now!
Mark carefully navigated down a steep rocky slope, reaching out to balance himself against huge rough boulders. Loose rocks tumbled down into the darkness below.
Mark: Watch your step! The ground is sliding!
Sarah gasped as her left boot slipped on a patch of wet shale stone. She grabbed Mark’s jacket shoulder just in time to stop herself from falling.
Sarah: My knee hit a rock! It hurts so bad!
Mark: Can you stand up on it?
Sarah: I think so, but I can't walk fast anymore.
The howling wind drowned out their voices as it whipped through the narrow canyon walls. Darkness was settling over the wilderness much faster than expected.
Mark: We need to find shelter before night completely falls.
Sarah: There are no cabins out here, Mark! We are miles away from town!
Mark: Hello! Is anyone out there? Can anybody hear us?
His shout echoed loudly off the granite cliffs, but only the rushing wind answered back. Sarah squeezed her eyes shut, fighting back rising tears of fear.
Sarah: Nobody is coming for us out here.
Old Man: You folks look lost. Follow me this way.
Sarah jumped in surprise and spun around toward the deep shadow of a massive pine tree. An older man stood on a rocky cliff edge overlooking the valley.
Mark: Who are you? Where did you come from?
Old Man: I live up on the ridge. You are miles off the main public trail.
The older man wore a worn plaid flannel shirt, dark work pants, and sturdy leather boots. His grey hair stood out bright against the dark forest backdrop.
Sarah: Can you help us get back to the main highway park station?
Old Man: Not in this fog. You’ll break a leg on the lower cliffs tonight.
Mark: Is there a road nearby we can walk to?
Old Man: The highway is over the eastern ridge, but the trail is washed out.
He stepped closer, his piercing blue eyes examining Sarah's face with a strange, sudden intensity. He seemed startled by her presence, but quickly recovered his posture.
Old Man: You look exhausted, young lady. Come with me.
Mark: We don't want to intrude on your property, sir.
Old Man: It's no intrusion. My cabin is just down this narrow forest path.
The stranger turned and began walking briskly down a steep dirt path through the thick pine trees. Mark and Sarah exchanged a quick uncertain look.
Sarah: Do you think we should trust him, Mark?
Mark: We don't have much choice with your bad knee and this fog.
Sarah: He kept staring at me like he recognized my face.
Mark: Let's just follow him to shelter and assess the situation there.
They carefully followed the old man down the curving trail as the darkness grew deeper. Up ahead, a small warm yellow light flickered through the heavy forest trees.
Old Man: Almost there. Watch out for the big tree root on the left.
Sarah: Thank you for stopping to help us out here.
Old Man: Mountain folk always look out for lost travelers. Step inside.
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