'The Hike' - Chapter Twenty-One - Still Day 11

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Chapter 21:

Still Day 11:

As I was lying on one of the beds, I tried to recover how I got here.

So, what was the first thing I did when I stepped into the hut?

As in most cases: I located the hut manager, the refrigerator, and the toilet.

The owners of this charming house — with a magnificent “I want to live here” view — welcomed me politely and gave me a bed in the attic, which was slightly cheaper than the rooms downstairs. But there was no one up here, so I had the whole space to myself — and it had around 20 or maybe even more old mattresses all over the floor of this dark, triangle-shaped room.

To get here, I had to climb that metal ladder. And once I had one beer and my usual energy source and food, I went up — with my huge bag on my busted back — to release the heaviness with a normal handjob ritual that I had been anticipating for hours.

At this point, are we still pretending no one masturbates?

Sometimes it feels like I’m the only freak walking this Earth — and to be fair sometimes it feels like I am the only normal man walking it.

Then I finished myself as quickly as possible — didn’t know if anyone would climb up faster than me.

And now what?

I didn’t want to spend the rest of the day here in the dark, like some gargoyle, so I went downstairs to observe the eagles from the outside, soaking up the last hours of sunlight.

I saw the owner’s son — who looked like a newborn — on an ATV, and I remembered that I’m well familiar with driving ATVs, especially drunk and acting like a child myself, thank you very much.

A couple of years ago, I really don't know how many, at this point the past has no clear timeline and it feels more like a lego construction set. I went with a friend to the Bulgarian seaside, and during a night out, we decided we could drive. So we found the ATV dirt track lined with tires, and we paid for two ATVs. We started chasing each other through the tires, and in the rush my drunken mind thought it was a good idea to stop the ATV with my leg — like it was a bike or a kick scooter or something. I felt the power of the machine against my entire leg — and then I drove straight into the tires in front of me.

I remember the guy responsible for the attraction coming to me, scared, asking if I was drunk. I acted so quickly and so offended at the question that he believed my innocence — trying to cover the pain and the blood dripping down my leg. My friend didn’t have a clue until I showed her what this horrible idea did to my leg. Despite the pain, the memory still has this positive charge around it. That memory flew passed my mind and back into oblivion.

I stayed more to watch the family dynamic, the eagles, then back to the toilet — and onto the fridge for more beer.

And I felt happy.

Looking at that view.

Having another challenging day behind me.

With another challenging day ahead.

Iliya Badev

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