"Discover Yourself" – Act 2
Disclaimer
: The characters of Peter and Sophie, and any Cliffhangers mentioned, do not belong to me. I have added some of my own characters into the mix."Knowing others is wisdom; Knowing the self is enlightenment; Mastering others requires force; Mastering the self needs strength." – Tao te Ching
May 30, 2001
Early Evening
John Schultz stared out the window as the bus left the heart of the small town of Agnes and headed deeper into the woods. He was really looking forward to the next three weeks. John hoped that he would be physically challenged by the outdoor excursions the brochure had advertised. An avid runner, John was tall and lean and very handsome. He was antsy to get to Horizon to get in his evening run before dark.
John had only taken up running two years ago, when he was 20 years old. He found that when he ran, he could drain his mind of all other troubles and worries. And when he reached that euphoria, commonly called a 'runner's high', it was a feeling unlike any other he had ever experienced. John counted on his running, he needed it. It helped him unwind after working on the assembly plant line for 8 hours or more, doing mostly sedentary work. School had not been that important to John, so he'd immediately applied at the local auto plant after high school graduation. It was good money, and John was soon able to move out of his parents' house and rent his own apartment. He sometimes put in as much as 20 hours of overtime a week, but he didn't mind. It's not like I have anyone to go home to, John thought, as he glanced away from the window and studied the other people seated around him on the bus.
Lynn Monroe noticed the man seated across the aisle from her, staring at her. She stared back, a steely look on her face, until he looked away. Pigs, she thought, why are men such pigs?
Lynn, a bright and ambitious career woman, thought of little more than her job. She had lost touch with most of her friends since college. Those friends that she still kept in touch with had finally convinced her to take a break, that she was headed for disaster if she continued her fast-paced life at the age of 24. So, this opportunity of 'discovering herself' had come along, and she had reluctantly filled out the application. Much to her chagrin, she was accepted to the three-week program. She tried to come up with excuses to get out of the commitment, but there was no way her friends would buy any b.s. excuse.
At least they care about me, Lynn thought with a small smile. It was nice to have some friends around, she had to admit. With her family over 1,000 miles away, Lynn was alone most of the time. Most of her friends were seriously dating someone or were married. Some were pregnant or had kids on the way. While Lynn couldn't imagine settling down and having a family yet, she did yearn to have someone special in her life, someone to love and that would give her that love that she'd never experienced. But one of the problems with being an ambitious career woman was also being labeled not-so-nice names, usually by male colleagues. Lynn had also seen some of her friends put up with a lot of shit in college from guys. She had vowed to never allow a man to tell her what clothes she should wear, to speak cruelly to her, or to hit her. She even had friends who were raped, and they all had known their assailants. No, it's easier to just keep my distance and not get involved with anyone, she thought. Besides, if I met a guy I really liked, I couldn't allow myself to get too close, because then I'd have to tell him… she blinked back tears, remembering that awful summer four years ago.
Troy Carroll carefully tucked away the picture of his wife and child as the bus pulled into the Mount Horizon drive. He hadn't wanted to leave her to go on this 'vacation' of sorts, but his mother had insisted that he needed a break. Before he had met Linda, Troy had enjoyed being active outdoors. He loved camping, hiking, and had even delved into rock climbing for a bit.
After graduation from a community college at the age of twenty, Troy had taken a job as a teacher at the same high school that he graduated from. He was content to stay in the same small town that he grew up in, he had fond memories of the town and saw no reason for a change. Troy and Linda began dating after a few months of teaching in adjoining classrooms. They instantly clicked, and knew they were meant for each other. When Troy told Linda he couldn't live without her and asked her to be his wife, she joyfully accepted. Soon thereafter, Linda discovered she was pregnant. They decided to move the wedding up, and were married a month later. Six months later, Linda gave birth to the most beautiful baby girl ever, in Troy's opinion.
Claire looked just like her mother more and more every day, Troy thought sadly. He couldn't believe how much it hurt sometimes, how much he missed her. It had been about a year since the car accident, but it seemed to Troy like it was last week. His parents had been a great help since Linda's death, Troy didn't know how he or Claire would have survived without them. Maybe this will keep my mind off of Linda, Troy thought as the bus pulled up to the main lodge.
Peter and Sophie sat away from the 6 newcomers, trying to examine them without being too obvious. The three latest arrivals seemed to be settling in just fine, and Peter was anxious to go on the canoe trip tomorrow.
"Peter, are we going to have a general meeting after dinner?" Sophie asked anxiously.
Peter laughed when he saw her expression. "Calm down, I'm sure that you will win them all over before the end of the canoe trip tomorrow."
"I know, I'm just - I don't know – looking forward to getting to know them better."
"Well, there's no time like the present. It looks like they're about finished." Peter noted that John was the only one to not clean his plate. Maybe he ate too soon after his run, Peter thought.
"Okay, everyone, if you would clean up the dinner dishes, then meet in the main area, it's time for our first meeting, entitled 'Let's Get Aquainted'," Peter announced, throwing a grin Sophie's way.
To be continued…