Disclaimer: I don't own Diagnosis Murder, or any of this cool stuff, I'm just borrowing it… indefinitely… but the murderers and the dead girl and the mountain itself -- they're all mine! Hmm, I didn't come out too bad…
*************
"This is gonna be great!" Jesse Travis exclaimed, clumsily climbing into the passenger seat of Steve Sloan's truck.
"Yep. Sleeping under the stars by a campfire...," Steve agreed.
"Telling ghost stories, roasting marshmallows...," Jesse continued.
When Steve suggested that Jesse come with him on a camping trip the next time they both had a few days off, Jesse had literally jumped at the opportunity. He had never really been camping before and naturally wanted to see what it was like. But now, only fifteen minutes into the drive to the campsite, they were already grating on each other's nerves.
"Steve, please, I really gotta go!" Jesse pleaded, wiggling in his seat like the six year-old he sometimes acted like.
"Jesse, I told you to go before we left!" Steve growled, obviously annoyed. *Dad warned me, why can't I ever listen?!*
"I didn't have to go then," Jesse whined in a playfully sheepish tone.
Steve sighed, conceded, and pulled off the next exit. "I need something to eat anyway."
***
Roughly fifteen minutes later, the guys were back on the road with full stomachs, empty bladders, and in good spirits.
"So what's this place like anyway? Any dangers I should know about?" Jesse questioned half-playfully, trying to make conversation.
Steve chuckled. "Nothing we can't handle! But really, you'll love it. It's beautiful. There's waterfalls, a few hiking trails, and it's usually deserted because hardly anyone knows about it."
They sat in silence for a few minutes until Jesse voiced one of many thoughts bouncing around in that cute little head of his. "How deserted is it, really?"
Steve stopped the truck in a clearing amidst the wooded landscape. "Well, I guess you'll find out. Here we are."
*************
"This is gonna be great!" Jesse Travis exclaimed, clumsily climbing into the passenger seat of Steve Sloan's truck.
"Yep. Sleeping under the stars by a campfire...," Steve agreed.
"Telling ghost stories, roasting marshmallows...," Jesse continued.
When Steve suggested that Jesse come with him on a camping trip the next time they both had a few days off, Jesse had literally jumped at the opportunity. He had never really been camping before and naturally wanted to see what it was like. But now, only fifteen minutes into the drive to the campsite, they were already grating on each other's nerves.
"Steve, please, I really gotta go!" Jesse pleaded, wiggling in his seat like the six year-old he sometimes acted like.
"Jesse, I told you to go before we left!" Steve growled, obviously annoyed. *Dad warned me, why can't I ever listen?!*
"I didn't have to go then," Jesse whined in a playfully sheepish tone.
Steve sighed, conceded, and pulled off the next exit. "I need something to eat anyway."
***
Roughly fifteen minutes later, the guys were back on the road with full stomachs, empty bladders, and in good spirits.
"So what's this place like anyway? Any dangers I should know about?" Jesse questioned half-playfully, trying to make conversation.
Steve chuckled. "Nothing we can't handle! But really, you'll love it. It's beautiful. There's waterfalls, a few hiking trails, and it's usually deserted because hardly anyone knows about it."
They sat in silence for a few minutes until Jesse voiced one of many thoughts bouncing around in that cute little head of his. "How deserted is it, really?"
Steve stopped the truck in a clearing amidst the wooded landscape. "Well, I guess you'll find out. Here we are."