Hello all,
Before I begin, I would like to say that I do not own Firewatch or any of the characters within the game. This fanfiction is a novelisation meaning most of the dialogue is not mine yet the descriptive stuff is based off of the environment within the game. Since the game has choices made throughout, I apologise in advance if I don't pick the choice you wanted. This is rated T for mild swearing, themes of death and very weak adult themes. I hope you enjoy this and be sure to comment on what you think (constructive criticism is very appreciated).
Again, enjoy.
Boulder, Colorado
1975
You see Julia.
She's about your age. Late 20's. Laughing with well-dressed professors and grad students from nearby CU Boulder.
You, Henry, are out drinking with your pals.
You approach her.
You are drunk.
"So...what's your, you know, major?"
You slur the word major and it smells like Coors. You give an awkward smile.
"Evolutionary Biology," she says. "And I'm a professor".
"...Cool" you reply.
"What's yours?" she asks. She sniffs the air.
"Toxicology?"
"Was the a burn?" you ask.
She says definitely.
Worried she hurt your feelings, she asks if you want to split a cheeseburger.
One week later you are Julia's boyfriend.
I examine the brown walls around me along with the grey floor under my hiking boots. I'm in an elevator at the moment, going down to the very bottom floor which is the parking lot. My eyes do however catch on to a slightly more appealing object to my sight; an orange backpack lays in the corner of the lift. It's a hiking backpack, nothing special, but it'll be carrying most of my equipment for the long hike I have coming up. I reach down to pick the bag up by one of its straps and and then sling it over one shoulder. The sharp and familiar 'ding' noise of the apartment elevator sounds, signalling the end of the journey.
If only the trip was that short and easy.
The doors open to reveal the dimness of the parking lot with the only thing standing out being an orange pickup truck which I sometimes drive from day to day. It's mine after all. I begin to walk towards it, hearing the elevator doors close behind me. The certain colour of orange adorning most of my possessions is nice, soothing and it reminds me of sunsets and pints at the bar and evening lights.
Julia wore orange a lot.
I look to the trunk of the truck and throw my bag into the back, watching it hit the space next to the spare tire. I close the back of that area shut, not wanting anything to fall out during the drive there. I walk round to the front, sliding my hand against the metal of the vehicle until I meet the door to the wheel. I open it, plant myself in the driver's seat, close the door and turn on the ignition.
There's going to be a long journey ahead.
You date for over a year.
She drives you absolutely nuts. It's great.
You move in. You share an apartment near the school with a view of the mountains. You two drink beers out on the deck.
You drink beer just about anywhere.
Life is good.
Julia wants to get a dog.
There's a scruffy, undersized Beagle. Julia is in love. She wants to bring it with her to class.
There's also an intimidating but gentle-eyed German Shepherd. Nothing bad could happen to Julia while walking this dog. It's bad ass.
You adopt the Shepherd and name him Mayhem.
Mayhem's an excellent dog. He loves wrestling with you in the park and goes with Julia on her runs.
Even though he's too big to bring to school, Julia loves him all the same.
Mayhem is a friend, child and pet all rolled into one.
1975
You talk out on the deck. It's summer. 9:30pm and the heat still radiates off of the high desert.
"What do you think about kids?" she asks.
"Kids...? They're not very smart. Or good at much."
"I'm saying if you and I have some. A couple little idiots."
"That would be pretty good"
"In that case, we should probably get married"
"Yeah, I would like that" you say.
"These kids are going to be screwed up enough. It's probably for the best that their parents are hitched."
You say she's absolutely right.
I exit my truck and put on my rucksack, stepping out onto the rough cobblestone of the outdoors. I close the vehicle door and lock the door with my keys. I know nobody will put in all the effort to steal my truck out in the wild but I'm still just cautious about theft and crime and all that after a particular experience. I walk round to the right truck door after locking the left one, but before I do, I spot something on the ground.
A hat.
A yellow one with the words 'Cody' written in bold black text with 'Wyoming' written slightly less bold underneath it. That's where I am at the moment: Wyoming. It's hot, maybe hotter than Boulder but it's bearable. I mean - it isn't but I'll sort of have to get used to it. I pick up the hat and look around at the environment around me, seeking the owner of the hat.
But instead, I notice the wilderness.
The lush green trees stand tall over rocky slopes which surround the minuscule parking lot dumped in the middle of the forest. The grass moves in unison with the gentle breeze and the birds sing a variation of notes which fill my ears. I smell the scent of pine come across my nose along with the smell of clean, unpolluted air. I always playfully argued with Jules about what clean air would smell like. I would say 'new' and she would say 'fresh'.
I would smile. Then she would smile. Then we'd laugh. Together.
I shake my head quickly. In short, I'm completely alone in the wilderness. Finally some peace and quiet where I can just think.
I sling the hat over my head and make a future note to check for any bugs in said hats before you put them on. After that semi-terrifying experience, I (now with a bug free hat on my head) begin to walk. I meet the post board which have an assortment of papers pinned against it. One of them is a map of the area I will be trekking to which I have a compact and handheld copy of in my rucksack along with a map of how to get there. It should take me around three days to get there optimistically but in reality I'll probably take four days.
The second is a poster reminding every lookout to 'not forget to check in' which is mostly blank but it's gets the message across.
The third is a poster about living along with bears and respecting them which is a fair point but the piece of paper makes it seem like I should be their humble servant on their land. Our land. Human and bear share land together. That would work for everyone.
The forth is a 'no fireworks' sign which is pretty self explanatory with the final piece of paper being a warning. It reads: The Thorofare trail is not recommended for inexperienced hikers. I raise an eyebrow. I've spent a fair amount of time outdoors and can handle myself and my stamina pretty well. The poster does say that it could be dangerous but I believe that I'm fit enough for the trip. I look to my right to spot a small sign that has a boot sign plastered on it, probably signalling the start of the trail. I look to the beginning of the trail and see that it begins to get a lot more bushy and grassy as you look further into the trail. I take one last look behind me, I take in the blue sky and the distant mountains before turning and beginning to walk the first of many heavy journeys that the trek ahead of me will provide. My feet start to tread less on cobblestone and pathways and now more on dirt and the forest floor. I begin to get swallowed by the wilderness as I leave my truck behind me. I believe I'm experienced enough to get through this without any trouble and can make it in about four days.
I hope.
1980
It's a Thursday night and Julia is four hours late. She doesn't call. You're worried and getting angrier by the minute.
She walks in after you've gone to bed.
She's not quite drunk but she's clearly been having a fun time. You fight when she gets between the sheets.
You ignore her.
You don't touch each other all night.
The next day you feel guilty for being so angry and ask about her evening. She says it was great.
You hold onto a tiny pill of resentment.
You make some coffee and go to work.
1981
Julia still likes to draw. She draws plants from her research. She draws all the places you go.
She draws you.
You frolic like a Victoria's Secret model.
Julia was right: you are very pretty.
I swing my legs round to my front, dangling my feet off of the steep drop from the stone outcropping. I push myself off the ledge and land on the stony ground below, my knees bending at the impact. I recover and straighten myself up and continue to walk, rubbing any excess dirt off of my hands. I was already on my second day of the hike and the sunset was the only light present at this time of day. The yellowish orangish light is shining dimly into every crevice of the world around me which isn't already shaded. I've had to make my way down a small rock valley which makes me feel slightly claustrophobic since the natural hills beside me block a lot of the natural light out. I continue the journey though, no fear, since I haven't encountered any danger or wildlife which could affect my journey. As I'm tromping along the natural cobblestones, I pass a small fallen tree with a much larger tree which is still standing tall around it. The leaves have abandoned the fallen lifeform with what remaining leaves mainly covering the top of the dead plant.
I linger for a moment, observing the natural occurrence before I continue to venture on.
I pass a large boulder which causes me to turn and meet another route sign which is planted into the ground. I get closer and bend down a bit to examine the writing on the sign which reads: Two Forks - Fire Lookout...eight miles left. I sigh, hoisting my backpack further up and tightening my straps a bit more. I didn't want any pain when it came to logging around my kit for the hike. A dead and dried up log blocks my path but I vault over it without any issue. The rays of the sun, now unblocked by the shallow valley, shine into my face and I raise my hand up, shielding my eyes from the setting sun.
The sunset really is beautiful.
A perfect mix of reds and oranges and yellows gleaming over the hills, warming the environment as a block of birds fly overhead to the direction of the sun. Almost like a river made of heat or fire.
Julia liked watching a lit fireplace on a cold day.
Although the sunset is nice to look at, it does signal the beginning of the end of something; the day. The shadows are growing longer as the sky is getting darker. I quicken my pace now, wanting to get to shelter before the day ends. It'll be getting dark soon and I don't particularly want to be lost without the natural light.
I keep moving.
1982
During the summers, you and Julia enjoy walking Mayhem at night.
There's a festival in town.
It brings in folk from far away places.
One of them tries to mug you with a knife.
Mayhem runs away.
"May-mi-moo-FUCK-d...d...dog!" Julia yells.
She gets flustered and has trouble speaking when she is stressed.
You confront the attacker.
You beat his goddamn face in.
Your arm gets cut up but you beat the guy to a pulp.
You don't feel very tough. You cry your eyes out before the cops show up.
Julia asks to take a different path from that day forward.
You say okay. You don't want to walk that way either.
From then on you walk by the river.
1984
Plans to have kids get waylaid by work.
Julia gets offered a job at Yale. Yale is in Connecticut, two thousand miles away. It's a great job: associate department chair. She wants to move.
You absolutely do not.
You agree only if she commutes back and forth.
You ask her if she'll commute back and forth. You don't want to move to Connecticut. She says that'll be hard, but she'll do it if you won't move.
You tell her to not pass it up if it's what she wants.
She agrees. She flies back to Boulder three times each semester.
1985
Julia is sent home from Yale on paid leave after having 'an episode'. She lost in on a colleague for borrowing books that were important to her research.
She didn't remember she had happily loaned them to him just two days prior.
She was found crying in the stairwell.
You say that maybe you guys should talk to someone about it.
After seeing multiple doctors and having many tests, they are worried that Julia might be suffering from early onset dementia.
She is 41.
You both decide to keep it a secret for now.
I sit down after setting up camp (which signals the end of day two of my hike), satisfied with what I've set up which consists of a couple of things: a sleeping bag and a gas-stove for cooking. Behind me is my small yellow tent which is large enough to fit one person comfortably but two people a bit tightly, yet I'm cosindering building a campfire soon so I may even sleep out on the floor though. Probably will sleep in my tent however; it's too buggy outside. There's also electric lamp in front of me which runs on battery which lights up most of my camping area. I've laid it on a stump in front of me along with a journal.
The journal which belongs to Julia.
I decided to bring it with me so I could remember her and maybe even note some things down from my travels. I could then show her all the things in the book I did whilst I was away when I got back and she would be happy.
That's all I wanted for her: to be happy.
I take it in one hand, hesitantly, bringing it towards me. I should write about my trip here so far. I flip open the book and page after page fly by me until a lands on a double page of me.
On the left side is mostly writing along with a headshot of yours truly, smiling. On the left page, I see myself again although this time it's a full body shot with me naked and posing like a Victoria's Secret model. I smile warmly at this memory and have to admire the pencil work put into these pages. I think I remember the curious expression on my face when she told me to take my clothes off. We were well into our marriage but I was still a big dumb idiot.
Her big dumb idiot.
But I close the journal and begin to focus on a blue butterfly which has fluttered to a halt on the stump in front of me. I close my eyes. I just want to be free of her. Just for a couple weeks where I can just take it easy. Ironically, I wanted to forget about her.
In her case, she had no choice when it came to forgetting me.
Mayhem is getting older. He's got silver hair down his back and slows down at night.
You and Julia walk him to the bar to see your friends and it feels like nothing has changed.
Julia goes back to university.
1987
Julia's affliction gets worse. She can't remember things in class. Her research is in shambles. She drives her car to the next town over, for no particular reason and has to be brought home by the police.
She is devastated.
She is sent home on permanent medical leave.
Some days you get the Julia who calls you a dope and your unborn children little idiots. Other days you get a stranger.
She pulls you into bed to make love. After five minutes she goes into a panic believing her dad is at the door.
You tell her family. They are crushed and begin to make trips to and from their home in Australia to visit her.
For a while, your friends come by with little things to brighten the day.
She gets worse.
1988
You spend your days following Julia around the house. You count the seconds between the two weekly visits from Daniel, the nurse.
He suggests that Julia could live somewhere else. Somewhere with 24-hour care.
A home.
It sits with you for a couple months.
You are determined to take care of her by yourself.
I stare up at the sky, seeing the top of the trees begin to flourish with leaves. The midday sun shines through said leaves, giving a wonderful natural lighting to my path. The trail is slender yet the grass and plants around it feel alive. I reckon I was on my final day today since I don't seem to be too far from the tower according to my map. I'm currently walking through a thin pathway in the forest yet it is all still so decorated. The grass is lush, green and softly waving in the wind. The ground beneath me is smooth without any form of obstruction. The rocks which are there are laid to the side and provide shadows for some of the path. The trees themself are birch trees (I think) and although some of them look aged, they still look vibrant and well. The bushes around me are thick and are a healthy shade of green. I keep walking until I come across a rocky slope which has cut through the path and the only bridge across being a dead tree. I make sure my backpack is well secured as I place my left foot on the log. I'm alright when it comes to balancing on stuff yet I still look down at my feet to make sure I'm not going to fall into the gap. My boots make a frightening creaking noise but I manage to get to the other side without any issues. I look up from my feet and see someone staring back at me.
It's a deer.
More specifically, a male deer because it has antlers on top of his head (I think that's how it works). It examines me mid-chew and I feel as if it's almost staring through me. Staring at something behind me.
Maybe he's looking inside me.
Seeing what I really am.
Who I really am.
Henry.
I move a step closer but the animal then rears on its two back feet and disappears of the trail to the right, breaking into a run into the forest plants. I watch it disappear slowly until it's out of sight completely, wondering if I did something wrong. Maybe I could of approached it slower or offered food from my bag. My expression stays neutral though, knowing that it was just an animal and they get frightened easily.
I carry on for the last leg of the journey.
It is impossibly hard.
The worst is when you get mad at her, like when she tries to cook her own food.
You can't do anything without her and she can't do anything without you.
When she goes to sleep you stay up for a few hours. Drinking on the deck. Watching baseball in the summer, college basketball in the winter.
Drinking then too.
You start going out after you put her to bed.
The first time you do it you worry about her getting up and walking around while you're gone.
You put a chair in front of the bedroom door.
You go to the same bar at the boring end of Pearl St. It's nice there. Over time you tell Sheila, the bartender, everything. It's a huge weight off. You're home and in bed by 1am a couple nights a week.
You look forward to those nights.
1989
One night you are stopped at a DUI checkpoint.
You blow a .10 and are taken to jail for the night.
You consider trying to hide it but you tell your sister-in-law, Susan.
Julia's parents take the next plane from Australia. They can't believe the state your house is in.
Then they tell you Julia is coming to live with them.
You don't argue. You say you'll visit soon.
A few weeks go by.
Summer is coming and you see an ad in the paper for a job.
You take it.