Four days passed of Finnick incessantly playing the harmonica. I didn't regret buying it for him but I was kicking myself in the ass about it. It didn't help that Katniss kept making snarky remarks like "at least knots are quiet" and "it was your idea, not mine" whenever she passed me on the trail. I just mocked her back, saying the same thing but in a high-pitched annoying voice. The deadpan stare that she gave in response every time simply made me grin.
On day twenty-six of the hike, we had finally had enough. As I leaned against a tree during our water break, I called Katniss over. "We have to do something about Finnick's noise."
She raised her eyebrows. "No, you have to do something about his noise. I told you the harmonica was a bad idea."
"I know, quit reminding me."
"I don't have to. Finnick has that covered." Katniss smirked at her own cleverness while I rolled my eyes.
"If you're going to act like you didn't even have an ounce of influence on this decision, then you're a jackass."
"Then call me a jackass."
At that moment, I could have punched her but I decided to walk away. "Whatever, jackass."
When we stopped for a water break that afternoon, I stole the harmonica from Finnick's pack while he trekked in the woods to relieve himself. He instantly noticed upon his return and we told him that he was not allowed to play it until we rested our ears from the noise of him trying to play the instrument. Katniss and I both basked in the silence, with Finnick on our heels like a little puppy wanting his toy back.
Later that night, we arrived in Erwin, Tennessee and decided to stay at Uncle Johnny's Hostel just off the trail. It looked like an old house with a bunch of extensions. We checked in and paid for our rooms, with Katniss and I sharing one and Finnick in a different room with a random hiker that was also staying the night.
"This is one of the better hostels so far this trip. May have to check out the store in the morning before we leave." My attempt to start a conversation was short-lived when Katniss replied with a muffled agreement. It was reaching that point in the day where all you truly wanted to do was eat and go straight to bed. And so we wasted our time by unpacking our clothes and bed rolls in silence.
We both started to settle in when Finnick walked in, his roommate next to him. "Two things, ladies. First, I order a few pizzas and they will be here shortly. Second, this is Cressida. Cressida, this is Katniss and Johanna."
The woman walked forward. Katniss awkwardly shook hands with her, avoiding any major eye contact. I looked her up and down before accepting the offer. "Nice to meet you." The words flowed from her mouth in a smooth accent. They were the opposite of Finnick's harmonica noises. These words were silken.
Once my ears finished admiring the one sentence uttered to me, my eyes took in the rest. Her head was shaved on the left side with the rest of her hair flipped to the right. A continuous green vine tattoo ran from the shaved area, down her neck, and under her clothes. Part of me wondered where it stopped, if it ever did, but it didn't really matter. She seemed nice but also too professional and uptight. Her eyes looked wise beyond her actual age and her mouth formed a lopsided grin.
"Cressida is filming a documentary." Finnick leaned against the door frame and crossed his arms nonchalantly.
"Well, I am trying but I have yet to meet an actual group of hikers. Everyone else has been an individual." She gave us a shrug. That response was more laidback than I had been expecting, but that didn't mean the purpose of it surpassed me.
"Are you asking if you can follow and film us?" I was a little skeptical about this idea.
"Well, Finnick has agreed but he said it depends on you two."
Katniss looked over at me and then to Finnick. She was unsure, so I pressed for more details. "What is it about?"
"It is about the life of thru-hikers on the Appalachian Trail. Documenting what they go through to finish the hike. Weather, terrain, lodging, injuries, the planning process, the dynamics of the group. It would only be occasional filming when events were happening, meals, select times during hikes. I am also trying to finish the trail."
"And how do we know you're not a sociopath on a killing spree?"
Her eyes pointed to my hip. "I'm not the one with the axe, am I?"
It was obvious that Finnick was holding back his laughter. The new girl was clever. "Okay, I agree, but the minute things get uncomfortable with the filming, then you're on your own to finish."
"I can agree to that. Katniss?"
Katniss looked over at me first, as if to confirm that she was about to say the correct answer. "Sure, sounds great."
Cressida gave a smile and we all decided to start interviews tomorrow since we needed to take the shuttle into town and resupply. For now, we ate the three large pizzas in silence before heading off the bed.
"Alright. State your name, where you're from, and why you are on the trail." Cressida sat behind a tiny tripod that held her GoPro camera.
"My name is Katniss. I am from Middlebury, Vermont. I am on the trail to prove to myself that I can finish something, and to seek closure on my father's death a few years ago."
"Do you have a trail name?"
"No, not yet."
"It's Bow and Arrows. You should know that." I shouted from where Finnick and I were sitting.
"I guess it is Bow and Arrows." Katniss smirked and darted her eyes at me.
Cressida chuckled. "And how did you get that name?"
Katniss shrugged. "My real name traces back to relate to archery and Johanna called me Bow and Arrows once so I guess it stuck. Nothing too exciting."
"Alright, works for me. Johanna, you're next." I stood up and took Katniss' spot on the interview rock.
"Name, where you're from, why you are on the trail."
"Johanna, from Washington, currently nomadic though. On the trail because I don't have too many other options. Just trying to find a new place to go." She gave me a strange look, probably wondering why I was being so vague.
"Trail name?"
"Axes, because I carry an axe." I touched it the tool resting on my hip and smiled.
"Why an axe?"
"It used to be my father's and for protection or use. Never know when you might need to chop something or defend yourself."
Cressida grinned and motioned for Finnick to be interviewed now. "You know how it goes."
"Finnick, from just outside Los Angeles, California. This is my second time hiking the trail. First time was for adventure and this time is in hopes of finding love or getting closer to it. My new trail name is Trident, because I am King of the ocean." He gave a smug smile to the camera.
Cressida sat down next to Finnick. "Cressida, from England but residing in Richmond, Virginia. On the trail to create a documentary on the journey of Appalachian Trail thru-hikers. I will be continuing my hike with Bow and Arrow, Axes, and Trident. My trail name is Lights Camera Action, given to me by a southbound group of hikers." She turned off the camera and took it off the tripod to connect it on a camera harness over her sternum. "Shall we continue?" The tripod clipped on the side of her pack.
"Onward!" Finnick pointed forward and we all started marching forward for the final few miles of the day. The terrain had been relatively flat except for the short three mile hike up and down over a steep ridge.
The next day was accompanied by a drop in temperature and it got colder as the day went on, especially when the sun started setting. Majority of the time was spent with our heads down to break the wind gusts. Rocks began to poke out onto the trail the more the elevation increased and trees became a little more scarce, causing it to become windier.
We made it to the Roan High Shelter, shivering and pulling on every piece of warm clothing possible. And as we sat in a tight shoulder-to-shoulder circle eating dinner, Katniss looked up at the door. "It's snowing."
We all leaned over to look out the door and then back at each other. "So, time to get close tonight." Finnick stood up and closed the door to prevent any more of a breeze from breaking in. It was snowing in the middle of May. We got what we deserved, stopping at the highest shelter on the trail.
Before we settled down for sleep, we figured out the prime spooning order. It started with me facing forward, with Katniss behind me, followed by Cressida then Finnick. We bundled up in hats and layers of clothing and our low temperature sleeping bags before getting situated.
Finnick chuckled. "You're not filming this right, Cressida?"
"I am." Cressida's voice was shaking from the cold. "But I have a timer set at fifteen minutes to turn the camera off. Do it for the documentary."
I couldn't help but laugh at the reference. It was soon cut short when I noticed Katniss wrapping her arm around me more and pulling me closer. As I turned my head to look back at her, I noticed she was already fast asleep. She was pulling me closer without even consciously thinking about it. Maybe the things I felt for her were actually reciprocated. My eyes stayed open from my racing thoughts and from my new fear of dying from hypothermia. Eventually, they shut from exhaustion and I fell asleep another night.
There was a dusting of snow on the ground when we took off hiking that morning. The sight was like no other and it amazed me that it was even possible to have snow when it was becoming so warm out. It was a short excitement as the snow disappeared once we reached below five thousand feet in elevation. The day went by quick and in the evening we resupplied with food at a town near the hostel. Sleeping in a bed in a warm room had never felt as amazing as it did that night.
The next day was the hike to Jones Falls. The trail slowly went from wooded to pasture land. The grasses and plants were as tall as my waist and moved with the light breeze. The shifting sounds of the leaves and some nearby birds were the only things to be heard. This was the kind of peace I was looking for. A peace where everything felt perfectly connected. The trees fed the birds; the grasses protected the soil and roots; the bees pollinated the flowers. Nature knows the purpose for every part of itself, and every part works in sync with the others. And that is what I wanted so badly to gain within myself. I want my mind, my body, my thoughts and muscles to finally work together on the same page. My body always seemed one step ahead and that caused my mind to overload itself with anxiety. To be more like nature was now a well-defined goal.
I looked over to see a pleasant surprise. "Hey, Finnick. Remember that magnolia tree I mentioned weeks ago?"
"Yeah, why?"
"There it is." I saw Cressida press the record button on her camera. "The fraser magnolia or mountain magnolia. Native to the Appalachians. They really enjoy rich and well-drained soil so I imagine we are getting near water or are in a drainage area."
Finnick inspected the tree that stood several feet from the trail. "So, why fraser magnolia? Is it related to the fraser trees you see in the winter?"
"No, completely different trees. Fraser firs are closer related to Balsams. This was named after the Scottish botanist who started collecting magnolia samples, John Fraser." I looked to see Katniss and Cressida giving me impressed glances. Finnick had already experienced my extensive knowledge of plants so he was used to it already. "They produce a fruit, not like the fruit of the apple trees behind my shoulder. But, it's a little cone, and they are typically a nice red-pink color."
"There's apple trees?" Finnick turned in excitement and walked off the path and to one of the trees. We followed. He dropped his pack on the ground and started trying to climb up the trunk. He failed at climbing a few times and I started laughing at the sight of him falling out of the tree repeatedly before Katniss chimed in.
"How can you not climb a tree?" She walked over and put her pack down.
"Oh, like you can do better? The only person who can probably climb trees here is Axes." Finnick teased her but not for long. With ease she climbed up the trunk and slowly moved down a branch, picking apples and throwing down to the man below. I would be lying to myself if I said I was not turned on by her climbing a tree. The sight replayed in my head and all I wanted was to climb up there and kiss her. Then, I freaked out. I had to continuously remind myself that I could not be crushing on her. We had over four months of hiking in front of us and having feelings for my hiking partner was not going to make this any easier.
"Johanna!" A dull pain ran through my nose and there was a thump on the ground. I looked down to see an apple at my feet. "I am so sorry!" Finnick stood a few feet away from me, trying to contain his laughter.
"Are you fucking kidding me? Who throws an apple at someone's face? Are you an idiot?" I picked up the apple and pegged it at him so hard that it broke apart when it hit his chest. He cried out in pain.
"I thought you would catch it!" Finnick rubbed his chest in pain. "What was that for?"
"I thought you would catch it." I shook my head as I mocked him. Katniss started laughing at my response, sending a smile across my face. Again, that laugh made me swoon. She jumped out of the tree and tossed me a new apple. I took a bite and winked at her before walking away, leaving them to catch up with me.
The trail moved back into forested land and just off of the main path we heard the noise of rushing water. Katniss led the way on our detour and it was well worth it. In front of us was a tall waterfall, likely a hundred or so. The water poured down, creating a roaring and crashing sound that echoed through the forest. It moved from the pool below and cascaded down boulders and rocks. Cressida carefully stepped across the stream and moved her way up to the bottom of the fall, filming the view.
This did not make me feel anxiety. It was too beautiful and natural to fear. Part of me wanted to stand under the falls and let the water hit me.
"You okay?" I looked over to see Katniss standing shoulder to shoulder with me, taking in the view.
"Yeah. It makes me want to like water."
"Good." She took my hand and squeezed it before letting go and walking away. I wondered what it meant. Did she do that out of wanting to give me comfort? Was it a sign that my feelings were not unrequited? Or maybe I was reading into it too deeply. It had been a while since I felt the nervous yet excited pit in my stomach. Feeling this way reminded me that I was still capable of these types of feelings, but it made me uncomfortable. It felt like just another thing to potentially screw up. Tired of thinking about my issues, I took out my water bottles and distracted myself with refilling them.
The train station was relatively empty at 5 a.m. as Johanna waited in the terminal. She was about to ride cross country to Georgia, where she would stay until it was time to start on the Appalachian Trail. This was the first time she had somewhere to go. Otherwise, there really was no place to be. She had been living on the streets and in cheap motel rooms and would likely do the same once she arrived on the other coast.
Until this trip, she only felt like she belonged somewhere in college when there were classes. Johanna hardly went to them and when she did, she slept in the back. Much to all of classmates' frustrations, she always received A's. There was the occasional B but that happened once or twice. No one knew that she studied a lot and read multiple books on whatever subject the course was in.
She absorbed information. It was one of her ways of escaping besides hiding out in the woods every few weekends. If there was a new topic, there was a new book. Her fiancé had never understood how she did it. He was always at class, going to study groups, working late into the night to finish work, and drinking coffee to survive. She stayed home, read books, did the work, and went to sleep at a normal time.
Johanna lay on the bench while reading a book about the Appalachian Mountains. It was all about the topography and natural history. Her eyes slowly started to shut from exhausted; she had been up for nearly twenty four hours. So, she fell asleep for a few hours until a polite older woman asked if she was on the train that had just pulled up.
This was it after months of waiting. She was leaving home for good with one hiking pack filled with basic necessities she would need on the trail. Everything else was left behind for good. Her fall from grace continued to plummet downwards but there was a tiny glimpse of hope that it would at least slow down once she disappeared from this place.
She boarded the train, put her bag in storage, and shortly after it began to move, the tickets were checked. As soon as hers passed, she fell asleep while watching the landscaping of fields and hills pass by.
I twitched awake to find Katniss curled up behind me and her arms wrapped around my mid-section. She was warm and breathing steadily into the back of my neck. I moved back against her and entwined my fingers with hers, slowly pulling her arm tighter around me before drifting back asleep.
The next three days were easy to hike, with only one or two strenuous parts. Hiking in general had become easier. My legs felt in shape, my back and stomach stronger from the weight of the pack. I was no longer out of breath after sharp cutbacks or tough terrain sections. Finnick was transforming into a different person. His previous muscle was leaner, making him looking slightly smaller but also in better shape. His facial hair grew in as a light brown and actually didn't look half bad. Facial hair or not, he was still gorgeous.
Katniss was also changing. Her once round face was starting to thin out and her arms and legs were toned. It was not that we ate poorly or did not have enough nutrients; we just worked all the time. On average, we hiked over fifteen miles a day and often ate between four to five thousand calories a day just to keep our bodies fueled. I still hated oatmeal though.