I had proposed camping as a way of generating ideas for Campus Sport's marketing campaign. We are utilizing their camping and outdoor gear as inspiration to build a new image for the brand. After an hour long intense mental & physical treasure hunt in the woods, everyone's trickling back to the camp.
I expectantly look for Sanem in the dispersing crowd. A cold and eerie feeling comes over me... and my fears are realized when she's not among those that have returned from the hunt. I ask the group to standby for a minute while I try to call her on the phone. She's not answering her phone and it appears nobody has seen her in a while. I belay instructions for the group to search for her, in pairs, and to return within an hour to regroup or communicate when they find her.
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I barge into the forest with a singular purpose and laser focus to find her, no matter what! I dread to even think about what could've happened. Knowing her... she's one that would trip over her own feet, her knees find the sharp edges, she'd slide down a cliff's edge, bump her head on visible doors and walls, she's always involuntarily falling into my arms waiting for me to catch her! Her being lost is an ominous sign... and I'm tracking her with every trick I know and using all the tools in my arsenal!
"Sanem"... I yell loud and clear into the still forest.. over and over and over again, pausing to hear a response, a whimper, something, anything... but nothing!
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It's been thirty minutes and still no word of her... and the sun is starting to set. I'm frantic with desperation... but keep telling myself to keep my shit together as she needs me now more than ever!
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I spot a few broken twigs, footprints and an odd track and step closer to explore. It looks like a trapping pit built by hunters... and I get closer to peak into it. And I see her, white jacket, curled into a ball... and she's clearly tripped and fallen into the pit. "Sanem, are you okay?", I shout... no movement or response from her. Oh NO!
My savage, neanderthal instincts kick into high gear... and all I want to do is get to her, hold her, make sure that she's alright... alive! I make a quick note there are no trapped animals or worse, snakes in the pit.
From the vicinity, I quickly gather the most green and freshly broken branches I can find, collect a few rocks and use my jacket to gather and drop them safely into the pit.
Using both hands and feet, I rappel down the narrow yet deep pit. Thankfully, it's rocky and rough, only five feet wide and I'm able to slide down to her relatively easily.
I'm there with her now... tenderly and carefully I touch her face to see if she's awake or coherent. She's starts to come out of the daze... upon my touch... and I want to hear her voice. "Sanem love... Are you okay?" I ask her, she winces painfully and says she's okay but says no more.
Feeling a huge relief, I hug her as safely as I can and start to talk to her "I'm here, don't panic, you'll be alright... I'm here"... "can you sit up?" She can and I help her... not letting go of her. I tell her again "I'm here... don't panic." She's in visible pain and I look her over and notice only a bump and blood on her forehead. I kiss her on her cheeks in an attempt to take her pain away... and she seems to become more lucid by the minute. "I'm here... you wait" .. kisses ... "I have something to do... then we'll get out of here, okay?" She nods and waits.
With the rocks, I make quick work of hammering the strong branches into the walls of the pit, making a step ladder to climb up and out of the pit.
Next I make sure that she can stand and hold onto me. I then lift and carry her on my back and proceed climbing up the makeshift branch ladder. She's very light, I'm on an adrenaline high, wanting her to be safe and out of danger... so that's a very easy climb, six hops and we're out of the pit!
Not a moment to lose, I hug her tightly and tell her she's okay and that we're safe. She gives me a weak smile as I scour her face for clues... and she says that she's really scared!
"Oh no...baby, I'm here, I'll keep you safe" says the voice inside my head as I hold onto her for dear life!
The others find us, and she's literally carried back to the camp and there's a flurry of activity surrounding Sanem. When our friends and colleagues had learnt that she had fallen into a pit, they had called an ambulance. It arrived promptly with an on-call Doctor in tow... as the incident sounded very grave and serious. It was... she could've been hurt badly or worse!
Over the next few minutes she's the center of everyone's attention... being checked for a concussion, treated for bruises and getting stitches for the gash on her forehead. She is in good hands and I step out of the way, suddenly feeling very thirsty and a bit breathless!
I turn the corner behind the ambulance... and I'm all alone. Suddenly, I can't breathe anymore, my back buckles and I fall to the ground on my knees... in total paralysis! My heart is pounding in my chest, tears in my eyes, I'm sweating profusely and shuddering and shaking in fits and shivers. A voice inside me is screaming "she's safe, she's alive" over and over again, interspersed with "you almost lost her"! A full blown panic attack... I've never experienced one before... and it takes me a long and slow fifteen minutes to become calm, almost!
She's okay... really, back to her playful and bashful self and I bring her hot tea and an ice pack. We chat for a bit... and I promise her that I'm not letting her out of my sight... at least in the mountains and woods!
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Later, I find her wandering in the woods, inebriated, having had a whole bottle of wine thinking it's fruit juice! A bit of friendly banter and I urge her to come back to the camp to sleep. She says "Water sleeps, but the enemy is sleepless!" I ask her what that means and she's proceeds to tell & show.
"Can Divit, You're mine... and that's that!" she says and plants a possessive & passionate kiss on my lips.
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It's early for me but everyone in the camp is asleep and I'm lounging in the chair at the camp fire. After this harrowing day, I'm also leery of a fox attack on the camp. Also, my mind is still on a crazy roller coaster trip... and doesn't seem to be slowing down one bit!
Let's see:
- I'm the one who wanted to be friends with and not be her sweetheart.
- I'm the one who told her that I can't trust her.
- I'm the one who broke up with her.
- I'm the one who won't be able to forgive myself for letting her go alone into the woods.
- I'm the one who's had a paralyzing panic attack thinking about what could've happened to her!
- I'm the one who moved heaven and earth to save her!
- I'm the one who wants to keep her in my sights... .moment, forever!
- I'm the one who wanted to die in the pit if she was already dead!
- I'm the one who's mind, heart and soul glowed like a thousand suns when she woke up from the fall!
- I'm the one who's ecstatic and euphoric that she kissed me and claimed me as hers!
- I'm the one who Can't live without her!
- I'm the one who Can't let her go!
- I'm the one who's hers... unconditionally, irrevocably and eternally!
Hmmmm... now I'm the one who needs to tell her !?