Chapter 15

It wasn't hard to hear the sound of the river, because no one at the campsite was talking.

Sam finally placed his plate on the ground in front of him. "You're a what?"

"A teacher," Charlie answered. "A professor, actually, at Cal Sci. It's in the L.A. area."

In the dusk he could see Sam arc both his arms outward. "So what was all this about? Doing some research on some small town locals?"

"No, no, it's not like that. I didn't intend to come here. I didn't even know there was a Shady Cove. I didn't know where I was going. I just left. It's only the second week of May, the school year isn't even over. I had some kind of meltdown, or something, walked away."

Sam didn't say anything, so Charlie continued. "Besides, I teach applied mathematics, what could I be researching?"

Sam affected a southern drawl he didn't really have. "Beats me, bein' a high school drop-out myself. Could be yer jist seein' how many rednecks ya can count."

Charlie pushed himself to his feet. "Look, I'm sorry. I never meant to offend

anyone. I can understand if you want to part ways, now." Charlie shifted. He decided he was going to say what he thought, from now on. "Although I never actually lied to you. My name is Charlie, I am out here learning…"

Sam was on his feet now, too. "Learning to eat our food? To pretend you're as broke as we are?"

"I was, I told you I just started walking. I had my hiking gear and some money with me, but it was stolen the second day. I went to the bank today, we have everything straightened out, now. If you'd like some money for the food…"

Sam batted at Charlie's hand angrily when he went for his jeans pocket. "We shared with you because we wanted to. Why did you go running after more money? Can't take it out here on the river, anymore?"

"I love the river," Charlie started quietly, but Jenna interrupted. The two men had almost forgotten that she was there.

"What did you say to me last night, Sam Carver?" He didn't answer, so she did it for him. "We were watching Charlie looking at the river, and you said, 'Sitting there is a haunted man, honey, something's on his heart tonight.' Have you even heard what he's been saying, or are you too busy trying to make yourself insulted? He left his life, Sam, he just left. He was living his dream, and he walked away. You think a man does something like that just so he can hitchhike to Oregon and make fun of you?"

Sam hung his head, looked at his feet for a moment. Finally he lowered himself to the ground again. "Math, huh? Number stuff."

"Right. Number stuff."

"Well why don't you get on down here, then, and tell me how many fish are in this pan."

Charlie crouched cautiously near the fire. "They're all cut up. How can I tell?"

Sam smiled. "Well, if you had helped me gut and fillet those babies, you would know that there were two of them. Guess you got some more learnin' to do."

Jenna was beside Charlie then, picking up the plate she handed him earlier and adding fish to it. She handed it to him again. "Are you going back now? You got straightened out whatever made you leave?"

Charlie shook his head. "No. I left for one reason, but I'd like to stay for others, too. In the last five days I've met quite a cross-section of people. Some of them are bad enough to steal from a hitchhiker, but most have been incredibly kind, generous, open — like yourselves." They all chewed for a while, threw the occasional fish bone in the fire. "I haven't spent enough time with people. I'm enjoying it. And it's so beautiful, here… Plus, there's still that first reason. I haven't figured out what to do about that, yet."

Sam exchanged a glance with Jenna in the firelight, then looked back to Charlie. "We're going to move on tomorrow," he said. "We're at our two-week limit, here. We thought we'd go on up the road to Lost Creek. The season will kick in on Memorial Day, and they might be hiring."

"Lost Creek?"

"It's only about an hour further up the road. Big ol' lake, and marina. Real popular with boaters and water-skiers. There's a small restaurant where Jenna might get on, and a state park and campground."

"We were going to ask you to go with us," Jenna added. "Split the cost of a campsite…"

"Yes," Charlie jumped in, excited. "Yes!" His demeanor abruptly changed. "But…well, that is…"

"Want something fancier than camping, now?" asked Sam.

"No, it's not that, no…" Charlie was glad that it was dark, that they couldn't see his face very well. He finally just sputtered it out. "I haven't changed my shorts in five days. Can we go to Medford first?"

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They were still at Lost Creek by noon, setting up camp. Suddenly Jenna looked over at Sam. "We've got our site, now. Let's wait until morning to talk to the marina manager. Crater Lake is only 40 more miles."

Sam smiled, looked over at Charlie pitching his tent several feet away. "You saw his face when this lake first came into sight out on the highway. Crater Lake might kill him."

"Sweetie," she wheedled, "I haven't been there in years."

Charlie looked up, saw them staring at him. "What?"

"Get back in the car, kid," Sam shouted, jogging past him. "We've got some more learnin' for you do."

Charlie settled in the back seat. "Are you going to teach me to drive?" he asked Sam, who was momentarily startled. "That's why you walked? Not because you just don't have a car?"

Charlie was embarrassed, now. He took his time connecting the seatbelt. "Can't really drive," he finally admitted, then looked up hopefully. "But I have a learner's permit!"

"We got all kinds of back road for you to learn on, Charlie, don't worry. Just not today."

Charlie soon saw why. He had thought they were already high in the mountains, but the roads kept getting narrower and the trees kept getting thicker. They weren't just trees, anymore, this was a forest. He was in the middle of a forest. He watched the green road signs and guessed where they were going. "Crater Lake?" he asked, unaccountably excited. "I've heard of that. It's a National Park."

"Yeah," answered Sam. "You've seen pictures?"

"Yes, my friend Larry, he's a physicist, was researching the Secchi disk reflector used to determine the penetration of sunlight into the lake." Charlie saw his friends exchange a look. "Well, he's a hiker, too," he added a bit defensively. "We hike together sometimes, and have talked about hiking the Pacific Crest Trail some summer. It goes through the park boundaries."

"So maybe you won't be learning much after all," Sam finally said, "but I can guarantee you this: pictures just don't do it justice."

By the time they had reached the park's entrance, Charlie was surprised at the amount of snow he could see. "Backcountry gets a lot of cross-county and snowshoe action in the winter," said Jenna, "but there won't be many people up at the rim this early. The parking lot is probably still half snowed under. There's an old, historical hotel up there, too. I think it's been renovated. Anyway, it's probably snowed in. Here," she reached over the seat to hand Charlie a newspaper the Park Ranger had given them at the entrance. "Tours aren't up and running yet, but you like to read, right?"

The way to the rim was long and windy, and Charlie had some difficulty looking down to read. After a while, though, the massive walls of plowed snow on either side of the car began to make him feel like they were in some odd, silent tunnel. His claustrophia pricked up its ears, and he decided that he'd rather risk a headache, instead, and turned back to the newspaper. A few more minutes, and Sam and Jenna heard a low whistle from the back. "Wow. 1,943 feet deep. That's 23,316 inches." Charlie was still doing calculations when Jenna's voice came to him, softly, and he realized they weren't moving anymore.

"Charlie. Look."

He lifted his head. His body began to move independently. He didn't even remember unbuckling the seatbelt, but now a hand was opening the door and feet were walking across a parking lot, legs were climbing up onto a snow drift. He didn't hear anyone, but he felt a firm grip on his shoulder. "Better not go any further," Sam said. "Snow drift could break off and drop you 2,000 feet into the coldest water in the world. I think. What's that newspaper say?"

"This is the most intense blue I have ever seen in my life," Charlie breathed. "The scope and size of this, it's stupendous…over five miles in diameter, it said."

Jenna was beside him then, pulling at his elbow. "Back away a little, both of you. It scares me up here." She pointed out to an island in the lake. "That's Wizard Island. If you're here long enough, we can come back later this summer. You can hike down this trail from the rim, and take a boat out to the island."

Charlie looked at her, eyes wide. "I can touch the water? I can walk on the island?"

Jenna shivered, pulled again at his elbow to make him back away. "Only if you're still alive."