There aren’t many people that would say Sloane came out of her ordeal sane. There are others that would say she never even came out of it. Either way, both assumptions sum it up well. There were even times during the whole thing when she questioned her choices. Of course, those moments were in the beginning, when she still knew who she was, before she lost herself.

An extreme love of hiking is what fueled the expedition, the catalyst that would be the cause of her life changing event. And fear of uncharted territory wasn't even a thing. Even so, she never skimped on taking the proper precautions.

But this time, she’d screwed up in a different way.

The chosen destination was a new one she'd happened to hear about from a co-worker and there wasn't much information on the area. He'd driven through on his way home from an extended weekend trip and his descriptions of the beauty and possibility of good hiking captured Sloane's attention. She just had to go hike it.

Days later, her sister stood in the bedroom doorway, trying to talk her out of the trip, but to no avail. Danielle gave a worried look as she slung her purse straps over her shoulder. "You promise you'll text or call when you get there?"

Sloane rolled her eyes and continued to stuff the backpack sitting on her bed with the essentials. Her focus was on the task at hand, not placating the worried woman.

"Sloane." Danielle's tone of voice demanded attention. She had "the mom" look perfected.

"I promise." Sloane raised a hand to her chest and the other in the air, palm forward as if swearing to tell the truth.

The look didn't go away, but Danielle's features softened a little. She pursed her lips before looking away. Her slender throat moved as she swallowed, not convinced by Sloane’s words or actions.

"You don't have to worry." Danielle glanced at the hand that now covered hers in an effort to comfort, maybe even convince her, that everything would be okay.

"Easier said than done." She muttered, keeping her eyes averted.

Sloane stepped a little closer, reaching out her other hand to brush a strand of ashy brown hair away from the heart shaped face in front of her. Danielle looked up with gentle gray eyes, rimmed by long lashes.

It didn't dawn on Sloane how strange it was that she noticed all those attributes, as if it would be the last time she'd see her sister; it was as if her subconscious were committing it all to memory.

"I wish you'd just go with me. It'd be an adventure." Sloane shook off those thoughts and let her hand fall, her own features showing disappointment. "It could be like old times." She gave Danielle’s hand another squeeze.

"You know I can't. I have responsibilities." Danielle had a problem trusting others to do their jobs without error. Sometimes it made Sloane scared she was going to give herself a stroke from all the stress she put herself under.

Sloane, on the other hand, didn't give a crap about anyone's abilities to do what they got paid to do. Being in charge of herself was how she liked it. Her job left her with plenty of leisure time to hike whenever and wherever she desired.

"Fine. But don't worry about me. I'll be okay."

Sloane gained a pointed look again.

"I promise that I'll call you." She used her sternest voice in an effort to ease Danielle's worries.

After several moments of silence, Danielle caved and freed her hand from Sloane’s only to step forward and wrap her arms around her sister. Sloane returned the embrace, feeling almost giddy. They weren't often affectionate and she treasured these moments.

"Okay. Have fun. Be safe, Sloane." She pulled away, her eyes locked on the other's. Her last words were spoken with an intensity that proved how serious she was.

Sloane nodded her agreement. "Absolutely."

"I love you." Something in her tone made the statement almost heartbreaking.

"I love you too."

Danielle waved goodbye as she spun away to go to work, leaving her older sister alone.

Once Sloane heard the door close, she went back to collecting what was needed for the impending hike. Unsure of how long she'd be out there, she took a little bit of everything.

Hefting the bag onto her back to get a feel of it, she found the weight was a little daunting with the supplies, but it wasn't anything she couldn't handle. At least that's what the stubborn part of her decided.

After tossing the bag onto the bed, she changed into hiking clothes and laced up her boots. Excitement and anticipation were building up, causing her to lose focus a few times.

The drive was going to take a few hours, so Sloane packed a bag of treats to snack on in the car along with several large water bottles, opting for them instead of taking the canteen.

Glancing at the clock, she cursed herself. It was later than she had meant to leave. Realizing the time, it hit her that camping might just end up being a necessity. Excitement coursed through her as she rushed to the hall closet and grabbed the sleeping bag and pop tent her parents had given her the last Christmas they'd had with her and Danielle. A twinge of sadness crept up her chest as she ran back to her room to grab the bag.

Sunlight gleamed off the car in the late morning, another reminder that the trip was starting a good amount of time after she had wanted it to. Sloane tossed the bag, tent, and sleeping bag into the trunk while the snacks and water were thrown onto the passenger seat. After starting up Spotify, she pulled out of the driveway and headed for her destination.

Alternative rock music, most of it being Alanis Morissette, and snacks kept her company while the possibilities of what she was about to encounter raced through her mind. How hard would the trails be? Would there be an amazing view of the sprawling woods at the top? What was the wildlife like, if she'd even see any? But one question kept coming to mind: why isn't there more information about this place?

It didn't bother her in the least. It just made the whole experience that much more exciting.

So on she drove.

Time seemed to slow as Sloane went along, lost in her thoughts. She almost missed the minimal excuse of an entrance. The car swerved and lurched forward as the brakes squealed. Her pulse thrummed from the near miss as she maneuvered her vehicle into what she assumed was a parking spot.

A thrill shot through her body. For a fraction of a second, she thought maybe this was wrong. Maybe she shouldn't go on. But the adrenaline rush washed that thought away.

After jumping from the car, Sloan did some stretches and then retrieved the stuff from the trunk. She smashed the lock button on the key fob before shoving the jagged metal into the bottom of the bag, strapped it to her body, and took off.

The birds chirped a chorus all around as squirrels scurried in the bushes and up the tree trunks. Her eyes continued to rove around to spot any other creatures there might be.

Once comfortable with the surroundings, Sloane pulled out her phone, not realizing that device would lead to her life altering mishap.

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Banner photo found at https://www.roadaffair.com/what-pack-travel-ultimate-packing-list/