Part 5 of an Untitled Mini-Series about "Steve" - a mysterious narrator introduces themself with commentary about loneliness and thirst in the wilderness
Start at the Beginning: Read Part One.
Untitled Series about a Character Named "Steve"
Episode 5: "Thirst and Loneliness in the Wilderness"
When the wind's blowing cold air at you so hard that it feels like your breath is spiraling around the back of your head as soon as you exhale, it really sucks to be thirsty. I'd even consider selling my heavy coat for some goddamn water or orange juice or a beer or... anything wet. I knew I couldn't eat the snow without making the dehydration worse. The aridity could be felt in the blood up here.
I found myself praying sometimes for a molecular wisdom within my cells to hold in as much liquid as possible. These mountains were cold, cruel, and tough - as beautfiul as they were relentless...
I never wanted to be here... but how I arrived here was by own action. No other ideal, obligation, or person forced me to hike atop this mountain alone. I just left my home and... went away.
Since my departure, the whole time, I have been alone, in struggle, and contested against the almighty mother - nature herself.
Before these last few hours, I have loved every moment of this brittle existence I somehow stumbled upon out here...but if I had known I would've ended up so thirsty, I would have never left civilization. The cold I can handle. The cold drives me to become stronger...
The thirst just hurts.
The thirst only weakens my fury...
To be continued...
© USA 2009, 2025
This was the fifth part of a cross-genre short story composed in 2009 at the College of Santa Fe.
