Mia stared at the wilting basil plant on her fire escape, its leaves curling in surrender to the relentless urban heat. Even in October, the city clung to summer like a clingy ex. She needed an escape - preferably one that didn't involve dodging tourists in Central Park or overpaying for an underwhelming latte in some trendy café.
"That's it," she muttered to her roommate's indifferent cat. "I'm going on a hike."
The cat blinked slowly, clearly unimpressed by her declaration of independence.
An hour and a half after leaving her Brooklyn apartment, Mia found herself at the base of a trail that promised "moderate difficulty" and "scenic views." She snorted. In New York, "moderate difficulty" usually meant navigating rush hour subway crowds without losing your sanity.
The first mile was deceptively easy, lulling Mia into a false sense of security. Then came the rocks. Not pebbles, not stones, but honest-to-god boulders that seemed to spring up out of nowhere.
"Moderate my ass," Mia grumbled, eyeing a particularly daunting stretch of granite. She took a deep breath, channeling her inner mountain goat, and began to climb.
Halfway up, with her foot wedged in a crevice and her dignity hanging by a thread, Mia heard a voice from above.
"Need a hand?"
She looked up to see a pair of amused hazel eyes peering down at her. Their owner, a guy with artfully tousled hair and the kind of stubble that screamed 'I woke up like this,' extended his hand.
Mia weighed her options: accept help and salvage some of her pride, or continue her ungraceful ascent solo. Pride lost out to practicality.
"Thanks," she said, grasping his hand. "I think the trail guide and I have different definitions of 'moderate.'"
He grinned, pulling her up with surprising ease. "Welcome to the great outdoors, city girl."
"I'm Mia," she said, brushing dirt from her hands. "And you are?"
"Alex," he replied, eyes crinkling at the corners. "Seasoned hiker and occasional damsel-in-distress rescuer."
Mia rolled her eyes. "My hero," she deadpanned. "Do you often lurk around difficult trails waiting to save hapless city folk?"
"Only on Saturdays," Alex shot back. "It's my good deed for the week."
Mia's relief at conquering the first boulder was short-lived. The "moderate" trail apparently had a sadistic streak, presenting a series of increasingly challenging rock faces.
"You've got to be kidding me," Mia muttered, eyeing a particularly daunting stretch.
Alex, annoyingly nimble, bounded up ahead. "Come on, city girl. It's just like climbing the corporate ladder, but with better views and less backstabbing."
Mia scowled, her foot slipping on loose gravel. "Right, because I always wear hiking boots to board meetings."
She inched her way up, arms trembling with effort. A bead of sweat trickled down her back. Just as she reached for the next handhold, her foot lost purchase.
For a heart-stopping moment, Mia felt herself falling backward. Then a strong hand gripped her wrist, steadying her.
"I've got you," Alex said, his earlier playfulness replaced by genuine concern.
Breathing hard, Mia nodded her thanks. They finished the scramble in focused silence, the difficulty of the terrain demanding their full attention.
Finally reaching level ground, Mia collapsed onto a convenient rock. "I think I left my dignity somewhere back there, along with my will to live."
Alex chuckled, plopping down beside her. "Nah, you did great. Though I have to ask - why this trail? There are easier ones for beginners."
Mia's face flushed, and not just from exertion. "Well, funny story..."
She pulled out her phone, showing Alex the trail map app she'd used. "Turns out I have a slight issue with left and right. And reading comprehension, apparently."
Alex peered at the screen, then burst out laughing. "Mia, hate to break it to you, but we're on the advanced trail. The moderate one is two miles east."
Mia groaned, burying her face in her hands. "Fantastic. I fled the city to escape humiliation, only to find it waiting for me on a mountain."
Alex bumped her shoulder companionably. "Hey, look on the bright side. You're conquering the advanced trail on your first hike. That's pretty badass."
Mia peeked at him through her fingers. "You're just saying that so I don't throw myself off the next cliff we come across."
"Guilty as charged," Alex grinned. "Though I should probably confess something too." He hesitated, looking suddenly sheepish. "Remember how I said I was a seasoned hiker?"
Mia nodded slowly, a suspicion dawning.
"Well," Alex continued, "this is kind of my first time on this trail too. I may have been trying to impress the cute girl I found clinging to a boulder."
For a moment, Mia just stared at him. Then, despite her exhaustion, aching muscles, and wounded pride, she started to laugh.
As their laughter subsided, a distant rumble of thunder broke the moment. Mia and Alex looked up to see ominous clouds rolling in.
"Please tell me that's just the sound of my stomach protesting this unexpected workout," Mia said.
Alex grimaced. "Unless your stomach has learned to produce lightning, I think we're in for some weather."
They quickened their pace, the idea of being caught in a storm adding a frisson of urgency to their hike. The trail narrowed, winding through a dense patch of trees.
"So," Mia panted, ducking under a low-hanging branch, "what brought you out here today? Besides the opportunity to rescue hapless city dwellers?"
Alex was quiet for a moment. "Would you believe me if I said I was running away from my own wedding?"
Mia nearly tripped over a root. "What?"
"Kidding," Alex grinned. "Just seeing if you were paying attention."
"Oh, ha ha," Mia rolled her eyes. "And here I thought I was the only one with a flair for the dramatic."
Their banter was cut short by a flash of lightning, followed almost immediately by a crack of thunder.
"Okay, this is not good," Alex muttered, scanning the area. "We need to find shelter."
As if on cue, they rounded a bend and came face to face with a small, ramshackle cabin. It looked like something out of a fairy tale – or a horror movie, depending on your perspective.
"Well, that's convenient," Mia said skeptically. "Almost too convenient."
Alex approached the cabin cautiously. "Hello?" he called out. "Anyone home?"
Silence greeted them, broken only by another ominous rumble of thunder.
"I guess it's either risk axe murderers or definitely get struck by lightning," Mia sighed.
They entered the cabin just as the skies opened up. The interior was dusty but dry, filled with odd knick-knacks and what looked like taxidermied animals.
"Great," Mia muttered, eyeing a stuffed raccoon. "We've traded death by electrocution for death by creepy doll collection."
Alex chuckled, then froze as his gaze landed on something in the corner. "Uh, Mia? You might want to see this."
Mia turned to find Alex holding up a faded photograph. In it, two hikers – who bore an uncanny resemblance to them – stood smiling in front of the very cabin they were in.
"Okay," Mia said slowly, "now this is officially weird."
Mia squinted at the photo, then at Alex, then back at the photo. "Okay, either we've stumbled into a 'Twilight Zone' episode, or someone's playing an elaborate prank."
Alex stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Or maybe we're long-lost twins, separated at birth, drawn together by the mystical forces of badly marked hiking trails."
"Right," Mia snorted. "Because that's way more plausible than time travel."
They spent the next hour concocting increasingly ridiculous theories, their laughter drowning out the storm raging outside.
"Oh! I've got it," Mia exclaimed, gesturing dramatically. "We're actually characters in a simulation. This cabin is a glitch in the Matrix."
Alex nodded solemnly. "Makes perfect sense. That would explain why I suddenly have the urge to learn kung fu."
As their laughter subsided, Mia found herself studying Alex's face. Despite the bizarreness of their situation, she felt oddly comfortable with him.
"You know," she said softly, "for a day that started with a suicidal basil plant, this hasn't been half bad."
Alex's eyes crinkled as he smiled. "Agreed. Though I think we're legally obligated to go on at least three more hikes together. You know, to solve the mystery."
Mia was about to reply when a noise from outside made them both freeze. It sounded like... footsteps?
They exchanged glances. "Probably just the wind," Alex whispered, not sounding convinced.
The footsteps grew louder, accompanied by a strange, rhythmic thumping.
Heart racing, Mia moved closer to Alex as the cabin door slowly creaked open...