“You should leave though,” she said, and looked around at the treetops, and the darkening sky, “There are people up here these days that do things that they don’t want people to see, so take my advice….”
She stood up, turned on her heels and headed back into the trees, towards some trail I’d never been on or seen.
I stuck to my trail, climbing quickly and quietly until I crested the hill, climbing on my hands and knees to get over the last bit. The trail home would be quick and downhill, then onto a road and my bicycle… I’d be home in no time.
Behind me and from somewhere in the valley, there came a “Crack” of rifle fire, echoing off the hills. And just as suddenly, I heard the engines of motorcycles or some sort of off road vehicle, screaming in sudden high speed running, echoing off the hills as well.
My quiet peaceful valley faded into darkness, and I hoped that the noise of humanity passed right over it, never bouncing down its walls.