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“I need to escape this shit.”
Nathalie sighed as she stared at her computer monitor displaying yet another excel sheet for yet another report. Her boss David all the time wanted things done as soon as soon as efficient as if every minor tasks was somehow of primordial importance. Nathalie glanced at her watch: 3:37 PM. A couple more hours here and then an hour in the car. She felt exhausted just thinking about it. She glanced over her cubicle wall and saw that David had put on his jacket and was heading towards the exit. As he left, he declared to all those who could hear:
“I have an important business meeting. I expect all of you to work while I’m gone. We’re not going to make money if you slack off.”
The hum of the air conditioning was the only response he received. Nathalie rolled her eyes. She had finished her assigned tasks for the day and sure she could get a head begin on tomorrow’s work but what was the point of that?
She waited a few minutes to make sure that David was not gonna return for any forgotten items and packed her belongings and attempted to discretely leave the building. As luck would have it, she bumped into her work nemesis coming out of the elevator.
“Going somewhere?” Asked the wiry thin Estelle. This woman prided herself of her hard work and her diligence but in reality, she was an ass-licking bitch. The C-suit didn’t care about her work ethic, they cared that she was obedient and flattered their ego.
“Just going to get a coffee” Nathalie replied with her fakest smile.
“You don’t need your bag for that” snarkly remarked Estelle.
“Oh, I just have some reading to do. I can do that at Starbucks. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“You should be doing this here. David would not want you to be working elsewhere.”
Nathalie felt the annoyance raising to the point that she could not contain the dryness of her response.
“Well David isn’t here is he?”
Nathalie entered the elevator, pressed the buttons, and tried to ignore Estelle’s comments about how she would let David know about this as the doors where slowly closing. Nathalie sighed. She felt that she needed a break. She needed something different.
The drive back was a grueling experience of starts and stops until she finally slid her key into her front door and slid out of her heels. Nathalie collapsed into her couch. She stared at the ceiling lost in the emptiness of exhaustion. The grumbling of her stomach brought her back to reality. There was no way she was gonna cook tonight and so her usual order from the local Lebanese restaurant would have to do the trick.
Perfect 40 minutes before the arrival of her dinner. Just enough time to take a quick
shower and pour herself a large glass of left-over red wine. She sipped on her wine letting her mind sooth and wonder. She pulled her laptop towards her opening Netflix in search of her next watch. She longed for an escape that only the sights of open plains in a nature documentary could satiate. As her food arrived, she eased into the couch and let herself be transported into the wilderness of the north. She had all the time dreamed on going there but it had never really fallen into place. Until it struck her. It was now or never. And why not?
She paused the documentary and searched for trips in the Great Canadian wilderness. She had hiked many times in the past; generally for a few days only but this time she wanted something longer. Something more challenging. This would be the perfect escape – alone in the tundra with nothing but her thoughts and importantly none of the Davids and Estelles of this world. After an hour or so of searching, she found an organization that would rent canoes and provide flights on a bush plane upriver. She investigated potentially itineraries and routes fueled by the excitement of something so different. She knew that she had to act quick since she had to put in her PTO at least a few weeks in advance. David was not gonna be happy about this. He was all the time so stingy about vacation. Summer was coming to an end as well. The arctic circle even in early fall could see the first snow falls of the year.
“Fuck it. I’ll get good gear. This would be the experience of a lifetime. A solo 300-mile canoe trip. If that doesn’t change me from my boring life, I don’t know what will!”
Pleased with the idea and a plan set in motion, Nathalie decided to get some rest. Tomorrow she’ll have to face the ire of David the corporate tool.
***
“This is unacceptable. I need you to stay and get those reports done. You can’t take a vacation and risk my… our quarterly earnings. I work hard and I expect the same from you.” David was sitting on his desk in front of Nathalie his crotch at eye level. He loved this power move. He loved to show his manhood through his tight chinos thinking that she would be impressed.
“I have not taken any vacation in the last 3 years you bastard. I have worked my ass off and I get nothing in return. This is the least you can do. I do all your fucking work anyway.” Is what Nathalie would have wanted to reply. Instead,
“I have made sure that the interns will be up to speed with what need to be done. I believe that I have shown dedication to this company and… to you. I just need a few weeks off. I would be grateful for your generosity. ” Nathalie gave her best smile.
David sighed slowly nodding. Nathalie knew he had all the time wanted to fuck her. He looked at her with lust most days and today particularly. Nathalie had worn her deepest cleavage with her tightest skirt knowing this would skew her chance of success.
“Fine. Take your time off” he replied his eyes lost between her breasts.
“What a perv” Nathalie wondered. “At least he’s predictable…”
***
The last couple of months breezed past as they were filled with gear research and purchase, journey preparation and wilderness research. Nathalie had never been for such a long foray through nature. She had heard that the experience changes once you pass the 3-night mark where the discomfort of losing modern amenities started to weigh down. This was part of the appeal in her mind. Something primal and rough. Something that felt real and wild. The day had finally come for her to leave. Sophie her childhood friend drove her to the airport worrying about her friend’s decision throughout the drive.
“Are you sure you want to do this alone? What if something happens to you?” She asked.
“Yes, I am sure. Soph, I need something different from all of this” replied Nathalie gesturing towards the concrete landscape surrounding them. “Besides you have my itinerary, so do my parents. I also have a GPS beacon just in case.”
“What about bears?”
“Got mace.”
“How are you going to carry all your food? And water?”
“In the canoe and I have water purifiers. Soph don’t worry. I’m prepared.”
Sophie looked at her friend with doubt still lingering in her eyes as they arrived at the airport drop off point. The two friends said their farewells and from this point on Nathalie was on her own. She first had to fly to Vancouver then she would rent a car and drive for a day north-east to the frontier town where she would rent her canoe and take her final bush plane flight to the great Canadian wilderness. She had planned on stocking up on food in supermarkets along the way buying a few last minutes items hoping she had not forgotten anything. She was to pick up her canoe and meet the fly crew the next morning. Nathalie took a room in the local motel and despite the mattress being lumpy she slept deeply knowing that this would be her last element of comfort for the next 12 days.
The next morning, she drove to “Wayne’s adventure crafts” a wooden cabin adjacent to a large metal hanger. The cabin was next to a gorgeous lake with a sand shore. She admired the rolling hills covered with pines and deciduous trees adorning their fall colors. Nathalie stood there for a few minutes just taking in the moment. She was pulled from her revery by the voices of two men behind her. One of them was a half balding man in his 50s. The other was tall and gruff looking. Nathalie assumed he must be in his early 30s. The balding man pointed towards Nathalie while the other peered at her with his grey eyes through the mane of hair covering part of his face. His face was cold. For whatever reason he was not pleased to hear of her presence.
The older gentleman walked towards her and extended his hand.
“Hi, you must be Nathalie. I’m Wayne. How are you now?”
“Hi Wayne, yes, I am Nathalie. I hope there isn’t any issue?” Nathalie replied nodding her head towards the gruff bear of a man now walking towards his truck. Wayne looked over his shoulder and smiled:
“No, don’t worry. Rom is just the grumpy kind. He’s not really a people person. That’s probably why he comes here so often. Let’s get you started with some equipment.”
Wayne led her to the hanger in which dozens of canoes were stored as well as blue plastic barrels and small trailers. Nathalie looked over each of them in wonder. Wayne pointed to a rack of canoes on the right side of the hanger.
“These are our one-person glass fiber ones. Pretty light and sturdy. This one is brand new as well.” He said tapping on the lowest canoe in the rack. “You sold me on the brand new” Nathalie replied smiling.
Wayne pulled it out of the rack and dragged to the front of the hanger. He also took a large blue hermetically sealed barrel. As Wayne was walking towards the life jackets, a deep growl of a voice echoed from the door of the hanger.
“Wayne, you still got those silver bucktails?”
Wayne paused for a second before answering:
“Euh… yeah, I think they are in the back. Let me get them for you.” He turned to Nathalie. “Pick a life jacket make sure it’s snug. I’ll be right back.”
Wayne walked towards the entrance pulling up his pants. Nathalie caught a glimpse of that so called Rom in the backlight of the outdoors. She picked a few life jackets and tried them on. There were no size labels so this was guesswork and trial and error. After a few tries she found one that fit snuggly. She took it off and dropped it in her canoe before heading towards the cabin shop. The door was ajar, and she could hear the two men speaking inside.
“Can you not drop me off today and bring her out tomorrow?” asked a gravelly voice which Nathalie assumed was Rom’s.
“Rom, son… That’s a 4 hour round trip. I’m not doing that. The wilderness is big enough for both of you. You can keep ye’r distances, no?”
“That defeats the purpose of isolation…”
“You’ll be fine. Beside a bit o’ company wouldn’t do you any harm.”
The last opinion was met with what sounded like a growl. The next moment as Nathalie was about to pull the door open, Rom walked out paying her no attention.
“I’ve found everything I needed, Wayne”
“Great, I’ll bring Brenda around. We’ll fly out in an hour.” Replied Wayne grinning widely. “I’ll pick both you and Rom up at the end of the pontoon.” He pointed towards the wooden pontoon protruding into the dark water of lake.
Nathalie looked over the landscape. The sheer beauty of this place – even here – was mesmerizing. It was a sunny and fairly warm fall day, yet the cold mountain breeze made her shiver. She closed her fleeced jacket and thanked her past self to have had worn thick leggings. She noticed Rom pulling down his own bright red canoe off his truck and loading it with his gear and barrel. He was making last minute preparation to his craft. Since it seemed that they would be flying together, Nathalie wondered she would introduce herself to this man. Despite his rough appearance, he was a handsome man. She could appreciate the strength in his hand and forearms as he was tying his bag down. She walked over and extended her hand towards him.
“I thought I would introduce myself. I’m Nathalie. Wayne told me we would be flying together?”
Rom looked up from his canoe and straight into her eyes. He stared at her for a few second, unblinking before releasing a deep sigh of frustration.
“Look I’m not here to make friends. Enjoy your trip” he said coldly before pulling his canoe away towards the pontoon. Nathalie stood then stunned.
“Rude” she muttered under her breath. She looked at him pull his gear as if it weighed nothing. He stopped at the edge of the lake and dropped down on his bag, staring across the waters. Nathalie strode over to her own canoe and packed her equipment and pulled it all towards the water. Rom had made it look easy but taken together this was heavy Nathalie wondered. Nathalie worked out insofar as hiking counted as a workout. She was on the curvier side – her ex often described her as squishy. She resented him but she had to admit that it was an appropriate term to describe her. Still, she had strength enough to endure most ascents and so she hoped that she would manage this trip as well.
Eventually, the roar of an engine disrupted to serenity of the lake. The floatplane named Brenda glided across the waters coming to a halt at the end of the pontoon. Out jumped Wayne who expertly tied one of the floats to the pontoon. Wayne waved them other. The next half hour was spent tying the canoes to the floats and loading the barrels and gear in the back on the plane.
“One of you will have to go in the back” indicated Wayne as he closed the storage hatch and opened the front door. Before Nathalie could respond, Rom had climbed into the back and pulled the pilot seat back into place.
“Well, that settles it. You’ll be riding up front with me then.” said Wayne.
“Fine by me!”
A few minutes later with the roar of the engine, they took off into the late morning skies.
***
It was indeed a two-hour flight across some of the most stunning landscapes Nathalie had ever seen. It was forest, lakes, rivers, rocks, and mountains as far as the eye could see. Wayne occasionally described the hunting and trapping history of the region. Rom did not utter a single word. They landed on a lake close to a mile wide and a few miles in length. Wayne helped them unpack their gear before bidding them farewell and good luck. Nathalie watched the float plane take off and disappear into the distance. The purr of the engine eventually disappeared leaving place to the sound of nature and isolation. The gentle ripple of the water of the shore. The wind gently swaying the never-ending forest surrounding them. Them. She turned to look towards Rom. He had wasted no time and was already pushing off the lake shore leaving her behind alone. Nathalie scoffed. She was not in a hurry. She would take the time to enjoy every moment of this trip and so on the shore of the lake Nathalie had a bite of lunch before heading into the wild.
Nathalie’s first day in the great wild of Northern Canada was uneventful if she had ignored the stunning scenery. The fall breeze caressed the lake rippling the waters pushing her gently south. Flocks of geese flew overhead marking the begin of their migration south. What stunned her the most was the silence – at least humanity was silenced here. Living in the city, she had become accustomed to constant hum of air conditioning units, cars driving by, distant emergency vehicles, the chatter of people. She sat in her canoe motionless her eyes close enjoying the moment. She smiled.
“I’m glad I did this.” She murmured to herself.
The first night she set up camp on a moss-covered rocky outcropping looking over the lake. She set up her tent and gathered some firewood. It was time to make dinner and get some rest. The sun had already disappeared behind the horizon leaving its reddish hues morph into the deep blues of the night. In the distance, probably a mile away on the other side of the lake, she noticed a glimmer of light. A fire. So, Rom had settled on the other side then she wondered to herself.
“I thought he would have gone further out. What a prick though…”
Nathalie’s evening came to a close and she climbed into her sleeping bag glad to finely get some rest.
For the next few days, she paddled across lakes and down connecting rivers. She carried her canoe and gear when waterways here impassible. Some area where overgrown with vegetation and dammed up by local beaver colonies. Other areas were characterized by a steeper decline leading the once calm flowing waters to become rapids – their white waters crashing with rage on rocks and driftwood. Nathalie did not feel confident confronting these challenges. She had come to realize that in long adventures such as this one caution was key to making it to the end. After finding her spot for the night at the end of her fourth day, she felt that she was in dire need of a bath a good bath. Sadly, this meant diving into the icy waters. She lit her fire to make sure that she could warm herself up after the cold plunge. She had set up camp at a sharp bend in the river that had created small sand beaches and deeper pools on the other side. The current was gentle, and Nathalie could easily swim back to shore. As she stepped onto the beach ready to undress, she felt a certain unease. What if someone was watching?
“No one is around. This was the middle of nowhere. And besides I haven’t seen Rom in days. He is probably far ahead.” She reassured herself slipping out of her clothes. She dipped her toes into the water. The icy water felt like fire on her pale skin. There was no other way but in. She strode down the riverbed and let herself fall into the cold waters. She let her naked body float for a few second under water before emerging for a much-needed breath. The cold shock made her gasp for air. She tried to calm her breathing and after a few second she controlled herself enough to swim a few meters deeper into the river. Eventually, she took the time to wash herself more thoroughly. The crisp water made her pale skin flush, her nipples harden. Her wet auburn hair draped on her back. Shivering, she decided that it was time to regain the warmth of the fire. As we she walked out of the river, feeling the breeze, embracing the reinvigorating nature of cold baths, she noticed something bright red floating down the river. In horror she stood there naked as Rom glided down in utter silence. His eyes had tracked her waddling out of the river and had not left the sight of her body since. After a few second, Nathalie reached for her towel and covered herself glaring at that ruffian. He looked up towards her eyes, maintained her stare a few second and pivoted his gaze back to flow of the river. Without a word, he was gone.
“He was totally checking me out. What a weirdo” Nathalie muttered indignantly as she warmed herself by the crackling fire. She cracked open one of the few cans she had taken with her. She wanted a little something to take off the edge and to warm her up slightly. She found an imperial stout that she was told was just as delicious warm as it was cold. She warmed her drink and sat by the fire replaying the events by the river in her mind. Nathalie couldn’t believe that for someone who didn’t want anything to do with her Rom had so brazenly stared at her.
“How would you like if I stared at you naked, hum?” she said aloud after letting the strong stout relax her senses. She thought what he would look like naked. Probably horrible she wondered. Although he had muscular forearms. His hands looked strong. He had gorgeous eyes she had noticed. But he was an uncouth savage more akin to a bear than a human. No, he would probably be horrible to look at.
***
She had been exploring the Canadian wilderness for the last 8 days and since the episode at the river, she had seen Rom a lot more. While he kept his distance, he had been visible in contrast to the first few days of their trip where he had basically vanished. Oddly seeing him so close, gave her similar feelings as whenever she spotted a mouse or a wolf in the distance: There was certain awe of having feral creature going about their lives while she was in the vicinity. The paddled onward until she arrived at a narrowing in the river. This was generally indicative that waters were about to get rough. She decided that she would tie up her canoe and inspect the situation overland. A mile down river and the water had changed into white water rapids culminating into a waterfall. The waterfall was only a dozen feet or so but it was a waterfall nevertheless. Nathalie traced her steps back to her canoe and prepared for a long portage hoping there would be an easy passage through the woods. As she was getting ready for her first trip taking her canoe first, Rom came paddling down the river. Nathalie called out:
“There is a waterfall a mile down. The rapids look pretty rough.”
Rom looked at her and much to her surprise nodded. However, he confidently continued down river. Nathalie cocked her eyebrows. Was he gonna just go down that waterfall? She carried her canoe over her head down the trail and through the brush. She passed the rapids and took a break when the roaring water was getting louder. Downstream she noticed Rom had disembarked and was getting ready to circumvent the falls. She pushed forward until she was by his side. He was standing on a rock inspecting the riverbank and forest.
“There is a trail down this way if you want. I scouted it earlier” said Nathalie dropping her canoe to the ground. She pointed towards a clearing in the thick brush.
“That’s not a good idea” Rom replied gruffly. He walked towards the passage Nathalie had indicated and knelt. “Bear tracks and droppings” He looked up and seem to scan the surroundings.
“Family?” asked Nathalie mockingly? Rom ignored her opinion.
“I have just seen a few of them on this side of the river. Juveniles. It is best not to tempt fate and get on the water as quickly as possible” he asserted.
“And how do you propose we do that?”
Rom stood back up to perch on his rock near the tumbling waters.
“We lower the canoes down through here.” He pointed at a narrow and steep passage down the riverbank. There was barely any room for maneuvering and even less for error.
“One of us will go down first and hold the front end of the canoe while the other lowers it from here. Once we are done we can go our separate ways”.
He pointed at the top of the bank. Nathalie nodded. He seemed to know what he was doing. Rom indicated that she would go first. Nathalie needed to get her stuff back at the lakes edge. Rom sighed and rolled his eyes but accompanied her. Nathalie tentatively made a few remarks about the beauty of the surrounding area which were only met with silence or the occasional grunt. They packed her gear into her canoe. Nathalie went down the steep bank near the edge of the water. She leaned against a tree and waited for Rom to lower her canoe. She had to navigate it down from the front and tie it to the nearest tree before they were to lower the second canoe. The first canoe came down without a hitch. Nathalie barely had to do anything – Rom was lowering the fully packed canoe with ease and a surprising amount of grace in bouts of physical strain. The sun had just disappeared behind the ridge surrounding the valley before they had the time to lower the second canoe. Without its warmth, a crisp breeze indicated that fall was truly settling in. They had had some rain but today it felt like it could even snow. The first frost was upon them.
Rom lowered the second canoe down with just as much ease. Nathalie’s eyes were more focused on Rom than they were on the canoe. He was in fact a very handsome man she wondered to herself. She remembered her musing of a few nights ago. She thought if he had wondered about that night as well. In her revery, she had failed to notice that erosion had weaken her foot hold and it was giving away under her weight. Suddenly, she slipped. She caught hold of the tip of the canoe in front of her but the sudden additional weight pushed the tip beneath the surface filling it with water. She plunged into the icy water. The water was deep. She could not feel the riverbed bellow. She tried to swim back to the surface and grip the edge of the canoe, but the canoe was violently push out of her grasp and flipped. She turned and saw Rom’s large mass plunging into the water. She pierced the surface and gasped for air but the powerful undertow was dragging her beneath the surface and away from the embankment. She regretted not having kept her life jacket on. She couldn’t breathe. She could only manage to swallow large gulps of icy water. Rom emerged next to her – flipped his canoe with one hand, grabbed her by the shoulder and pushed her towards hers.

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