I See You

CHAPTER 10 - Old Hobbies and New Traditions

While Emma was upstairs putting on the many layers he had set out, Wyatt grabbed the daypacks he had bought for them and loaded up the necessary supplies. His was larger and heavier with more survival gear and the rest of his surprise, but he made sure she had the basics for a safe day hike. He stashed the packs in the back of her RAV4 and popped into the basement to pull on his own new clothes so he would look the part if they were seen.

Emma was already close to sweating by the time she walked down the stairs and found Wyatt in a very similar outfit. He wore enormous leather hiking boots, nylon pants with a ton of pockets, a simple green thermal, and what looked like a rain jacket. She cocked her head when he pulled on a full-face ski mask, followed by a pair of gloves. Though the space where his eyes should be was startlingly empty, this was the most Emma had ever seen of him, and she couldn't stop staring.

'I'm driving.'

"What?" she gasped, seeing her keys in his hand. "Can you drive?"

'Yes, little bird. I would never put you in danger.'

Wyatt's message didn't convey his eye roll or the cheeky grin that stretched ear to ear. He was trying very hard not to laugh at her stunned expression. What he didn't tell her was that he'd practiced a few times while she slept to make sure everything felt just as it had before he was incorporeal. He was even more pleased when she simply shrugged and reached for her new puffy coat. Trusting him in the bedroom was one thing. This was a different kind of faith, and it made him pulse with satisfaction.

"Not sure ghosts are covered in my insurance policy," Emma mused.

Wyatt just chuckled, guiding his moody hummingbird out to the car.

Riding in the passenger's seat was as easy and normal as breathing. Todd had never let her drive, granted they were always in his Porsche. Still, she couldn't help sneaking glimpses of Wyatt as he confidently draped one wrist over the wheel and rested his other hand on the gear shift in the center. He had an entire playlist of Christmas country music that had been blaring around the house for weeks, and it had now migrated to the car. Emma didn't mind in the least, and as they couldn't talk, she settled on watching the world go by the window while Wyatt took them farther and farther from civilization.

They drove for about an hour before pulling into a small, empty lot with a sign for Mt. Walker trailhead. Hiking? Emma had never gone hiking before. Would she like it? Was it dangerous? Would people notice Wyatt's lack of features? What if they got lost? Was there a guide? How long did someone hike? She thought hiking was something you did while camping or vacationing. Did people just drive down the road and randomly hike?

"Um, are we going in there?" she asked, pointing to where the trail disappeared into the trees.

'Yup.'

Now she understood the boots that could handle ice. They had driven further up in elevation, and while not much, remnants of snow clung to tree branches and clumped on the ground. She now understood the new wardrobe, but the pieces still weren't connecting. What gave him this idea? She had never mentioned any interest in exploring the home of creatures that could eat you or reenacting a scene from Backcountry.

"Wyatt, I um, well, why?"

The question stumped him. So he took a moment to formulate his response.

'Well, hiking is something I did a lot of when I was alive, and I would like to share it with you. If you're not into it, that's fine, but I really think you'll love it. The wilderness has all the silence you could ask for. You won't have to talk to strangers. You'll enjoy the exercise. And out in nature, away from people, we can interact just like we do at home. Out here, we can be ourselves... quirky and dead.'