Driving to the mountains would take a few hours, so I stopped at a gas station to fill up on gas and get some snacks.
Once I was topped up, I started my journey.
…
With one upgrade under its belt the car handled beautifully, with increased efficiency the drive was even better knowing that I was saving money.
I may have more money, but that doesn't mean I don't like to save where I can.
When I got to the mountains I realized that I still had like eight hours of driving to do, it was tiring just to think about.
I drove up and down the scenic ridgeway. I don't know how many times I drove up and down that road but I drove for hours.
Until I had to stop for gas and food.
I pulled over into a smoky little town with a rustic gas station.
It was an old gas station so I had to go inside to pay first before pumping my gas.
I entered and said, "Hey, man. Can I get some gas on the pump?"
The old man standing behind the counter said, "Howdy! Sure thang, how much you want to put on the pump?"
"Well, I've been driving all day so let's throw 40 bucks on it."
"That'd be in cash?"
"Yea-."
I cut off what I was saying as I saw a big military truck filled with people drive by. I couldn't help but ask, "Do you see a lot of those trucks around here?"
"Yup, sure do. Been seeing them a whole lot more recent too. They used to train in these here woods, but as of late, there have been a whole heap more of em'."
"What do you think they are doing? Still training?"
"Naw, I reckon they are huntin' somethin'."
"What makes you say that?"
"Well, a whole lot goes up, but not a lot comes back. I bet they are finally huntin' the skin walkers. You know they always been causin' trouble around these parts. Bout time they did somethin' bout it."
He lost me at skin walkers. A deer acting weird and creepy is one thing, but skin walkers are another. I'm not gullible enough to fall for that nonsense. But I'm not going to argue with the crazy old guy at the creepy gas station.
I only just started to look around at the store. There were taxidermied animals above almost all of the shelves lining the walls. Beer signs hangings from random chains nailed into the ceiling and cobwebs between them all.
It was a through and through old country gas station, cliche enough to be seen in movies.
I said, "Yep, my family is actually from these parts so I heard all about them."
"Un'huh, I figured as much. Welp. Let me get the meter cranked so you can get your gas."
That "welp" was like a switch flipping. He went from creepy old man to normal guy in a snap of the fingers.
"Say, you wouldn't happen to know where I can get some food around here?"
"Oh, yep. Sure thing. If you go down yonder, around the bend, there is a wooden' buildin'. That place has good barbecue."
"Alright, I'll have to try that out. Thank you."
"No Problem. I got it already, you can go get that gas now."
"Alright, well, you have a good one."
"Yep, you too."
I went outside, pumped gas into my car, and drove off searching for the barbecue place.
Down the road, around the bend, I saw the wooden building.
It had a glowing open sign and a few cars in the gravel parking lot.
I parked the car and went inside where a lady named Sandy showed me to my seat.
I ordered a barbecued pulled pork sandwich which was pretty average. It wasn't anything special.
When I was getting ready to go I asked Sandy, "Hey, do you mind if I ask you something a little weird?"
"Um, sure?"
"I heard that the military was hunting skin walkers. Is that anywhere close to the truth?"
"Oh, haha. You heard that from Jeb, huh."
"Jeb?"
"The old guy at the gas station."
"Oh, him. Yeah. I saw a military truck drive by and it had lots of guys in the back, so I asked him about it. And, that was what he said."
"Yeah, that sounds about right. Jeb is a little off his rocker. What actually happened is a couple of tourists have gone missing in the woods. They either got lost or an animal got em'. The police already made a search but they didn't find anything.
Then of course a group of Metubers came claiming that they were going to find them. And wouldn't you know it they went missing too. So now the military is the one running the search as tracking training.
That's why so many are going up but not coming down, because they are transporting people up.
Jeb likes to say that skin walkers got em', but there are plenty of ways for people to go missing up here. It's easy to get lost in the woods and the animals while they usually avoid people. That's not always the case.
We have black bears, they are generally not aggressive but will seek food from campers. They won't attack people unless they are surprised or protecting their cubs, but even then they don't usually kill.
Then we have coyotes but they don't really mess with people either unless they are starving.
We also have bobcats but they usually only attack people if they have rabies.
Some people have said that they saw a mountain lion, but I doubt it. What it usually ends up being is people not used to the mountains getting cocky and end up falling off a cliff, or just getting lost and wandering for miles away from civilization. They always end up causing a ruckus."
"I hear ya. Lots of people like the idea of the great outdoors without realizing how quickly it can bite you."
"Haha, exactly."
I paid for my meal and left, making my way back onto the ridgeway.