A couple more weeks went by and now I'm on the bank fishing, I'm a little further away from usual spot, but the view still beautiful. I haven't had any luck and if I go any further than where I am now, I'll be trespassing on my neighbor's property. Granted he'd not know about it unless he has trail cameras to watch his property line for him.
You see in Montana, you can have neighbor's, you just can't see them they are so far away, but if you cross their property line, they'll sure as hell let you know real fast how they feel about it. I'm the same way of course, but I do have a nicer way of going about than they would.
It's also a bit hot out today, despite being in the shade, I'm sweating, and I don't do well when I get hot. I've always been that way; I get agitated more easily; my temper flares up and afterwards I'm left with a headache.
I was thinking of reeling my line in and just swimming instead when I hear footsteps behind me, they're two feet, not four and heavy, like a man's. I tense up, after all I've been seeing a Dogman on property and traces of him very close to my home now for a few weeks and now I'm thinking that this is it, he's finally going to come get me, I'm armed, but only with my knife today, he was probably learning my habits this whole time to have to perfect chance to...
" Excuse me, Miss? " I hear a deep voice of a human man instead of the expected snaring or growling of a Dogman about to attack me, I turn around and see a tall, handsome, slightly built, brown eyed, brown-haired man with a slight beard, white t-shirt, khaki shorts, hiking boots, and a black backpack slung on one shoulder.
" Can I help you? " I reply back, getting up and getting a bit closer to him. He looks like a hiker who lost his way.
" I hope so, I'm a bit lost. " He replied back, answering my obvious earlier observation.
" I can see that. You're on my land and my neighbor's is just right over there at that large boulder. "
" Ah! I'm so sorry. " He replies, clearly embarrassed, but doesn't seem to let it really bother him, he's smiling a bit, it's a nice smile, I mentally shake my head and focus,
" It's alright, better you met me and not him. He can be a bit of a jerk and an asshole. " I smile as I tell him this, he's easy to get along with, but I'm keeping my guard up.
" Let me guess, you were hiking on one of the trails near our properties and got distracted by the beauty around you and walked off the trail? Or you saw a bear, or a moose and it charged you and then you got lost? " I continue.
" It was more of a mama bear that had chased me off, I panicked when she came at me, and I ran in random direction instead of going back down the path. I'm not really from around here, I mean I've only stayed during the summers and a couple of springs but that's about it. This was the first time I had a bear charge me, I wasn't even near her or her baby. " He replied back.
I nod, " But you were probably still too close for her comfort, and she reacted out of instinct. You're lucky she only charged at you. "
" Don't I know it...Uh, could you tell me which way it is to town? " He finally asked.
" It's still quite a way from here...Follow me and I give you a ride there, it's too damn hot to be walking that far on foot and you look like you could use some water. Here. " I toss him my canteen; he catches it with ease. I normally don't do this, but I can sympathize.
" You don't have to. " He says after he takes a long drink from the canteen before tossing it back to me, I catch it also, but not as easily as he had.
" You're fishing as well. " He gestured to the fishing pole in behind me.
" I'm not getting bites today. I was about to leave anyway. " I reply, going down and reeling in my line, securing the hook on one bottom eye of the pole, gather up my cooler after slinging my canteen over my shoulder before rejoining the man,
" I'm Nikita, by the way. Nikita Harlow " I say as I introduce myself, " But you can call Nik. "
He smiles and replies, extending his hand for me to take, " Ram. Ram Hawthorne, it's nice to meet you Nik. "