My wife of many years and I have enjoyed hiking for exercise and the experience of the great outdoors for most of our marriage. The kids are long gone, so it is just the two of us most of the time. We live in Connecticut where there are lots of trees, forest, marked and unmarked trails. From near the center of the state, we have often journeyed to the fringes to explore a new park or trail that we hear about. Marie, my wife, is usually the one that finds these new unexplored locations in the nature news of the newspaper or one of the many hiking books she is constantly buying. We are retired so we frequently take our trips during the week. There are a lot less people around, giving us a freedom and enjoyment in the beauty of the woods.
Last Sunday, there was an article about a trail in the northeast corner of the state. In Connecticut, that is called the Quite Corner. As usual, Marie was ready to check it out. Monday, is a great day to have the trails to yourself, being the first day of the work week and the day after the weekend warriors have exhausted themselves. The only problem was the rain forecasted for the afternoon. But the temperature was warm, and we had the whole morning. We decided to try to beat the rain and go anyway.
This was a state forest, rather than a state park. Both are public land, but the parks are better maintained and better patrolled. When we got to the parking lot described, we found it somewhat isolated, but easy to locate. It was too cloudy to worry about parking in the shade, so off we when with a bottle of water and a granola bar each. There was a large sign at the trail head with a pretty detailed map. I tied to remember as much as I could just in case we got disoriented. The main trail looped around the outskirts of the forest, with lots of minor trails crisscrossing through the center of the forest. We opted to first explore the perimeter trail. All I had to remember was to bare left at the intersections with the interior trails.
The trail was well maintained, but poorly marked. I would just use my memory of the map as our guide. The first intersection came after about 30 minutes in. For the next 30 minutes, we kept bearing left. We heard the first rumble of thunder about 10 minutes later. We weren't expecting a thunder storm and certainly not this early. Lighting has always been a very big fear for Marie, but I had no idea if we should press forward or back tract. We chose to back tract, but rain stated to fall as soon as we turned around.
After about twenty yards, we heard a voice through the brush on our right. "Hey, there is shelter over here."
We strained to see the source, but then there he was, a guy a little ways down what might have been a deer path. It certainly was not well travelled. I started to hesitate, but Marie had already started down the deer path, as the rain started to pickup. We quickly followed the guy for about 100 yards to a clearing in the trees. There was a rustic shelter in the clearing that had a roof. It looked like it was part of an old saw mill almost completely hidden among the trees and brush. At least it was shelter from the storm.
Once under the shelter, the guy turned around and to introduce himself. "Hi, I'm Frank. We heard you on the trail and thought you might need shelter with the coming storm". Only then did notice two other guys in the shelter.
"We're here planning for the upcoming deer hunting season. We've got a few months to go. It's never too early to start. Right, boys? " He was addressing the other two men in the shelter.
"This shelter has been in my family for generation. We come down to plan and party every year about this time."
"This is my wife Marie and I'm Fred. I thought we were in the state forest."
"We guessed as much. Folks get lost up here all the time. With the weather, we didn't expect anyone else would be around. I thought we would be stuck drinking beer by ourselves and watching it rain all day."
"I'm hoping it'll stop soon."
"Not a chance. Have a beer." Frank waved to the other two. "My friends here are George and Ted. We call him Teddy, He's the youngest." George and Teddy came over carrying a couple of beers.
We drank and talked about stuff. Mostly their hunting plans and the rain. The rain started to pickup and the sound in the trees made it hard to hear anyone on the other side of the shelter.
"If I can get s signal, I'll check the radar."
I no sooner got the phone out, than the three guys had surrounded me. As a ball gag seemed to fly over my head into my mouth, two of them grabbed my arms, pulling them behind my back. It took a few seconds for Marie to realize what was happening, but when she did, I was on my stomach with my hand being tied behind me. Marie went after Frank who handled the ball gag, but with his job done, he had no problem grabbing both of her hands and keeping her from doing anything by scream. With the noise the rain was making, screaming was a waste.
Soon as my ankles we tied together, Teddy and George went to help Frank. Teddy got another ball gag and George grabbed her feet. Marie was immobile in no time.
"Teddy, get us some beers. George, get the long ropes. Let's see what we got and plan a party."
George returned with a couple ropes and fed them through two eye hooks in the rafters. One rope was tied to each of Marie's wrists, one at a time so she never had a free hand available. Teddy joined the group and Marie was pulled to a standing position with her arms pulled separately up over her head. The three men then pulled up camping chairs and started to drink their beer.
"This party is going to be on hell of a party. We got 3 more hours of rain. I figure 3 more hours of party."
Teddy looked my way. "What about him?"
Frank walked toward me. "He can watch." The three pulled me up and tied me to center post, facing the spot Marie was hung up. They then turned to Marie. Frank walked over. Marie tried to kick him, but when she missed; her full weight was supported by her arms. She was quickly immobilizes again by the three men surrounding her. Frank gave her a soft slap across her face, grabbed her chin, and looked directly in her eyes.
"Understand me, bitch. We are going to party. You are the party. You can make this hard, or not. You decide. Do you understand?"
