"in the valley: part i"

The gales of wind whipped at them, and though it was not yet November, the valley was frigid. The two girls and the boy had not come prepared and wore thin fleeces and tennis shoes. Nor had they brought enough water for the trip back. But they were young and enthusiastic, and the boy had some experience hiking, so he helped the girls over rocks and waited for them as they slipped on the pebbles and leaves of the trail.

As they rose higher in the valley the vegetation changed from golden leaves to snow-laden trunks, so every hour or so it seemed as if they had stepped into yet another world. The air thinned and they stopped more frequently to catch their breaths. The girls sat cross-legged on rocks and the boy leaned against a tree, rummaging through the pack to see if there was anything left to eat. He could see the girls were tiring. He was worried about the water on the way back but coming down the mountain was always easier, faster. He wanted to make it down before the sun set, but the girls kept stopping.

Finally, they moved on until the snow rose to their ankles and fell into their shoes. They kept going, higher, past skeleton trees, so high they were at eye level with the clouds. The girls hugged themselves. The boy skipped ahead, then stopped, waiting until they caught up enough for him to go on again. Then they came upon a clearing where the snow disappeared, and the sun shone down in a green field and rock outcroppings. The boy stopped and the girls arrived behind him and sucked in their breaths. Together, the three friends watched the gazelles scattered across the clearing, grazing. There must have been at least a hundred. There were so many they looked like brown flowers dotting the clearing; they might have swayed in the wind. The three friends breathed heavily, and together, gingerly, took a step forward into the space they shared.