The world had finally gone mad. Technology, consumerism, control, media propaganda, greed, hate, want over need, hubris and a general breakdown of basic human values. It had spiralled downward for years but since the illness had accelerated tenfold. People were fed lies and they swallowed it whole. original im src
I always said I'd leave and even half-believed it but in the last year it became a necessity not some cute thing I said for shock-value but a dire need. I couldn't entertain society anymore and needed to detach and so I left.
The romantic part of me envisaged an exit on foot apocalyptic-world-style; loaded back pack and trailing a hand-cart behind with the additional items I'd need. It was epic. But the reality was my four-by-four truck fully loaded with a trailer behind piled high with everything I felt I'd need. It was a lot of equipment; I wasn't planning on returning after all.
It wasn't random, the equipment or the destination, I'd planned it, although I didn't expect what I eventually found.
I headed north out of the city leaving it, and it's repellant, disgusting society behind. As it fell away the taint, the repulsive stench of it, seemed to melt away to be replaced with a sense of adventure, of excitement and satisfaction. I was gone, or going, and it just felt right. I felt in control of myself and not at all sad to leave people behind me.
A couple weeks later I was deep in the wilderness. The track had ended miles back and I'd been battling to get my truck and trailer moving forward.
It was vast country, nothing for hundreds of kilometres and I'd not seen anyone for days. The mountains loomed above me and I had to make a decision; leave the truck or keep trail-breaking to get it through in the hope of finding a suitable place to set up camp. My new home.
I decided to scout ahead on foot, gain some height, and see if I could locate a suitable place or a way forward.
I worked my way upwards reaching the top of a draw I'd hiked through then stopped to scan around me. It had been hard work, the mountains were steep and for every metre in elevation gained I'd had to walk three to traverse the rugged terrain. A fire trail would have been handy, but that wasn't an option in this remote part of the world.
I took a drink and surveyed the land and that's when I saw it.
I figured it was a few hundred metres above me nestled in the saddle between two peaks with even higher mountains behind and off into the distance. My binoculars confirmed what I'd seen; a cave. I glanced up at the sun figuring I'd have enough time to get there but would need to stay overnight as I'd not make it back to my truck. I hefted my backpack, shouldered my rifle and started out.
The entrance was wide, maybe four metres at ground level, and arched over to a height of just over two metres at its highest point allowing me to walk in without bending, but only just. With rifle at the ready, I didn't know what might be in there, I went in, my headlamp lighting the way.
I'm not one to call many things perfect but this cave really was.
It was quite narrow on the inside. I figured it was formed by some volcanic activity millions of years ago and the rather large entrance was deceptive as the interior was more like a hallway, maybe two metres wide. There was no signs of anything having been in here for years; no tracks, bones, fur or even any bracken. It led off rearward, did a sharp left turn then a right and...
...I stepped into another world.
That was two years ago.
Today I sat next to the deep pool fed from an underground spring. It had always been one of my favourite places.
I did a few laps there each day and loved sitting by the outlet that wended its way down a series of small waterfalls until it disappeared down a crevice to flow out and away down the mountain far below. Light floods in for a couple of hours a day courtesy of fissures above and the breezes drawn in from the forest outside are laced with pine, and and earthy scents of the forest.
Each day I sit and write in my notebook; a thought or feeling, a sentence of gratitude or a note to self.
I sat and thought about the last two years. I felt deeply satisfied and completely content. It had taken some effort to carry all of my gear and equipment up to the cave over the weeks after locating it. Setting up my new home took far longer but it was comfortable now; all I needed. My vegetables were doing well and there was no shortage of game to hunt with bow and rifle, snare and trap. Fresh water, fresh air, fire for warmth...I needed nothing else.
I'd managed to make a shelter for my vehicle way back down the mountain but in truth hadn't been there for months. I was happy to be in my cave and to spend my days doing the simple tasks that sustained my life. Growing, making and repairing things, hunting, gathering, sleeping...And spending time with her.
I'd not seen a soul for over twelve months since finding my cave; I was happy with that state of being. I was hunting that day and had decided to hunt a section I'd not been before; I don't know why.
I'd tracked a deer for a few hours; if you've ever done it you'll know how quiet one must be. It was in my sights and with a whispered, thank you for your sacrifice, I squeezed on the trigger and just before the shot rang out...It bolted out of sight. Fuck, I thought, all that effort wasted.
I stayed in place hoping it would come back into sight for my shot and that's when I saw her. She looked quite ridiculous loaded down with a back pack that was almost larger than her. I was immediately annoyed as I knew she'd spooked the deer; unwittingly of course, but I was annoyed anyway.
I watched her walk my way though the rifle scope; she was about four hundred metres out and labouring under the weight of the pack and the difficult terrain. I think back now and question why I didn't wonder what the hell she was doing in the middle of nowhere, but at the time...I was all about those eyes.
She'd stopped to catch her breath and looked right at me, right down the rifle scope. That's when my heart skipped. Oh fuck, those eyes.
I stayed still letting her come to me. I wanted to be a gentleman and offer to help with the backpack but...She'd scared away my dinner so I waited, still just a little annoyed, but more curious. Maybe my social skills were a little rusty ok?
We laugh about it now; the moment she realised I was there. She'd jumped a foot off the ground when I stood up only four metres from her and she'd said far too loudly, oh my fuck, you scared me you idiot! Not quite a warm greeting. Things went south from there for a while but after a brief exchange things settled down.
She'd wanted to escape the world just like I did and after a series of adventures had found herself hiking in my mountain range. She'd taken weeks and weeks to walk here from the nearest fly-speck town hundreds of kilometres away. She was bonkers for attempting it of course, and I was surprised she wasn't dead, but there she was in all her amazing, beautiful, stubborn, warrior-princess glory. Tough? Yeah she was. Beautiful? Heartbreakingly so. I was a little smitten.
We made our way back to my cave over the rest of that day and the next talking all the way. I had found my manners and carried her back pack giving her my smaller day-pack and rifle instead. We talked about everything and nothing. We laughed, she cried a little and we decided we liked each other. It helped that she loved my cave once we arrived.
Today I sat next to the deep pool fed from an underground spring. It was one of my favourite places. It was incredibly beautiful and...Well, I knew that any moment she'd pop out from below the surface and stand only metres away letting the water run of her lithe naked body, head tilted to one side as she squeezed water from her hair. My cavegirl.
She walked over, leaned and kissed my cheek before taking her place beside me and asked, what are you writing today?
I'd been slow to share my writing with her at the beginning; it was mine and was private. But over the months I'd opened up and now it was a ritual. I'd write and share and she'd write and share. It felt right as we'd become so close; so connected.
I smiled and tilted the notebook so she could read today's words:
Caveman meets cavegirl: Love happens.
Design and create your ideal life, don't live it by default - Tomorrow isn't promised so be humble and kind
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