2 The Hunt for Brad Schmidt

Sarah sits in her tent, trying to figure out what just happened. Did she dream it up? Did light come out of his hands? Who IS he? The exhaustion is finally starting to hit her when the big question pops into her head. It's not who is he, but what is he? Sarah's eyes fade to black as she falls into a deep, dreamless slumber.

Sarah is awoken to the sound of birds chirping and light shining through her tent. Remembering last night's events, she leaps up and runs out of the tent. Sure enough, the ice box was tipped over and food spilled everywhere. Sarah looks around the vicinity but sees no sign that the mysterious man was ever here. Sighing, she grabs a change of clothes and starts to prepare for her journey to find the one and only Brad Schmidt, though he's not the one she wants to find.

Grabbing her camera, Sarah sets out on her hike. She is really starting to miss the city. It's too quiet in the wilderness, and the busy bustling of taxis and people was one of her favorite things about living in San Diego. The faster she finds Brad Schmidt and his elusive mistress, the faster she can go home and forget about bugs, bears, and the mysterious man.

While Sarah may not enjoy the wilderness, she is a sucker for pretty views. And boy was this trail beautiful. The sun was shining through the trees, the rocks on the path glistened. The weather was a little chilly, but it wasn't too bad. The grass had a morning dew on them that shined when the sun hit it, making it look like the path in front of her was shimmering. She took her camera out to snap a picture, however, very rarely does the picture ever do the actual view justice.

A branch falls to her right, startling Sarah. She moves over to investigate and finds a small path. It looks like it hasn't been used in a while and it seems like the perfect place to go if you didn't want to be found. Maybe she will find Brad Schmidt there, or maybe even the mysterious man from last night. Sarah hesitates for a moment before heading off onto the new path, having to move branches to the side so she can get through. The path was dim, fallen leaves covered most of the path, but it was still visible enough that Sarah knew where to go. Every now and then, Sarah would hear a rustling coming from the bushes next to her, but she just chalked it down to being critters. There was no point in getting herself worked up, a true journalist is afraid but never lets it get to them. What matters is getting the story out for the world to see.

The trail starts to become steeper and steeper, and Sarah's legs start to become weak. Hopefully there will be a stopping point nearby, she thinks to herself. This will all be worth it when she's able to move on from this job to a more newsworthy newspaper, one where she can cover real news, not just celebrity scandals. But the world isn't a kind place to those without a job, so Sarah had to settle for whatever job she could land. Unfortunately, private blogs don't pay the bills. Sarah knows deep down that chances of landing a job at a big-time company are slim, that the competition for these companies is huge, and many are far more talented than she is. This doesn't stop her from trying, though. What does she have to lose?

The path starts to turn into stone as she sees a light further up. Finally, Sarah is reaching the end of the clearing. She can't wait to take off her shoes for a bit an relax, especially now that she can feel a blister forming on her ankle. Next time bring Band-Aids, she thinks to herself and sighs. With a heave, she heads up the path and towards the opening. When she arrives, she finds herself not in a clearing, but on the side of the mountain. The view is magnificent. The rolling mountains have been shadowed by the sun, and it seems as if there are trees for miles. Taking in her surroundings, Sarah notices a cave further up the mountain. Giving up the idea of finding Brad Schmidt, she just wants to find somewhere to sit and relax. Carefully, Sarah works her way up the mountain to the cave. She stumbles over a few rocks here and there and works her way around boulders and trees. Eventually, she finds herself at the entrance of the cave.

Sarah steps into the cave, taking in her surroundings. The cave isn't too big, but it's big enough that she'd have to walk a bit more just to see the rest of the cave. There are a few stalagmites, but more than anything it's just a normal cave. However, it's a little steamy for a normal cave, and she notices there's a spring ahead. She begins to take a step forward but stops suddenly. She's not alone in this cave. There's a man in the spring. His long blue hair is spread out on the cave floor as he soaks in the spring. She notices he's shirtless, as well. This is not Brad Schmidt.