Chapter Text
You've been taking up hiking more often.
You didn't really like heading to the gym, doing yoga, pilates, or any really exercise of the sort. It made you feel weaker than just lying in bed.
But you hated being inside more.
Between being cooped up with cabin fever and exhausting yourself in front of everyone at a public place. It was torture to choose.
You ended up heading for walks in your neighborhood late at night, then it escalated to your local forest preserves in the early morning . You got new shoes, you started taking a small bag filled with water and sunscreen, it started becoming a weekly pleasure.
Slowly and surely, you started to trek up and down the hills and venture through forests and started to enjoy the scenic routes of the Canadian wilderness. Taking photos and posting them online for your socials.
Compared to your desk job at a call company its more of a relief. Most of your friends had moved away, married, had kids, but you, you're in an office and are just continuing to find the simplest joys in the leaves of the hills.
You scrolled on your phone, its late on a Friday night, laying in bed, your face smashing against the pillow as the AC cooled the room around you, the cool blanket on a warm night had whisked you away to sleep as you fought with your eyes. Drifting away with your phone in your hand.
Your phone sent out a notification.
And another.
Another.
Another.
The phone in your hand buzzed you awake. You squinted you eyes open slowly shifting to get the bright screen away. The bright phone lit the the surrounding up a bit, you grumble turning the screen brightness down with the swipe of your thumb.
What time is it?
02:19?!
Okay who the hell is up spamming your phone. Rubbing your eyes as you shift up, the hard bed frame on your shoulders and the warm pillow against your back you adjust to a comfortable position.
"MapleMatthew sent 5 likes."
Oh its just a guy spamming my profile. I think? Clicking on the notification again the list kept going.
- MapleMatthew liked 3 posts
- MapleMatthew liked your story
- You have 12 likes
- MapleMatthew reposted your story
Wow, whoever this Maple guy was, he seemed to be your biggest [maybe only] fan. Clicking on his account it looked similar to yours.
His account was littered with scenes of nature and photos of wildlife, it was filled with lots of shots at birds, rivers, and oddly enough, lots of pancakes. It was kinda cute. He even had a highlighted reel on the best maple syrup to go with pancakes. Oh wow you're craving pancakes now. No photos of him though, looking at his profile there was just a little baby polar bear, probably from a nature documentary.
Your phone buzzed again.
MapleMatthew sent a friend request.
You clicked the accept button, confirming you were mutuals. Why not, you guys were just fellow forest lovers.
[MapleMatthew]: Hi there
Oh wow, forward texter.
[your/username]: Hi! Nice to meet another forest lover.
Blinking twice as you sent the message. Was that stupid to say? Can i delete that.
[MapleMatthew saw this message]
Nevermind.
[MapleMatthew]: Yeah! I really like your photos, the view is stunning!
[your/username]: Aw tysm, I love places with big hills and waterfalls!
[MapleMatthew]: Wow really! I didn't see a one in the photo of the last place you went to ey?
[your/username]: What really, you've been?
[MapleMatthew]: Yeah, few days ago!
[MapleMatthew sent 18 images]
As they loaded on your screen you recognized through your not-so sleepy eyes the familiar surroundings, the certain tree on the path that had a weird [well its zigzaggy] branch, the flower bush from your last hike [you spotted the flowers but thought against to pick them, leave no trace and all], as well many photos taken of birds, some you've never seen. Past all those photos is a waterfall.
[MapleMatthew]: Pretty isn't it ey?
[your/username]: woah those are pretty photos?! You must be skilled with camera.
[MapleMatthew]: no I'm not really!
He replied quickly.
[MapleMatthew]: Its just my phone camera!
[MapleMatthew]: Thank you so much though, I don't really get compliments on them ey!
[your/username]: Don't worry, they're amazing!
Wait a minute, you've been to that forest preserve, if he has as well, do you live near the same area. Swiping out of the chat, you look at his profile again, scrolling through the forests and nature walks were areas familiar to yours! You swipped through all the bird photos and wonderful trees until you got a buzz again.
[MapleMatthew sent a map]
Clicking on the notification it it showed a small map icon. Tapping it, the map opened on your phone to many pinned locations, all of them different forest preserve around your area.
[MapleMatthew]: If ya like waterfalls you might wanna check these places out!
[your/username]: Aw thats so sweet, thanks Matthew!
You dragged yourself down, laying your head down on the fluffy pillow, you shifted your head and turned your body on its side, adjusting the blanket over you.
[MapleMatthew]: Ill let ya sleep ey, sorry for keeping you up.
[your/username]: no problem, thanks for the forests!
[MapleMatthew]: No problem your/username, get a good night sleep!
You put your phone on do not disturb and put it to the side, you slowly fall back into daze of dreams as the AC in your room wirrs and the warm blankets cover you tightly, you drift asleep.
Maybe I'll visit one of the places Matthew said about.