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This story happened the weekend of my eighteenth birthday and I feel it a good thing to write it down for you know. For your info I am a little messed up right now so please excuse my writing for now.
I live near Sacramento California and my best friend lives in Pacifica near San Francisco. My girlfriend had just left me four days before and I was feeling really down but at the same time really hyper and itching to do something. I hopped in my 93’ Ford Taurus and drove three hours to Sean’s House to find he was still at work. I drove down to the gas station where he was working and surprised him with a big hug. We hadn’t talked in like five months. He was really happy I chose that Friday to drive up and visit. His friends where having a birthday party for another friend that night and then the next night they where going to go to another birthday party. Well I walked to the beach, which was about Five hundred feet away and watched people walk here and there until Sean was off work.
We hopped into his van and drove to one friend’s house to meet up with everyone. We chilled and I became acquainted with Darryl and robin. Also there was Justin best girlfriend Nikki the Lesbian who was very interesting. I me a few other people but forgot their names. We finally got our shit together and hopped into Sean's van again and started off to the beach campsite. The dark had already come and I became lost as I stopped trying to watch where we were going just trusting that Sean would take us to the right spot. It was a very oddball location and after a quick stop to find someone to buy us liquor we were at the top of the site. In order to get to the beach you have to either take a long winding path around the side of a mountain or you have to hike down throw tall bushes and icicle plant down a steep hillside.
We had some wooden palettes that we were going to use for firewood that we tossed down the steep hill thinking we would walk around the path and get them at the bottom. We argued about the best way to toss them down the hill and finally agreed to toss them spinning them so when they hit the slope they would naturally want to roll down the hill to the bottom. First attempt. One person who I finally recalled as being Craig helped Darryl throw first palette. It was a perfect toss but an uncalculated wind factor destroyed any attempt in it reaching the bottom. It tumbled around finally getting caught in a bush half way down the hill. We realized we were going to have to coax the palettes down the hill. We tossed the rest down landing them in various locations as the wind shifted back and forth.
At this point I felt something snap I felt alive and unattached to anything that could hold me back. I was a different person and started to act very strange from this point on. The others started to walk down the path leaving Darryl Craig and myself in charge of getting the palettes down the rest of the way. There were four palettes three on the hill and one that we were sure had made it down the hill, it was hard to tell in the dark. Darryl and Craig started down the hill gingerly each with a specified palette we were each supposed to get down.
I started after them but soon became bored with slow process of climbing down in the dark. I decided the hill was soft enough for a rapid decent and launch myself out down the hill landing in a bush about fifteen feet down. I was unhurt and exhilarated by the leap into the dark. Darryl and Craig just kind of looked at each other and wondered what kind of person Sean had decided to bring along. I told them they should try it. It was a completely soft landing and after pulling myself out with my arms, my legs afforded no help, I launched myself again this time landing on some steep hard ground that took me from my feet and slid me down for about twenty feet till I again came to a stop landing into a bush.
This was my destination since this is where “my” palette was located. I grabbed it and after some adjustment I used the wind to help carry it the rest of the way to the bottom. I was happy it made it. It would allow me to venture down the hill flying from one location to the next. At one point I lost my sleeping bag out of my backpack and spent some time searching in the darkness finally finding it had rolled to the bottom. We hauled the palettes to the campsite that I found not to be virgin as the terrain had suggested but quite used. There was an obvious campfire pit where I put my palette and Craig and Darryl put theirs next to it. After about five minutes the others started arriving and immediately I felt like the center of attention because Darryl and Craig started to explain to everyone the phenomenon they just witnessed me complete. “He is crazy” was a common phrase I heard for the next forty minutes as people took a look at the hill and decided that they “would never do that.”
The Group broke out the booze and congratulated Nikki the birthday girl with a happy birthday song. I had known her for a short time, but I still felt weird singing her the song like I didn’t deserve to or something. Well the drinking soon began and I was happy to participate drinking my fair share. After the fire had been started I took off my shoes and started to dance back and forth in the fire on unburned pieces of wood avoiding pieces of metal and splintered wood. Once again I was hearing your crazy and/or drunk.
-----Insert homeless guy story and other people arriving
I felt like I was showing off and quickly stopped. One person had some cheap champagne and I asked him for a sip. I sucked down a couple mouthfuls. I realized soon after that I had just mixed my alcohol since I had been drinking beer and I was probably going to puke. I took out my sleeping bag and pillow and found a good place to lay down at. By the time I had that set up I was feeling sick and needed to close my eyes to keep from getting dizzy. I sat there on top of my sleeping bag eyes closed drifting from one conversation to the next.
After awhile I heard on person talking to Sean about me. “ Hey Sean you friend passed out dude” he said it with a very negative tone in his voice. I didn’t expect Sean to stick up for me. He did though strictly and with lots of attitude.
“So dude what’s your problem with it he just got done drinking that’s what you do when you’ve been drinking.”
“Sorry Sean I was just pointing it out.”
“Yeah well just leave him alone.”
At this point a lot of people had gone back to their tents or where being quiet in there own little groups. I was still wide-awake but still unable to open my eyes. I was deep in thought almost dreaming but still aware of the conversations around me. I hadn’t heard Sean for awhile and assumed he had gone to bed I heard some guys talking about messing with some people and finally zeroing in on me thinking I had been zonked out for hours and would make an easy target. One suggested to another to go mark on my face with a pen. He walked up close to me and I could sense him almost see him kneel down and bring his face close to mine. I waited till I heard him uncap his pen and get close to marking on me. His face was only inches from mine and I decided it was now to startle him. I opened my eyes and leapt forward chomping my teeth at him. Lecter like attack sent him flying back landing on his back cursing at everyone and me.
I woke the next day feeling good and enjoyed the company of the people we were with. We packed up our garbage and stuff then proceeded to hike out back up the steep hill. I felt the a little foolish for leaping down the hill now seeing the hidden dangers that had been hidden in the darkness. I was still glad I did it though almost prideful.
I don’t remember all that happened during the day that day but I found myself hanging at Robin’s house waiting for the time to leave and head to the second birthday party which we were going to have camping in the redwoods in Pescadero camping grounds. Sean was going to drive and get some shrooms and pick up Nikki’s girlfriend and meet us at the campground.
When it came time to leave we went to my car and found that the ignition switch was busted. We struggled for an hour trying to get it to work. No luck. I called my mother who was the only one with the funds to help me get someone to fix it. We found a guy who would do it but he could get out there till the next day. I decided to ditch the car and to get a hold of Sean so he could come get us and make our way to the campsite. It took forever and when we were just about to lose hope of camping that night we finally got in touch with him and he came and picked us up.
Sean had taken a bunch of speed to keep awake during the day and was feeling a little grumpy that it was taking longer to get the site than he had expected. He was driving like a maniac on the freeway and came within inches of creaming some sports car that had come along the side of us when he was changing lanes. We kept asking him to slow down, and he would but gradually would be back at top speeds even when we were deep into the woods on curvy roads. Eventually he had to slow down getting to a point where the road became one lane winding and leading us to our trip site.
We finally arrived and with a little bit of hassle from the rangers finally got a campsite and handed out the shrooms. We all took a fair share and set out to make a fire. Sean and I shared our bag each of us consuming about a ten sack worth. I was very into having a good trip that night. I had been shy and hadn’t talked much to anyone but soon I found myself telling everyone about my life story about my brother and my pets and about my house. It was great it was completely black except for the small ring that surrounded the fire. Everyone was snuggled up right next to the fire. There was only Craig and this one girl plus Darryl and robin on one side of the fire pit then Sean, Amanda, myself and Nikki and her girlfriend on the other. Sean was tired from working and soon retired to his van. I followed him thinking to fulfill an earlier thought of talking to him about philosophy and other things we had been discussing earlier. Once I got there I found him very sobering.
I felt if I stuck around that I would become sober. So, I politely excused myself back to the stimulating fire that seemed to give me life and extend my trip. It was the source of my trip. Nikki and her girlfriend had decided to go to sleep in the van along with Amanda and Sean. The others stayed and talked with me for many hours.
I found myself staring at robin finding her very beautiful snuggled up with Darryl in a blanket that some how reminded me of an Eskimo or Indian. I felt bad for thinking that about someone’s girlfriend but I decided that it was ok so long as I didn’t act on it. But, I kept finding that it felt as if she felt the same way. She was very attentive to my extensive list of stories and antics. I also noticed I was practically yelling and was wondering if other campers could hear us. I soon decided I didn’t care and was happy to be a jerk so long as my trip was going well.
At one point when everyone seemed to be interested in other things I laid back legs still crossed and looked at the sky above me.
Part two to come soon…