The FantaSTICal Hike

Riley Bauer

By the Mississippi River, there is a mountain that surveys the area. Or, rather, I’d like to call it a mountain, though I cannot be certain it actually is. Located in Pere Marquette State Park, there is a trail that holds wonders and animals of all sorts. In elementary school, all of the fifth-grade kids would take an annual field trip to the park to hike. Standing at the bottom, my small figure looked up at the incline as if it would be the adventure of a lifetime. A younger me looked at the trees in the warm daylight, feeling as though I was a knight going on an adventure to find a massive dragon, waiting to stand off! With my band of fellow knights and rangers, we were sure we would find a great beast at the top. A great, wise beast with wings that made the wind around the mountain—a creature worthy of a good battle. 

As we began our ascent, I followed my friends with my head held high, taking in the green leaves and the clear blue sky. The clouds seemed to be more great dragons up in the sky, and I would be the brave one to scale the mountain to reach them! Birds chirped peacefully as we walked on the dirt and rock trail, the slope small but long. My small book bag clinked lightly as my zippers hit each other, the sound of my great shining armor.  

Along the trail, there were signs, signs of caution against the ticks hidden in the forest. Ticks that would skitter into your clothes and get you, drinking your blood like a vampire. But never fear, this knight was prepared! With sleeves long and legs covered in blue jeans, I was fully equipped to prevent myself from being bitten by the fiends. However, I couldn’t help but admire the homes of these creatures. The lush bushes and the dark brown trees made a beautiful home for such a terrifying creature.  

Before I knew it, we were walking up stone steps, steps to the castle that lay in wait at the peak. They were worn down, and truly only some segments were recognizable as stairs. Must have been a ruin of a castle, one that was not as great as the one I knew would be at the top. 

I had been so distracted by the greenery and my fellow adventurers that time had flown by as fast as an arrow. The peak of the mountain was near, and I was prepared to see the magnificent sight. My heart beat hard in my chest. I wondered what the dragon would look like—what color it would be, if it would have horns or not, and if it would be a dragon with the power of freezing, burning, or acidic breath. 

As we reached the lookout point, I rushed to the railing and got on my toes. It was no mere lookout point to me—it was the tower of the castle, and I was peeking through the crenelations. Such a pity that a great knight as I was so short. In an effort to correct my height problem, I climbed onto the rail and stood on the lower bars, taking a breath as I saw it. In my story I was tall, though, so that part didn’t happen. My breath was taken away as I saw the river down below, large and teeming with small ripples. Small dragons and wyrmlings—or as I was told to say instead, ducks—were grouped together at the edges making fierce noises that I could not quite hear from my high point. 

Alas, I had not seen the dragon, and the sky was clear. Must’ve scared it off. It must have heard me coming with my band of fellow adventurers, cheering away as we admired the view. Lush trees surrounded the mountain and climbed up it, a perfect moment to draw with my mighty pack of Crayola crayons, with my breathtaking case that was so magical that a sharpener was included. Perhaps this view was better than a dragon, for it was a place fit for such a majesty.

Riley Bauer is a 23-year-old student attending Eastern Illinois University and is from Roxana, IL. He is pursuing a master’s degree in creative writing and a bachelor’s degree in philosophy. His short story “The Rabbit King” was published in the Spring 2022 edition of The Vehicle, and his essay “Nature Walks” was published in Issue 20 of Young Ravens Literary Review. Aside from writing, Riley enjoys martial arts, spending time outside, hiking, and watching animals.