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| Photo by Chris Riggs on Unsplash |
Frank looked unimpressed by the news article he was reading on Facebook. People in California reported a UFO. He rubbed his round pot belly ‘you guys heard of the UFO in California?’ he asked as he continued to read through the comments.
His teenage son Timmy just grunted as he laced his hiking boots. He didn’t seem all that enthusiastic about the imminent hiking trip with his dad.
‘It's already in the works, they’re just testing the public now. They have been planning all this for years’ Frank said, stroking his short white beard.
‘Uh hmm’ Timmy muttered.
Frank looked up ‘Are you ready? Let’s hit the trail. We’ll wanna get a good distance before it goes dark.’
Father and son picked up their backpacks and headed out.
‘Flying balloons are just the beginning, you know. Did you hear of the nerve gas that was spilled at the train tracks in what’s the name of the city again? Umm..’
Timmy kicked at pebbles as they made their way past the yard and into the woods.
‘Was it really nerve gas, dad?’ Timmy asked.
‘I’m telling you, crazy stuff is about to happen. This is why you need to embrace the outdoors. You can’t be too domesticated at a time like this.’ Frank said.
Timmy sighed. He just wanted to play video games.
‘Most of these TV shows are real, you know.’ Frank continued
Timmy gave him a pained side-eye look but he knew his father was on a roll now. There was no stopping him.
‘See, Tv shows like The Strain for example, I’m telling you that stuff is pretty accurate. That’s the level of madness we are about to witness soon.’
Timmy noticed a deer blitz off as they approached.’ He was warming up to the idea of the hike, the further they went.
His father's gruff voice soon merged with the enveloping sound of the forest.
They’d trekked for 8 miles and the sun was beginning to set.
‘We’ll pitch our tent here since we’re so close to that creek.’ Frank said.
Timmy dropped his backpack and rummaged through it in search of his water bottle. No water bottle.
‘I think I left my water at home’ he said.
‘You don’t forget water on a hiking trip, son. That’s like forgetting to breathe’. His father said, looking around and then kneeling down to go through his own bag.
He pulled out a bottle of water and tossed it to Timmy ‘good thing we’re near a creek. I’ll go get some water.’ he said, bringing out an empty bottle from his bag.
‘We’re not really going to drink water from that creek, are we?’ Timmy asked.
His father shrugged ‘it's safe, I’ll treat it’ he said’ and walked off to the creek to get some water.
While he was getting water, Timmy sent up the tent.
His father came back a couple moments later with the full bottle in hand ‘here we are..’
‘There’s particles in that, dad.’ Timmy said.
‘There’s particles everywhere too. Besides I’ve got this’, he said and pulled a SteriPen out of one of his numerous baggy pockets.
He held it up like King Arthur holding up the sword of truth. ‘The ultraviolet rays in this will kill even viruses in the water.’
‘I just don’t believe that ordinary light is enough to kill germs, dad’ Timmy said.
‘This is not a religion, son, this is science. You should read the reviews on Amazon, this stuff works.’ Frank said, rifling through his pockets for the batteries.
He checked all his pockets, while Timmy watched him ‘It would seem that I, uh, left the batteries at home. I must have gotten carried away with the article I was reading.’’
Timmy sighed ‘so what are we going to do now?’
‘Well, we’ll filter the water with a jeans handkie and then boil it.’ Frank said, looking at his SteriPen.
‘I can’t believe I left the batteries at home. This thing is a life saver, you know. It works fast and it's so light. Speaking of light, I hope your torchlight is fully charged.’ his father said.
‘Torchlight?’ Timmy said.
His father groaned ‘Jesus son, what’s in your bag then?’
‘Umm…My laptop, speakers and my headset..’ Timmy said.
His father was silent for a good twenty seconds.
‘Well, I hope your brain is in the bag too because it sure looks like you left it at home.’ Frank said.
Order a SteriPen from Amazon for your hiking trips and please don’t forget the batteries at home.
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