Suellen

While gazing out of my bedroom window, my mind wanders to the weekend ahead. I can taste the oozing chocolate and marshmallow mess set sweetly between two crispy graham crackers and suddenly feel the need to lick my sticky fingers to ensure a tempting morsel is not missed. I imagine hearing the campfire crackling, seeing the mesmerizing flames, and smelling the charcoal wood's burning smoke.

Jack calls out from the family room, suddenly taking me from my thoughts. "Hey, Babe. Are you ready? I just got a text that Chad and Deanna are on their way."

"Coming!" I respond and finish slipping on my shoes.

Thank goodness we dropped off the kids at Jack's parents last night. Justine is our bossy little blonde-haired five-year-old girl, and Brit is our naughty dark-haired three-year-old boy. They keep me on my toes and are why I look forward to this annual weekend break.

"Suellen, they're here."

When I walk out the door, Jack is helping Chad load our bags and coolers with beer and food to share into Chad's pickup.

I go to the back of the four-door truck, and the heavy door screeches as it is yanked open. "Hey!" I smile, sliding in next to Deanna.

"Hi, here's your roader." She hands me a travel mug full of wine.

Snatching the mug from her hand, I gratefully reply, "Thank you; you're the best."

"I know." She shrugs her shoulder and winks at me.

The guys jump into the front, and we take off. Deanna and I clink our mugs together in celebration of time away from the hustle and bustle of our lives.

We talked about anything and everything, which helped to make the three-hour trip fly by. Chad pulls into the Mountainhouse Tavern, which has become a tradition to stop and eat at before going to the cabin. Some would consider it a dive bar, but it's our little slice of heaven set in the mountains of the Poconos. The boys crack open their first anticipated beer of the day, and we order our much anticipated deep-fried meals.

After a swig of my beer, I ask Jack, "Are the Hunters and Blacks meeting us here or at the cabin?"

He checks his phone. "They're meeting us here. Dom said that the women are whining about needing food."

We laugh as we order another round. Twenty minutes later, they enter the bar. We just had our tasty food delivered when they joined us. They order their drinks and take a moment to decide on their meals. Hugs and hellos surround the group before the two couples sit.

***

Two hours later, we're pulling up in front of Chris' rustic family hunting cabin nestled among pine and maple trees surrounded by dense brush. He turns on the electricity and water while we unload the trucks. Once everything is in place, we head to the back, where Chad has already started a blazing fire. Taking a seat by the heat of the flames, I take a moment before joining the girls to fill my lungs with the refreshing atmosphere of the rich, woody scent of the forest. My muscles relax and are relieved of life's stresses.

Reluctantly, I pull myself away from the much-anticipated fire and help the girls throw old bread, stale cereal, overripe apples, peanuts, and popcorn into the clearing of the woods behind the cabin to entice bears to honor us with a visit. People think we're crazy doing this, but we see a lot of bears and stay close to the back door of the cabin, ready to dash in if one gets too close for comfort. Nobody has gotten mauled because they're more interested in the food than us.

Beer is flowing while the men talk golf and tell funny stories of the past that we all have heard many times over. We all laugh and enjoy ourselves deep into the night.

Before the couples slowly head to bed, the women discuss the options for tomorrow's adventure.

"So, what are the plans for tomorrow? You girls decide," Deanna says. She always wants us to choose the weekend plans because she gets up here quite a bit during the year. That girl would happily sit by the fire chatting or reading a book all day.

"I'm not feeling a winery or brewery this trip," Julie says.

She's been sober for almost a year. She brings non-alcoholic beer, and they usually have a selection in the local restaurants.

"Understandable." Charlene squeezes Julie's hand, and she smiles at Charlene with appreciation.

Deanna and I are close as thieves; you can say the same about Charlene and Julie. I love how the four of us ladies mesh together perfectly.

I throw out my idea. "How about a hike? It's supposed to be beautiful tomorrow. We can have lunch at Cora's, then find a new trail we haven't yet experienced."

"I like that idea," Julie agrees.

"I'm always up for a hike," Deanna added.

"I'm in," Charlene says with enthusiasm.

Deanna claps her hands. "It's settled then. Cora's and a hike. What do you think about going to Skytop?"

"Don't you have to stay at the Skytop resort to hike their trails," I ask.

Deanna gives us a mischievous smirk. "Not if we sneak in."

"Trespassing again; I love it!" Charlene exclaims.

We laugh, remembering when we trespassed into an abandoned Pocono honeymoon resort on one of our trips. Signs posted told us to stay out, but we slipped through the fence break and walked in anyway, exploring the old resort, which was entertaining.

We were not the only trespassers to pass through the damaged fence. Many broken-out windows, graffiti, and smashed doors allowed us access to what was once a beautiful, thriving resort. Now, it's just a ghost town, torn from its past grandeur into nothing but brokenness and destruction.

The men are shit-faced, stumbling and slurring their words. They bust on each other about who is drunker than the other. There's always competition between these four idiots. We finally talked our husbands into going to bed, dragging our men into our rooms. Jack lands face down on the mattress, and he's snoring by the time I put on my pajamas and slide in next to him. He mindlessly throws an arm around my waist, and I realize that's all the cuddling I'm getting from him tonight.

It's not long before the alcohol quickly takes me into dreamland. The blissful sleep gives nothing away about the horror that awaits us while on tomorrow's forbidden hike.

*****