Once everything is unpacked, the light outside is completely gone. All you can see through the windows is darkness like you never experienced in the city. Though you peek out of the windows at the sky, the dense trees all around the cabin obscure any stars that might be lighting up the night. You settle in with your laptop and a simple meal of tomato soup and grilled cheese.

The soup tastes better than usual, somehow. It might have been the amazing shower you took with the rain system showerhead, or the fluffy blanket you wrapped yourself in afterwards to stave off the surprisingly cool evening air. Once your stomach is satisfied, you look at your laptop screen. In front of you are about a dozen different tabs for things to do while you're in the national park.

You could go into town to do the tourist things while you're here. They have ziplining and haunted houses and good food downtown, but you know there will also be a lot of people. And, because it's summertime, there will likely be a lot of children too. You quickly rule out downtown for the meantime, though you tell yourself you will at least drive through it at some point so you can look at the souvenirs.

On the other hand, there are a ton of hiking trails that would take you into the mountains proper. You read about a path that is only a mile and a half long and ends up at some beautiful waterfalls. Some of the hiking trails are guided, with park rangers offering to help those who don't know as much about the ways of nature, or just providing interesting historical tidbits about the mountains and the structures in them.

Lastly, there's always the option to just stay in the cabin for a few days. Just outside the front door, there's a fire pit and a rack of firewood. You could roast hotdogs and make s'mores and enjoy the sounds of nature without heading out and risking the chance of running into bears. It would be comfortable, and you could read or watch movies or soak in the inviting hot tub on the porch.

You decide to sleep on it, and make your decision in the morning. After you climb up to the loft and settle into the gigantic bed, you fall asleep almost instantly.

The morning comes, with birds calling and gentle light in your room. You haven't felt this relaxed in a very long time. Over night, your brain seems to have decided what it wants to do.

[If you stay in the cabin, go to chapter: Nine]

[If you go hiking to the waterfall, go to chapter: Ten]

[If you go on a guided tour, go to chapter: Eleven]