10/21/2025
By afternoon, her legs buckled. She was done.
Then — a sound.
Barking.
A dog burst through the brush, tail wagging, barking furiously. Behind it, a man in an orange jacket.
A rescue team. They’d seen the flare’s smoke — too late for the helicopter, but enough to get them in the area.
Maya sobbed as strong arms lifted her.
Epilogue
It took weeks to heal, but Maya never forgot the lesson: nature is beautiful, but it doesn’t care. Survival is about preparation — and never giving up.
She still hikes. But she always tells someone where she’s going.
