"Well I don't WANT to follow the fucking track, and nor does Mary. We've talked about it, and we want to head back to Coldsleet." Shouted Alex. Gary turned to face Mary.
"Is this right?" He asked her. Mary gave him a faint smile.
"It's not much fun, is it? What with the mist and the cold." She replied.
“Yeah, and the constant fucking whinging.” Added Gary, staring directly at Alex, who didn’t respond.
Gary turned to look at Shark.
"What do you want to do? Do you want to head back to Coldsleet with Alex and Mary?" He asked, already knowing what Shark's answer would be. She looked at Alex and Mary.
"No offence guys, but I'm gonna carry on with the hike. It's nothing personal." She said.
"Same goes for me." Added Gary. "I'll be walking the Black Pathway with Shark, until we reach Salegate." He advised Alex and Mary.
"What, so you're just gonna let me and Mary make our way back down to Coldsleet all alone, in this shitty weather?" Asked Alex, slightly outraged.
"Oh, for fucks sake, Alex. It's just a bit of mist. It's not like we're caught up in a hurricane or something." Gary responded, losing his temper with his friend. "Besides of which, let me remind you that this whole walk was your idea.” Gary added.
"And what the fuck has that got to do with anything?" Snarled Alex Crennell.
"Well, let's face it, if it weren't for your damaged ego, none of us would be up here now." Gary pointed out.
"What are you talking about, Gary?" Enquired Mary, puzzled by the 'damaged ego' remark.
"Ask your boyfriend." Gary replied, flatly.
"No, I'm asking you." Said Mary.
"Just leave it." Alex said to her, desperate for the truth not to come out. He glared daggers at Alex, in a warning to him to keep his mouth shut.
"No, I won't leave it. I want to know what Gary meant…"
"Alex lied to you, Mary." Butted-in Shark. "He's never completed the Black Pathway."
Mary stared at Alex for a few seconds, before turning to Shark.
"What did you say?" She asked.
"Alex lied to you. He's never finished this walk. He had to bail out at Hoffen." Answered Shark. Suddenly, Alex Crennell lunged forwards at the tall, blonde woman, grabbing her by the throat.
"Shut your fucking trap, you mouthy little bitch!” He roared, pulling his face close to Sharks. Her response was unexpected, but incredibly impressive. She twisted her whole body round in a flash, sliding from out of Alex's grip with ease; in the next instant, the twenty year old found himself being flung over Shark's shoulder, and then flying through the air momentarily, before landing on the muddy ground, just off the pathway. Alex Crennell rolled over a couple of time, and then lay on his back, staring back towards Shark. She strided over to him.
“Don’t ever touch me, or threaten me in any way again, you whinging little cunt.” She warned, before heading back towards where Mary and Gary were standing. Mary Broderick came walking across to Alex.
“You asked for that.” She said to him. “Oh, and by the way, we’re finished. I don’t go out with blokes that attack women.” Mary told him.
“Aw, come on Mary, don’t be like that! That bitch was provoking me.” Pleaded Alex.
“Go and fuck yourself, Alex.” Came Mary’s icy-cold response.
Alex Crennell picked himself from up off the floor, his clothes splattered with mud. The rest of the group watched him in silence. Alex pointed a figure at them, collectively.
“You three fuckers… I haven’t finished with any of you yet.” He threatened. Shark went to move towards him again, but Gary Ackley held her back.
“Just go home, Alex.” Said Gary, calmly.
“You’re a fucking big-mouthed shit-face.” Alex hit back at him. He turned to Shark. “No-one gets away with doing something like that to me. Do you hear me?” Alex said. Shark smirked at him. “And as for you,” Alex stared at Mary, “well, you can find your own way back down to Coldsleet… or spend the next two days with this pair of cunts. It’s your choice, bitch.”
“Just go home.” Gary repeated. Alex Crennell slowly walked back onto the Black Pathway. He pushed past Gary, Mary, and Shark, and slowly began his trek back towards Coldsleet. Alex continued to stare back at the trio, as he disappeared into the mist. And straight into the path of Howard Trenton.
***
Gary Ackley put his arm around Mary Broderick, with Shark standing next to him.
“Are you okay?” He asked her.
“Yeah. I’m fine, thanks.” She replied.
“Well, I suppose that we’d better be heading back to Coldsleet too.” Said Gary. “We can’t carry on with the walk now.”
“What did you mean, when you said about Alex’s damaged ego being the reason for him wanting to walk the Black Pathway?” Mary was very curious to know. Gary took in a deep breath.
“He got jealous when he found out that Howard wanted to take you along the pathway. He got even more jealous when he discovered that Howard had walked the trail loads of times before.” Explained Gary. “You know what Alex is like about Howard. There’s no love lost between them at all.” He reminded Mary.
“I still don’t understand.” She said.
“It’s because, as Shark said earlier, Alex couldn’t manage to complete the Black Pathway. Me and Alex, we walked the trail the summer before last, and he couldn’t hack it, he got as far as Hoffen, and then fucked off home.” Gary went on. “He hated the thought that Howard had completed the Black Pathway loads of times. All of this… it’s about Alex’s stupid, petty fucking jealousy.”
“That’s ridiculous.” Said Mary.
“Alex is like a big sodding child at times, and as I said, it doesn’t help that he really hates Howard… and has done for years.” Commented Gary.
“Yeah, I gathered that much… well, I say bollocks to Alex Crennell. Let’s really piss him off and complete the Black Pathway.” Suggested Mary, with a devilish grin on her face.
“You’re joking?” Asked Shark. Mary turned to her.
“No. I’m not joking at all.” She calmly replied.
Gary wasn’t sure about Mary’s suggestion that the trio continue walking the Black Pathway Trail.
“Mary, a few minutes ago, you were saying that you wanted to go back to Coldsleet.” He reminded her.
“Well, to be honest, I can think of other things that I’d rather be doing this weekend than traipsing around in the cold and the mist… but if completing the walk fucks Alex off, then I’m all up for carrying on with it.” Mary smiled.
“Are you sure? I mean, you’ve just broken up with Alex and…”
“And nothing.” Mary interrupted Gary. “I’ve got no regrets there, and I don’t feel upset, either. He attacked Shark. He’s a man that takes his anger out on women. He can fuck right off.” She asserted. Gary and Shark nodded.
“Did you see the look on Alex’s face, just after Shark had done that weird judo throw thing on him?” Asked Gary. He looked at Shark. “Where did you learn to do stuff like that?” Shark gave him a bittersweet smile.
“A friend taught me.” She replied. “Do you reckon Alex will be okay, getting back down to Coldsleet?” Shark asked Gary.
“He’ll be fine,” he assured her, “all he has to do is follow the pathway back across the flatlands and down Leeton Hill. Alex will be okay.”
***
Alex Crennell walked as fast as he could along the Black Pathway, humiliated, angry, feet hurting, sweat running into his eyes, and his head banging with a hangover that refused to go away. Those bastards… I’ll make them all pay for this, the bunch of tossers, he seethed. He moved forward, with his head down, lost in angry thoughts, thinking of all the different ways that he was going to wreak his revenge on Mary, Shark and Gary. ESPECIALLY Gary; the friend who had betrayed his trust.
“Well, you ain’t my friend anymore, Gary Ackley. Those days are over. You’re gonna regret making an enemy of me, you stupid, blue-haired freak.” Alex said to himself, his eyes focused on the pathway in front of him, a trail that was getting increasingly difficult to see as the moorland mist continued to thicken and obscure it. God, I hate this place. I swear, this’ll be the last time that I ever come anywhere near the Black fucking Pathway. Whoever gets pleasure from walking around this shit-hole needs their heads examining… stupid cunts.