"I guess that we'll soon find out." She replied. Not too far ahead of them, Howard Trenton was still working his way up the glacial ridge, rising higher and higher above his quarry. Time to make my first move, soon… let them know that they're not alone on the Black Pathway, smiled Howard, looking forward to the hunt that lay ahead.

Gary Ackley was finding it hard to focus on anything other than Alex Crennell's boots.

"What should we do?" He asked Shark. "Should we just abandon the walk?"

"Of course we don't just abandon the walk." Shark replied.

"But if those boots of Alex's begin to cripple him…"

"Relax," laughed Shark, "at the very worst, he's going to be hobbling a little bit into Knighton by this evening. In fact, I'm pretty sure that he will be. Then it'll be a simple case of him and Mary catching a bus or taxi back home to Coldsleet."

"I take it from that then, that you wouldn't be heading back home with the pair of ‘em?" Asked Gary.

"No way. I'm planning on making it all of the way to Salegate, right to the finish of the trail. What will you do when Alex's blistered feet get the better of him? Go back with them?" Wondered Shark.

"Nope. I'll be seeing this walk through to the end, just like you." Gary informed her. Shark nodded her head.

"So, it looks like us two are in it for the long haul then?" She asked.

"Yep, it looks that way." Confirmed Gary.

"That's good." Smiled Shark. "I'd rather have some company on this walk, but, if need be, I'd try and do it on my own."

"Well, you've got more chance than Alex, what with those boots he's wearing." Joked Gary, still unable to take his attention away from his friend, who was walking not too far ahead of him.

Shark took a backpack from off her shoulder, and pulled out a bottle of water. She unscrewed the lid of the bottle and took a long swig of the liquid inside.

"Want some?" She asked, offering the bottle to Gary. He shook his head.

"No, I'm fine, thanks." He replied.

"What I don't understand about Alex is, why would he wear brand new hiking boots? I mean, he's walked the Black Pathway Trail before, right? So surely he'd know…"

"Can you keep a secret, Shark?" Gary butted in.

"Yeah, of course I can." She answered.

"Promise? Because, if Alex finds out that I've told you what I'm about to tell you, then he'll go fucking ballistic." Warned Gary.

"I promise. Now just tell me!" Said Shark.

"Okay. It's Alex. He's been lying to Mary. He's never actually completed the Black Pathway." Revealed Gary.

"You're joking?" Said Shark, though she didn't look particularly surprised at Gary's revelation.

"No. We did the walk together, a few summers back. He got as far as Hoffen, but couldn't go on any further." Confided Gary.

"How come?" Shark wanted to know.

"He just wasn't fit enough. It nearly killed him… well, not literally, but you know what I mean. Alex wasn't up to it at all." Gary told her.

"Then what the hell is he doing coming up here, onto the Black Pathway, in the middle of winter?" Asked Shark.

"Ah, well, it's all to do with Mary. And Howard.” Said Gary.

“Who the fuck is Howard?” Queried Shark.

“Mary’s cousin… or something like that.” Answered Gary.

"Go on." Urged Shark, and Gary Ackley told her all about the reasons behind Alex Crennell's wanting to walk the Black Pathway again.

***

Howard Trenton scaled the glacier-ridge above the flat-lands with ease. For some of that time, Mary, Alex, Gary, and the young blonde woman that he didn't recognise, were in his sight. Other times, when the ridge would twist and turn a little, they weren't. This didn't worry Howard. By the time that he had reached the peak of the ridge, Howard knew that he'd already overtaken the group, and that soon, they'd be coming his way, albeit a couple of hundred feet below him. Neither was Howard particularly annoyed by the fact that Mary and Alex were travelling with another couple. This planet is over-populated anyway… taking out two more people than I'd planned to will be doing the Earth a favour, in the long run, was Howard's reasoning. Yes, it means a bit more work on my part, but what the hell? This'll be my last chance to really party… I just know that that Tom Grogan arse-hole and his piggy pals will be after me anytime now…  and they can have me, too, but not before I've taught Mary and Alex a lesson that they'll never have the opportunity to forget…

Howard Trenton stood at the top of the ridge, his scarf pulled over his nose and mouth, concealing his identity. He looked down, at the Black Pathway, which was devoid of any walkers. It won't be for long though, coz in another five or ten minutes, Mary, Alex and their hangers-on are going to come walking right around the bend of the ridge, and, unless they're all looking down at the ground when they do that, they'll notice me, right up here, staring back down at them, smiled Howard. That'll freak 'em out a bit. Stupid fuckers. Howard listened out, carefully, for any sounds coming along the pathway. There was only silence.

"Jesus, these idiots are slower than I thought." He mumbled. Then Howard noticed something, approaching fast, from the direction of nearby Coldsleet Moor; a drifting sludge of dirty grey fog and moorland mist, tinged yellow from the sun, which was trying to filter through it. "No! Not now!" Howard Trenton said. "They won't be able to see me if the mist comes down." He whined, but it was too late. Already, below him, the Black Pathway was beginning to vanish under a thickening blanket of fog.

***

Alex, Mary, Gary and Shark had taken a break for lunch, and were sitting on one of the Black Pathway's many wooden benches, when they noticed that the blue sky was darkening and becoming obscured with mist and cloud.

"Where did the sun go?" Asked Alex, as he watched the moorland mist roll in. "I don't like the look of this." He continued.

"It's just some mist. Stop being such a fucking wuss." Replied Gary.

"I'm not being a wuss," argued Alex, "I just don't want to be up here with that stuff coming down."

"Why not? It's not going to hurt you." Gary tried to point out to his friend.

"Yeah, it could do. It might make us get lost." Alex responded.

"We're not gonna get lost though, are we? All we have to do is follow the pathway. It’s not rocket science.” Assured Gary.

"Yeah, but I seem to remember that the pathway isn't too clear once you're on the moor." Said Alex.

"Well, we're not on the moor yet, and, if there's still mist down when we do reach it, then we'll just have to take things slowly." Advised Gary.

"I like it. I think it's creepy." Smiled Shark, who was enjoying the change in tone that the moorland mist brought to the flat-lands.

"Weirdo." Commented Alex Crennell. Mary elbowed him in the side.

"Stop being horrible." She scolded her boyfriend, playfully.

"Well, it's true." He remarked, and with that, he was rewarded another nudge from his girlfriend.

Shark munched on a cheese sandwich, ignoring Alex's jibes. She turned to Gary.

"We haven't seen another soul up here on the pathway so far. Is that normal?" Shark wanted to know.

"This place doesn't get many visitors during the winter. If we were sat here in, say, three months time, in spring, then we'd probably be moaning about the amount of other walkers up here with us." Answered Gary. "I'd be surprised though, if we didn't see anyone else doing the hike over the next few days."