All Chapters of Roadside Tents on the Ridgeline: Chapter 1 - Chapter 8

8 Chapters

Chapter 1

Phoebe Harding, the most popular girl in class, walked up to the front of the classroom and looked out at everyone."Let's go to Alvor Base Camp. We'll take the Ridgeline Highway. We'll head west the whole way, no turning back. We'll see the fall colors at Ember Crossing, the clouds rolling over Carrow Flats, and the blue water of Lake Amberly."The kind of freedom you get on the Ridgeline? You can never feel that in the city. Highland snow peaks are clean and healing. It's the perfect way to close out our youth. And if we don't end it with a photo at the foot of Mount Alvor, what would even be the point of this summer?"The room erupted immediately. Everyone was sold."The Ridgeline's a must-drive! You'd regret it forever if you never went!""Blasting music with the windows down the whole way... Just thinking about it gets me pumped!""That's how you do a graduation trip. A photo at Alvor? That's bragging rights for life!"It did not take long for a few people to frown and spea

Chapter 2

I packed up my bag and headed for the door, leaving the noise of the classroom behind me.Three girls hurried after me, looking slightly nervous."Nina, we looked up the market rate for Alvor trips on our own. Three thousand dollars is completely fair. Your family's agency has always had a great reputation—top-tier accommodations, meals included, full medical and security staff, and no forced shopping stops."We're too scared to go backpacking. The thought of something going wrong on the road terrifies us. We want to sign up for your family's licensed tour. Is that okay?"I nodded and agreed without hesitation.I remembered these girls. In my previous life, they had stayed neutral the entire time. They never piled on with the insults, and they never trashed my name after I died. They were not part of the ungrateful crowd.Before long, three more girls came over on their own to sign up. Including me, that made seven of us in a small, licensed tour group.On the other side of the

Chapter 3

The two of them walked in without a shred of courtesy and went straight to asking for a handout."Nina, the 33 of us don't have enough funds for the backpacking trip. Your agency can sponsor us a bus and a full-time driver. Throw in some free oxygen tanks and trail food too. Think of it as supporting your classmates' graduation dream trip."I looked them both in the eye and refused without hesitation."Vehicles and staff cost money to operate. I have no obligation to hand them out for free."Phoebe's expression went cold instantly. She pulled out her phone, filmed the inside of my house, and posted it online. She played up the victim angle for the camera, her voice pitched to sound wounded and helpless."This travel agency owner's daughter goes to our school. She's always been stuck-up and standoffish. Her own classmates hit a rough patch planning their graduation trip, and she won't lift a single finger to help."It's cold-blooded capitalism. All about the money, zero humanity.

Chapter 4

Our licensed tour followed a strict, scientifically paced schedule to deal with the altitude, so we moved slowly. On the first day, the convoy stopped at Ridgeford so everyone could rest and adjust to the elevation. On the second day, we reached Ember Crossing, and the scenery along the way gradually shifted into highland terrain.The altitude increased in careful stages to minimize the risk of altitude sickness.The medics on our team ran full blood oxygen and heart rate checks on everyone twice a day, morning and evening. Two of the girls developed mild dizziness, and their lips started turning purple.The medics brought over medical-grade oxygen tanks right away and walked them through slow, steady breathing. Within a few minutes, both of them had returned to normal.At every stop along the route, the guides set aside plenty of time for sightseeing. The girls took countless photos along the scenic photography trail at Ember Crossing.At the Sky Terrace in Carrow Flats, everyo

Chapter 5

The convoy reached the edge of the high-altitude Barrens. The freight trucks came to a steady stop at the junction.The convoy leader turned to the 30-some students and explained patiently, "Our trucks are heading north from here, so we're splitting off from the Alvor route. You folks get off here. There should be another ride along soon heading toward Greymont."The driver was a decent man. He had given them a lift out of simple goodwill and nothing more. His route just went a different direction, so the main highway was as far as he could take them.Thirty-three students got out without giving it a second thought, cheerful and carefree. At first, everyone stood around chatting and laughing, still convinced the trip was easy and fun. A few people dug out whatever snacks they had left and passed them around. Others pulled out their phones and took pictures.They waited from 10:00 am until 6:00 pm. Almost no traffic came through. The handful of cars that did pass were already pack

Chapter 6

The driver did not turn around. He just let out a cold laugh. "What's the rush? You'll find out when we get there."Before anyone could say another word, the vehicles pulled to a stop at an abandoned mining site. Over a dozen men armed with iron rods and knives blocked every exit from the vehicles.The one in charge gave his rod a lazy swing, his voice vicious and flat. "Hand over every phone, every bit of cash, and every piece of jewelry you've got on you. All of it. This is a robbery."One of the boys tried to fight back and was knocked to the ground with a single blow from a rod. Blood poured from his forehead instantly, and the pain left him flat on his back, unable to get up."Do what you're told! There isn't a soul out here for a hundred miles. Push us hard enough and we'll kill every one of you and dump your bodies in the wild. No one will ever find you."Phoebe was frozen stiff with fear. She was the first to hand over everything she had.The rest did not dare resist eith

Chapter 7

On the afternoon of the third day in captivity, a frontier patrol officer passed through the mining site. He heard faint crying from inside the shaft and immediately called in a professional rescue team.The rescuers braved the snow through the night and pulled all 33 students out.The backpacking trip ended in devastating injuries.The boy who had tried to fight off the bandits had suffered a depressed skull fracture. After being rushed to the hospital, he underwent emergency brain surgery and barely survived. The boy mauled by the brown bear lost his right leg to muscle necrosis. Amputation was the only way to save his life.Two girls had such severe frostbite on their fingers that they would never regain feeling in them. Five students developed acute high-altitude pulmonary edema and were placed in the ICU.Every last one of the remaining students was left with permanent frostbite damage and psychological trauma.Phoebe and Wyatt escaped without serious physical injury, but

Chapter 8

The next morning, a mob of parents showed up at the agency's front entrance with Phoebe and Wyatt in tow. They unfurled a banner that read 'Heartless Travel Agency Stood By and Let Our Children Suffer' and started shouting at the top of their lungs."Give our children justice! This crooked business watched them almost die!""You got rich off students and slept just fine! Have you got no conscience?"Passersby stopped to watch, and for a moment the crowd's sympathy leaned toward the parents. A few onlookers who did not know the full story joined in, muttering and pointing.I had security keep order at the scene, then walked out to the front of the crowd alone with my evidence in hand.I played the first audio recording, the full conversation from the classroom the day I gave the quote. Every word came through clearly, and the entire crowd could hear it."I told everyone, to their faces, that highland travel carries real risk. The 3,000-dollar fee covered safety and logistics down

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