One day on a trail Traildawg ran across AtomicClaws resting and taking a drink of water. Knowing that the summit was not far ahead Traildawg didn’t want to stop until he reached the top, it was more than that though; Traildawg's head was full of arrogance. This was his first trail in Oregon and everyone one he met so far had been dogging it to say the least. He walked behind an elderly couple for a full minute before they would let him pass. He had been here for thirty minutes and proclaimed Oregon conquered, there was no competition here.
Traildawg thumbed his nose at AtomicClaws passing him kicking up dust. He chuckled to himself as took the ruts and rocks with ease seconds later footsteps were approaching. The man who had been resting came into sight, his movements swift and decisive. Traildawg balked at the thought of defeat the summit was just ahead and he would not be caught. Yet the hiker steadily gained on him until he was on his heels.
The path widened as the grade of the climb became steeper. They were at a near run uphill neck and neck all the way to the top.
The two rounded the summit to the expansive view of the valley beneath, but neither one noticing only squaring for battle. It was a tie that had to be broken, with a winner decided for the title of Oregon’s best. A fight of apocalyptic proportions ensued. Back and forth they battled for what seemed like hours, turned to days, then months. Finally in all the melee the intensity of the battle tore a hole through time and space sending the two into a nether region of reality. They continued to fight each other and a race of demons in the new plane. Finally they stopped, making a truce in an effort to fight their new enemy. They both turned their attention to the new threat, battling for an eternity in the future, past, and present across an alternate dimension. Upon destroying the leader of this evil race a new tear opened where they collapsed exhausted and near death where the fight had began.
There was no winner that day only two losers. As they looked around the mountain had been destroyed and they lay in its crater, all the other hikers on the trail crushed by falling rocks.
In the aftermath they agreed to hike together and hit all the trails they could not for a winner or loser, but for the well being of mankind.
