CHAPTER SEVEN
'Where's Aron?'
Back in Aspen, Aron's housemates were preparing for the party. Elliot, another friend of his, was moving into the house after Leona had gone. At eight-thirty, he asked, 'Has anyone seen Aron?' 'No,' said Brian. 'He's probably still on his trip.' 'Does he know about the party?' Elliot asked. 'Of course,' said Leona. 'He said he'd be here for sure. He'd better come. It's my goodbye party. I'll be upset if he doesn't come.'
The party ended at around two o'clock the next morning, but there was still no sign of Aron. The first person to think something might be wrong was Aron's boss, Brion. Early Tuesday morning, he called the house and spoke to Leona. 'He didn't come to the party last night,' Leona told him. 'I thought he'd driven straight to work.'
'No, he's not here, and Aron's never late. I think something might be wrong. Could you call me right away if he gets back?' 'Yes, sure,' said Leona, feeling a little worried. She called Brion later that afternoon to ask if Aron had arrived. 'No,' said Brion. 'Did he say where he was going?' 'He didn't say much to any of us. Only that he was going climbing and biking. He also said he might hike in Utah. Somewhere in Canyonlands. He didn't say where, exactly.'
'Mmm, that's a big area,' said Brion. 'I'll wait until nine o'clock tomorrow morning. If he's not back by then, I'll call his parents.' Aron's housemates decided not to wait any longer. At six-thirty that evening, they called the police. The officer on the desk asked for Aron's information: full name, age, height and weight.
He also wanted to know the model of his truck and the license-plate number. But there was something the officer didn't tell them: a person has to be missing for at least forty-eight hours before the police will start a search and rescue operation. This meant that they wouldn't do anything until late the following day.
63 Hrs 15 mins
12:00 am
It's my third night here and I've decided to take my first sip of urine. There's still half a cup of water left, but I want to save it. The urine tastes bad, but not quite as bad as I thought. I decide not to drink any more until the water is finished. I've changed my drinking routine because the night is colder. I can now only sit for a few minutes so I take smaller sips every hour.
66 hrs 15 mins
3:00 am
It's now sixty hours since my accident. That's sixty hours of pain, no sleep, and very little water. Two hours later, it's time for my next sip of water. I put the bottle between my legs and turn the top. When it's open, I try and lift it towards my mouth. But it hits my harness and falls back onto my legs. I am too tired to catch it. Some of the valuable water falls onto my shorts. 'Damn! Damn! Damn!' I shout. Now look what you've done! Says the first voice. I know exactly what I've done. I've just lost half of the rest of my life.
70 hrs
6:45 am
As morning arrives once more, I feel a little hope. At least I've survived another night. It's now Tuesday, April the 29th: my fourth day trapped in the canyon. I decide to film earlier today. I put the camcorder on the boulder, then turn the screen the other way. I don't want to look at myself as I speak.
'Hi. It's Tuesday morning. I guess everyone missed me when I didn't arrive for Leona's party last night. Most people will probably think I'm still traveling. Except for Brion. When I don't arrive for work, he'll think something is wrong. He might call the police and report me missing. They'll wait forty-eight hours before searching.
If I'm lucky, they'll start some time on Wednesday. If I'm very lucky, they might search the Robbers Roost area first. Even then, the earliest they'll reach me is Thursday. I'll try to stay alive as long as I can, but I can't imagine living longer than one more day. This means help will arrive too late. By Thursday, I'll be dead. And this video will be history.'
