PERILOUS PINE | CHAPTER 1 - CHASING DREAMS

Professor Chase Barrington had always been fascinated by primates. He had spent most of his life studying them, trying to understand their behavior, and even going on expeditions to observe them in their natural habitat. But there was one primate that had always eluded him, one that he had always wanted to study but had never been able to find - Bigfoot.

So when he received an email from the university informing him that his research team had been granted funding for an expedition to the Pacific Northwest to search for Bigfoot, he couldn't believe his luck. He immediately called his graduate student, Emma, to his research lab to share the exciting news.

"Emma, you won’t believe the good news I just received - our funding for an expedition to research the existence of Bigfoot has been approved!" Professor Barrington exclaimed as soon as Emma entered the lab.

Emma's eyes widened in surprise. "Really? That's amazing, Professor! But isn't Bigfoot just a myth?"

Emma was one of Chase’s top graduate students. She attended Deacon University on scholarship and majored in chemistry with a minor in biology and her strong analytical mind made her a bit of a skeptic when it came to things that could not be proved by science, as she prefered to rely on empirical evidence rather than intuition or belief. After interning one summer with Chase during her sophomore year she decided to pursue a graduate degree in primatology, with a focus on the chemical communication of primates.

Professor Barrington shook his head.

"Not at all, Emma. For decades there have been numerous sightings and footprints all over America, but none more so than in the Pacific Northwest. Thanks to this research grant being approved we now have the opportunity to finally study this elusive primate."

Emma grinned. "This is going to be so exciting, however, I do have some concerns - aren't there poachers and hunters looking for Bigfoot too? Won't they pose a threat to our research?"

Professor Barrington nodded gravely.

"Sadly yes, that's to be of some concern. We'll have to be careful and keep our research team small to avoid attracting unwanted attention, but let’s not focus on the negatives – this is a huge win for our team!”

Emma nodded, her excitement tempered by the thought of potential danger. "I'll make sure we have everything in order, Professor. I’ll make sure we'll be prepared for anything."

Professor Barrington smiled at his dedicated graduate student. "That's why I chose you for this expedition, Emma. You're responsible and thorough, and you have a passion for primatology just like I do."

Emma blushed at the praise. "Thank you, Professor. I'm honored to be a part of this expedition."

Professor Barrington grinned. "And I'm honored to have you on my team, Emma. Now, let's start planning our expedition. We have a lot of work to do."

Professor Barrington knew that if they wanted to find Bigfoot they would need to be stealthy and do their best to blend in with the surrounding environment. He knew Bigfoot had an incredible sense of smell, and that if he wanted to find the creature, he needed to make sure he would remain undetected while in the woods.

"Emma," he said, "My first task for you is to create a beard balm and oil made with pine oil."

Emma looked at him quizzically. "A beard balm and beard oil with pine oil, Professor?"

"I know it may seem like a strange request, but I need something that will mask my scent while we’re in the woods," Chase explained further - "In order for us to track and find Bigfoot, I need to be able to get close to him and pine oil has a strong, natural scent that will help me blend in.”

Emma nodded, understanding the logic behind the request. "Okay, I'll get on it right away. Do you have any specific requirements for the formula?"

"I want it to be long-lasting, so I don't have to reapply it too often," Chase said. "And it needs to be effective. We can't afford any mistakes."

Emma nodded again. "Got it, Professor. I'll start researching the best ingredients and testing different combinations to find the perfect formula."

Over the next few weeks, Emma worked tirelessly on the beard balm and oil. She tried different combinations of pine oil, carrier oils, and essential oils, testing each one to see how effective it was at recreating the smell of a pacific forest.

Finally, after numerous failed attempts, she found the perfect formula. The balm had a strong and refreshing scent of pine that lasted for hours and smelled exactly like a lush forest.

When Chase tried the balm for the first time, he was impressed. "Emma, this is fantastic," he said. "This is going to be a huge help on our expedition. This is going to allow me to get exceptionally close without being detected."

Emma smiled, proud of her work. "I'm glad you like it, Professor. It was a challenge, but I'm ecstatic with the result."

Over the coming weeks Chase & Emma continued planning their expedition, building their small team of researchers and outdoorsman and outdoorswomen to join them on the research trip. Their next stop? The Pacific Northwest!