Missing

The silence is deafening. Tears stream down Maggie’s face, her breath shallow and ragged.  She knows she needs to move but the fear is paralyzing. Her thoughts scatter and drift. Quietly cursing herself.  It didn’t have to be this way. Why had she been so determined about this trip begging her friends to come?   

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     Maggie rushes around her room throwing bug spray, sweats, and earplugs into her duffel bag when her mom yells “They are here”.  This camping trip with her three best friends is the final celebration after graduating before all going their separate ways to 

college this fall.  She chews her nail realizing the countdown has begun. She is heading to Univ of TN on a soccer scholarship.  Butterflies flutter in her stomach at the thought of not 

having her friends with her.  This weekend is just what she needs. 

     Grace had been reluctant about camping at first due to her practically being allergic to everything outdoors! Watching Survivor was her idea of enjoying nature. But Maggie persisted with pleas of the beauty of nature and the simplicity of camping under the stars.  Maggie loves the outdoors and any activity that allows you to absorb its beauty.  Her family always camped in the mountains of Tennessee every year for vacation.  Her dad had taught her how to climb, hunt, and fish.  She was an only child, but Maggie was always aware that her dad wished for a son who never came. So, she did her best to mold herself into that role.  Grace warmed up to the idea once Maggie described the quiet mornings with breathtaking sunrises. 

     It always surprised Maggie that Grace was her best friend. On paper they had nothing in common.  As mentioned, Grace was allergic to everything and always carried an inhaler and EpiPen.  She is not very coordinated and dislikes sports of any kind. She is the total opposite of Maggie.  Grace has a wicked sense of humor though and can make anyone laugh.  People are drawn to her wit and charm.  The two had been inseparable since middle school. 

     Honk, honk! The car horn blasts impatiently refocusing Maggie’s attention. She had taken the lead on planning the trip, but Larkin insisted on driving.  She craved the control and was a bit of a freak about it.  She needed structure and was not a fan of going with the 

flow. So, Maggie conceded. It was a fair ask since everything about this trip was not her idea of fun.  Maggie only finally convinced her and the others because they were all too broke to go on any kind of beach trip.  Maggie’s family had all the equipment, and the site 

was within a day's drive so everyone concluded to Maggie’s delight it was this or nothing. Cami rounded out their group of four. Her only worry was what boys she might stumble across and how she would impress them in only sweats and a beanie.  Maggie loved her, but the boy obsession did frustrate her at times. When she was not fussing over her appearance to gain more attention, she was concentrating on where she was going to meet up with the next love of her life. 

     Finally, with everything loaded into the SUV, the radio blared their favorite song, and they were cheerily singing along. Maggie had decided on a secluded spot her family had discovered a few years back quite by accident.  She loved the fact it was not the 

traditional tourist campground.  It was still mostly untouched and pristine. “It’s getting late are we almost to this camping utopia you promised us?”  Larkin asked  

“We are, the turn off is only a few more miles up the road.” Maggie replies 

“Really? It feels like we are out in the middle of nowhere” 

“I told you guys we would be roughing it a bit” Maggie explains 

“What you told us was a few days of drinking, dancing and swimming while pigging out on cheeseburgers and smores!” Cami interjected “Yeah, you glazed over the sleeping on the ground and peeing in the woods” Grace joked. “You guys we only have a little time left to enjoy each other so forgive me if I wanted a few days with little distractions just to cut loose. Heads up here’s the turn off.” Maggie tries to keep her cool “That’s a road? You are kidding right?” Larkin demanded. Maggie bites her tongue “We are in an SUV Larkin it’s fine.”  

     As the girls “discuss” the road conditions they completely miss the deer carcass rotting roadside with foam erupting from its mouth.  It’s blood dripping and pooling from the massive mostly missing lower half. 

     Tents are up, a small fire is heating up the fry pan, music is playing, and the solo cups are filled with white wine. The wine was Cami’s contribution since her mom had left for a business trip yesterday allowing her to swipe some from her mom’s stash.  Surprisingly none of the girls' parents had been really worried about them going on this camping trip. Maggie was loved by all of them, and her outdoor skills were known due to her previous  

summers working as a camp counselor at the nearby YMCA overnight summer camp facility.  She loved that camp as a kid, so it just naturally progressed into a full-time summer job as soon as she had been old enough.  And with technology these days you are  

never truly alone anymore.  The other girls were attached to their phones in almost an addictive way. 

     At the same moment Cami and Larkin both realize they cannot get a signal. “You definitely never said we would not be able to use our phones, Maggie!” “Oh, I am sure it just the cloudiness, it looks like it might shower at any time” “Well, that will be just the cherry on top of this delicious sundae, wouldn’t it? Larkin snips 

     Grace quickly changes the subject by sharing some of her biting insights on some of the guys in their class and they begin to giggle.  Grace’s appearance does not get much male attention, so she has honed her blistering humor to blind them instead. With the fire waning and wine bottles empty everyone turns in. 

     Maggie wakes as soon as she hears the twigs snapping and crunching outside her tent like a herd of something is trampling around right outside.  She lays there to see if she hears anything else.  A low growl sends goosebumps up both arms and the hairs raise on her neck. Grace is fast asleep beside her, her breathing steady. Maggie’s heart starts to race while her brain tries to convince her it is nothing.  She hates to wake Grace and  

frighten her, but she needs someone to tell her it is her imagination.  “Grace wake up” Maggie whispers while gently jostling her. Grace is groggy but replies “It is probably one of the others going to pee”. But then there it is again that low faint growl. 

“Did you hear that?” But before she could answer there was a distant blood curdling scream.  They both gasp and start to shiver. 

“What do we do?” Grace’s breath becomes more rapid, and a wheezing begins.  She struggles to catch her breath. They sit in the darkness not wanting to turn on the lantern thinking it might alert  

whatever it is out there. Maggie racks her brain as to what is in the area that could be stalking them.  The zipper on their tent starts to move. They both freeze. Then Cami starts crying “Let me in please” 

Maggie jumps to help unzip and let her in.  “Did you guys hear that? The scream. It woke me and I realized Larkin was not in the tent!” 

“Wait wait we are imagining ..we don’t know that was a scream...it could have been some kind of....mating call...yeah mating call” Grace tries to reason. “Did you see anything out there?” 

“No, I just ran over here” Cami cries “I think she went to pee but the scream...” she starts to stammer and ramble not making any sense 

Fear is filling the tent threatening to implode it. Grace wheezes with every breath. “I need my inhaler” “Sure I can grab it. Where is it? “I think I left it in the car?” “What??? What do you mean it is in the car?” I gasp. The car is a mile or so back since it was not able to get any closer to the area that Maggie knew would be a good campsite. “I will go get it.  I am the reason we are even here” Maggie volunteers. “No way” Cami and Grace both answer. 

“We are not staying here alone, and it is not a good idea for us to split up anyway” Cami says, “We all go.” “We can drive to get help and let someone know about Larkin” 

     They quietly but quickly unzip the tent, grab the lantern and sneak a peek outside to make sure that whatever it is isn’t lying in wait.  With the coast temporarily clear they started toward the car.  The lantern isn’t putting out much light. But maybe that is a good  

thing. Grace’s wheezing has not gotten any better, but it has not gotten any worse. It is pitch black and there is not much of a path to follow, making it painstakingly long to reach the car.  Every sound around them sends chills down their spines. Suddenly behind them a little way back the snapping and crunching sounds erupt that Maggie heard before.  The car is finally within sight though.  As they get closer the crunching nears too.  They reach  

the car and pull up on the door handle. “It’s locked!” Cami squeals. 

“Oh, shit Larkin has the keys! Now what do we do?” Grace wheezes.  She begins to panic so the wheezing intensifies. They are so focused on the car door they do not hear the padding of feet started to jog toward them.  At that moment something lunges toward them. “Run” Maggie screams. Something crashes into the door of the car just as they disperse making a horrible thud.  The girls scatter in all different directions. Maggie realizes once it is too late that she should have grabbed Grace.  She will not be able to run with the wheezing.  Nausea overtakes her and she vomits.  She does not have the lantern and has lost her bearings. “Cami?  Grace?” Maggie yells but no one answers.      

     In the distance another blood curdling scream.  Maggie vomits again the fear overtaking her.  Now sweat glistens on her forehead and tears stream down her face.  She needs to focus but the panic is overwhelming.   Why did she make everyone come here? She beats herself up.  Minutes pass but it feels like hours.  She needs to move out of this brush before whatever it is finds her.  It is only a matter of time.  In that moment she thinks of her family and starts to whimper.  She thinks of all the things she has not done yet and the tears continue to stream.   Crunch, crunch, snap her ears alert to the nearby sounds.  At that moment something glistens to her left.  Her brain will not compute that is the white of a tooth.  Drool and foam spilling onto her leg.  A low growl fills the air around her.   

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A few days later a news report breaks into regular programming Maggie’s parents watch intently.  The news reporter warns viewers that a mountain lion recently captured by authorities has tested positive for rabies.  Mountain lions are unheard of in our area so  

please be on alert.  Do not hike or camp alone.  

In other news the search intensifies for the 4 missing college bound girls.