Strangers of the Woods

A smile forms onto her slim face as she watches the sun rise above the mountains in awe. Something so simple can affect her so easily is almost sad to watch. 

Orange reflects off the mountains as the floating beacon finds its resting place just below the clouds.

Eagles hoot as they dive for their early morning snack, the trees stand still as theres not a single gust of wind in sight.

“We better get moving if we want to finish before sundown.” Mark causally says as he begins to pack up the tent.

“It’s just so beautiful up here, I can’t imagine what it would feel like to watch the sun come up every morning.” She breathes as she finally turns her back away from the mesmerizing sight.

“It’s going to be a scorcher for sure.” Mark estimates as he takes one last look towards the mountains behind them.

Nothing is better than taking a two day hike into the woods and camping out deep within the trail before trekking back. The fresh air breezing through your hair or the smell of blooming wild berries, nineteen year old Molly has never left the city in her entire life. She can’t believe just how beautiful nature could really be, or all the animals in their natural habitat.

Twigs snap under their feet as they follow the thin dirt trail single file. 

“I’m just happy that we haven’t seen anything bigger than a rabbit,” She says with a relived sigh. “My friends were trying to scare me all week with bear stories.” She laughs as she finishes her thought.

“Molly Morgen, you just jinxed us.” Laughter fills the woods as they both take turns giggling. 

“Bears don’t even live in this park of the woods so I don know why I was so worried.” Molly says as she slips over a loose rock on the ground.

“Continue to slip like that and I’ll have to call you Clumsy Molly.” He laughs with a sly smile as he gives her his hand to help her up.

“Whatever it’s just this dumb trail, like someone should really make sure all the loose rocks are fixed or something. Like seriously, someone could get hurt.” She rudely says as she continues to take the lead.

Silence sits over the couple as they walk through the trail, both internally complaining about how long it is or how hot the sun is.

SNAP,

The sound of a nearby tree branch within the long grass softly off the trail echoes through the area.

“What was that?” Molly shouts as she freezes in place.

“Probably just a rabbit” Mark shrugs as he urges his girlfriend to continue walking.

Not too long later, the woods echo once more with the sound of a twig snapping.

“That was not a rabbit!” Molly shouts as she’s afraid of what might be lurking in the forest.

The sound of running water fills their ears as a waterfall is within reach, only a few hundred yards away.

“It’s just a squirrel or something, there was nothing out here yesterday.” He simply says as he once again urges her to continue walking.

“If I here a twig snapping one more time, I’m going to lose it.” She sassily says while picking up her pace a little bit.

Shortly later, the happy couple finds themselves at a stream that goes into a waterfall. Birds chirp as they flap above them, the sound of water trickling floods their ears as they walk across a wooden bridge that’s dir over the stream. 

“Mark” 

He turns to face his girlfriend as he had stopped to take a quick photo of a mother bird feeding her babies.

He unconsciously holds his breathe as he notices his girlfriend standing at the beginning of the bridge, staring at it with a all colour of her face drained.

“Molly! Whats wrong?” He shouts with his voice hoarse as he panic runs towards her.

“Were…were not alone” a breeze slithers down Mark’s spine as he hears his girlfriend’s answer. Goosebumps rise through his skin as he begins to shake.

“This impossible, we were here first thing in the morning yesterday with no vehicles in the parking lot and not one group passed us once we set up camp.” He tries to reason as he’s equally afraid.

“Look” she says with a high pitch tone and a pale face.

He wears fear like it’s a jacket, his heart beat quickens as if he wore running a marathon. The world seems to sway as he continues to stare at the wooden bridge.

There on the bridge laid two sets of muddy footprints, clearly his and Mollys, but there was another set that was going towards them, as if they were being followed.

“That doesn’t make any sense, we…we would have seen them by now.” He says with a small voice.

Snap.

“What if that’s the person, and we’ve being hearing them all morning?” She panics as she starts to run across the bridge.

“Hey molly! Wait up!” 

Time disappears behind the clouds as the heat beats at their backs. Fear fuels their energy as adrenaline to stay alive kicks in.

A few hours pass by as the worried couple finally stop to catch their breath.

Leaves fall towards the dirt trail as a tiny breeze slowly shakes the trees. 

The sound of running water hits their ears as it trickles down a large incline, only a few kilometres away.

Birds squawk as they fly above the couple desperately trying to catch their breath as they each lean against a tree, shortly off the path.

“I think they’re gone, whoever it was” Molly chimes through the quietness.

“It may have been an animal of some sort, maybe fear is just playing with our head.” He tries to reason as he allows his camping bag to fall onto the ground.

“Did that look like an animal to you? No rabbit in the world makes human footprints that look like large boots Mark?” Tears streak her face as it’s clear that she’s been crying all morning as she looks him in the eye.

“No…I don know what that was but, it wasn’t good.” He mumbles as he shifts through his bag looking for a bottle of water. 

Snap.

This time the crunching of branches came much closer towards the couple. The loudness startles them so much that Molly lets out a shriek.

Her cries echo across the wooden plain as the mountain edge is only around the corner of the trail.

“That’s no rabbit!” Molly exclaims as she bolts down the trail, towards the rocked edge of the mountain, leaving her bag full of camping supplies behind.

“Hey! Wait for me!” Mark shouts as he feels his hairs on his arms rise. Someone is watching him, he is absolutely certain.

Rushing water drills through their ears as it bolts down the side of the mountain. The trail becomes thin as it rounds the side on the rocked surface. The side railings have weakened over the years from strong winds as they no longer serve their purpose.

“Molly slow down!...Molly!”

“…”

“This is dangerous!”

“Hey! You kids shouldn’t be running out here!”

Molly and Mark both stop dead in their tracks as a mysterious voice shouts from their back.

Perhaps it’s the second set of footprints that have been following them all day.

Emerging from the woods, a large man dressed in black with pure anger written all over his chiseled face.

“How are you?” Mark bravely shouts as he slowly walks backwards towards his girlfriend.

“It’s him, the guy that’s been following us, Mark. It has to be.” Mark hears his girlfriend whisper in a hushed voice.

Brightness of the path turn to shadows as the sun moves higher throughout the sky. 

“I’ve been trying to talk to you two all day, neither of you seem to care to listen!” The mysterious man says as he shoves his hand into his pants pocket, failing at grabbing what he’s looking for.

“He’s got a gun!” Mark panics as he notices the stranger struggle to pull out his hidden object.

Molly immediately turns away from the two man, racing down the tight rounded trail with the loose, weak railing.

“Molly! Wait for me!” Mark shouts desperately as he to, races down the trail.

“Hey!...you two are going to severely injure yourselves!” The mystery man yells with rage as he finally pulls out his item that he was looking for.

As the man continues down the trail, screams echo through the woods, shaking the trees.

A few minutes have gone by until the man meets up with the startled couple.

As he rounds the hidden, hairpin sharp like turn, he finds the young man standing by a newly broken railing screaming in agony.

What has felt like hours, the young man finally notices the stranger walk up to him.

“Stay away!...She, she fell because of…of you!” He screams as he stares at the man.

“You two have been running from me all day,” he shows the object in his hand, as he holds it up. “I’m a conversation officer, I monitor this park to make sure it’s clean and animal safe.”

Mark looks closely at the object feeling a little silly as he realizes that it was never a weapon but a badge.

“This park is closed due to failure of proper railing guild lines as I tried to tell you all day.”

The sun has completely gone down by the time the search and rescue team is able to find Molly’s body.

Mark stands further down the trail catching a good look at the clear view of the lake with sirens brewing through his ears and guilt down his veins. 

“I guess she really was a jinx.” He thinks as he stares at the moons reflection across the dark lake.