Lost in a Frozen Forest

Shadows danced across the inside of the small tree branch and mud shelter. Leaning back, she enjoyed the fire’s warmth. She and her three dogs had been safe enough here since their arrival.

“Well, what’s next, guys?” She looked at Chaos, a black and white short-haired mixed breed, and scratched behind the dog’s ears. The shepherd mixes, Mayhem and Havoc, looked on as she rambled.

“The days are getting longer, snow’s starting to melt, and maybe…” she paused, “if we’re really, really lucky, there’s a town a little farther than we’ve been able to go.”

She had always talked to herself. It was an old habit, the product of a vivid imagination and a lifetime telling stories. Throughout her career, Alex’s writing had made companies millions, persuading their customers to buy the next great thing. For fun, she wrote fantasy and illustrated kids’ books. It was a good life. She and her husband enjoyed a home with plenty of space and breakfast on the patio most mornings. 

But now? Now, it was only her and the dogs.

“I’m not sure I can handle much more time out here…I need to know if we’re alone in this world, or just the forest.”

Overwhelmed, she stared at the dancing fire-induced shadows. Being lost in this strange forest made Alex want to rip out her hair.

“Trapped in another world…how the hell could this happen?”

The kicker was that Alex had always loved exploring nature while she studied everything in it. She often hiked new trails and gathered edible wild mushrooms and greens. That was fun, but this shit was ridiculous. 

“Shit!” she shouted, startling the dogs. “If I had just left the flower alone, we’d be home right now.”

It looked like an orchid, but orchids didn’t grow near her home. And, if that wasn’t weird enough, the color was wonky—fuchsia petals with teal tips? Nothing like that grew on Earth. 

Sprouting from the tree in a spray of light particles, it sparkled. An otherworldly beacon, which, in hindsight, should have been a warning. The irresistible compulsion to actually touch the clearly alien flower took over. As if it sensed her presence, warm tendrils of energy in teal and fuchsia slipped out, moving toward her.

Alex realized how screwed she really was when every little hair stood on end and she couldn’t move. In the periphery, she saw the dogs stuck right along with her as the energy wrapped around them, forming a hazy globe—the four of them the centerpiece.

Then it cleared, leaving them here, in the middle of this snow-covered forest, skeletal trees cocooned in ice and snow. Late afternoon sun twinkled off the snow in pinks and purples, worthy of a painting if it weren’t for the “lost” part. That old saying about curiosity and the cat bounced around in her head, mocking her. But at least they were alive! “Maybe one day I’ll figure out why I’m here,” she muttered to no one in particular.

Not that there was anyone else here except for her dogs, and they weren’t talking. 

Alex couldn’t stop thinking about that orchid, if it even was an orchid, instead of some bizarre trap to grab unsuspecting, but too curious for their own good people and randomly drop them into the middle of nowhere on some other planet…or dimension…she didn’t know.

Yet, it explained the news reports: missing people along with missing dirt, plants, cars, pets, and who-knew-what else at thousands of sites around the world. Although different sizes, they were essentially the same—a spherical section of the area surgically removed. Excised, like a tumor. 

Scientists, of course, had all sorts of hypotheses. Not one of them made more sense than another. What little security footage they had never shown the flower, just people reaching toward or looking at something. Then, they and anything within range disappeared, leaving another hole.

In her case, the lower section of a tree branch came along for the ride. When it lost its earthly connection, the branch fell and smacked her on the head, adding injury to insult. The lump took days to go away. Also, just like the news, the edge was rounded and frozen.

At least now she knew where all those missing people had gone. So, assuming she could survive long enough to find a town, Alex might finally be able to get help. And maybe a few answers?

Ever the optimist, Alex knew it could be worse. She could have arrived in her bathrobe, like some bizarre Arthur Dent wannabe, minus the helpful alien friend…completely alone. Instead, Alex had her dogs, winter clothes, and her favorite knives. All things considered, she was lucky. 

Alex’s dogs were mostly trustworthy and learned quickly. Except for Mayhem’s predilection for eating the first few kills before Alex could skin the animal, they had done well. Shelter, a crackling fire, belly full of fish, and three dogs made an awful situation livable.

The frozen isolation highlighted other differences between her home and this forest. One of the biggest? Plants at home don’t glow. Insects, some algae, and animals, but not plants. The glow was weird, too. They seemed to have a power source and made your skin tingle when you got close.

Every single plant she found had the same otherworldly look as the orchid—strange, glowing, and magical with odd colors. Since most of the vegetation was buried under the snow, the only plants she had seen were near the slightly less-cold river. Just like the orchid, their leaves were more blue than green.

Yep, there was definitely something off about this place, but strangely comforting. She never worried about food, and even with her extensive knowledge, survival should have been hard, but it was almost like the land wanted them to survive. It was a soothing presence at the edge of awareness, reaching out…calming jangled nerves.

In those first few moments after arrival, panic had almost taken her. The illogical, impossible reality that she, and her dogs, weren’t in Texas anymore had been too much. It had taken every ounce of strength to breathe.

Alex wasn’t the only one shaking. The dogs sensed a problem, too. Their tucked tails and wide-open eyes said volumes that gave Alex something to focus on while she shoved her fear into a tiny little corner. After everyone calmed down, she took in their surroundings. 

Aside from the odd bird call, she heard nothing, and the eerie silence made her hyper-aware of every sound. Yet, the silence was an unexpected ally, because she heard water moving in the distance. And wherever they were, food, water, and shelter were the first priorities. With luck, the water source would have at least two out of the three. 

This river, as rivers tended to do, collected branches and twigs that she used to build their shelter. Though better than nothing, it wasn’t much help the first frigid night. Even with a fire, they huddled together, shivering until the sun rose.

The next morning, Alex grabbed as much mud from the river bank as she could, stuffing it between the shelter’s branches. Added layers of leaves, mud, and twigs made it cozy and warm. Looking around, she smiled. Her husband, Allen, would have been proud of her ingenuity.

Still, the eerie silence bothered her. Most of the time, the only sounds she heard were the ones she and the dogs made. There were very few birds, and the only other animals she saw were the rabbits and squirrels the dogs hunted. It was like someone hit a giant “mute” button for the entire region. Except for the evening wind, a shrieking, whistling affair. It blasted through bare tree branches as the sun settled on the horizon each evening. Wind like that in Texas always meant something was coming, and it could be anything from an ice storm to a tornado. 

But not here. No, here it merely helped tell the time. Like clockwork, it told Alex it was time to get to shelter for the night. The arctic blast chilled her to the bone. But, at least it settled down by the time she had a fire crackling, the aroma of freshly cooked fish making her mouth water.

Alex wondered about the lack of bigger animals. She and her little pack had explored the area for miles—as far as she felt comfortable going before turning back for the night. In all that time, she had never seen evidence of larger prey, which was probably good for their safety.

Some nights, she heard the lonely call of something that sounded like an owl. Maybe it wasn’t an owl, but imagining it as one comforted her in the same way as the small river’s gurgling.

Alex looked at Mayhem, the fire reflected in her amber eyes, and smiled as Chaos snuggled closer. The females had been close before they ended up here, but had become closer since. Chaos and Mayhem were usually up before sunrise, tracking down a snack. Chaos was a natural hunter that brought every kill to Alex, proud of what she had caught. But it had taken some time to teach Mayhem to bring in her kills.

Havoc, a gentle boy, was older and not much of a hunter. So, instead of hunting with the girls, he stayed behind and kept Alex company while she checked her makeshift traps for fish. 

Alex let the dogs have most of the small animals they caught. They earned it, and it kept them fed. She could survive just fine on fish, with the occasional rabbit. But the fur pelts were why she wanted the dogs to bring in their kills. Alex learned to tan them, and after a couple of weeks, she had enough to make a coat for poor heat-loving Chaos and the blanket they shared at night. 

Maybe soon they could leave this area and try to find help. The melting snow would make it easier to find paths leading somewhere.

Since she now knew that orchids caused the spheres that transported people here, her story might not sound quite so crazy when she found civilization. Still, the worry that churned in her stomach as she drifted off to sleep was about her family. They were still there—a husband, kids, and grandkids. “I hope they’re okay,” she whispered.  

She was alone. Her stomach twisted back around itself again as she thought about her family. In the months since she’d been lost here, Alex had had a lot of time to think. What did they think about her disappearance? Did they even notice she was gone? Maybe time passed differently, and it had only been a few moments at home. There was no telling. It could have been moments…or years.

Her mind spun up worry after worry, her heart ached at one in particular. What if her family was lost here somewhere, too? That kept her going. If they were in this world, Alex would find them. If it was the last thing she did, she would find her family. All of them. 

Her eyes drooped and Alex buried herself deeper into the fur blanket, drifting into another night of odd dreams.

Crunch…

Crunch…

Her eyes popped open. Alex froze, trying to figure out if she really heard footsteps.

Crunch…

Crunch…

Her breath caught. Alex reached for the nearest knife, the dying firelight enough for the dogs to see her signal to them to stay still and quiet. She could hear at least two sets, assuming the beings were of the two-legged variety. 

“Hello…hello! Is anyone in there?” The deep, resonant voice was almost jarring after two-plus months of solitude.

Human? She assumed the voice belonged to a man, but that may mean nothing here. Maybe it was a bipedal three-headed dragon. After all, this world challenged her understanding of reality. Things may not be what they seem.

“We’re not here to hurt you,” the voice rolled in musical waves. “The evening wind brought us here to help.”

Alex froze, her heart pounding. The evening wind? What the hell? She wasn’t sure whether to respond to it or write it off as yet another weird dream. Besides, in this gods’ forsaken world, everything was suspect.

“We know you’re from the dying planet,” he said.

Wait. The what planet? Time to get some answers. Pulling on her boots and coat, Alex peeked outside. Moonlight filtered through the trees, highlighting the men’s silhouettes. What were they?

“I’m coming out,” Alex said. “Stay back or my dogs will come out biting.”