The Voice in the Woods

“Hello, is anyone out there?”

I stopped walking and spun in a circle, looking for where the voice came from. Looking for who the voice belonged to.

I was on mile three of my nine-mile hike and hearing a voice call out was one of the last things that I expected.

“Hello,” I called out. “Who’s there? Where are you?” I could see nothing but the trail, the foliage of the trees and rotting stumps. “Hello,” I called out again while cursing to my luck. It was my first day off in weeks. Working two jobs allowed little free time and I needed this escape into the wilderness. I needed the quiet away from the city, not a quest to find someone lost in the woods.

There was no response. Deciding I was just hearing things, I resumed walking forward. Barely a few steps later, I heard the voice again.

“Hello! Please help me.” A female voice.

“Where are you?” I asked again. I turned slowing to locate the direction of the voice.

“I don’t know,” she replied. “I was hiking and then I just woke up. I can’t get out of where I am.” The voice seemed to be from my left. Pulling the ribbons I use in case I need to mark trees from my bag, I began walking toward the voice.

“Keep talking,” I told her as I tied the first ribbon around a tree just off the path. “I’m trying to find you. Are you in a building?”

“Umm, a box of sorts I guess. I’m lying and can feel walls in front of me and beside me.”

“How long have you been in there?” I asked as I tied another ribbon to mark my path.

“I don’t know,” she said, the panic in her voice becoming clearer. “I was hiking on Monday, the 3rd. Is it still Monday?”

“No, it’s Wednesday,” I told her. So, she’s been out here for two days and somewhere without sunlight if she couldn’t tell the passing of the days. I marked another tree.

“Two days??” she cried out. “Oh, my family must be so worried. You’ve gotta get me out of here! Please help me.”

“I’m trying, I promise. Just keep talking so I can find you. What’s your name?”

“My name is Molly. Please get me out of here. I’m so tired.”

“I know, Molly. My name is Lisa. I’ll get you out,” I told her as I wrapped ribbon around another branch. “Where are you from Molly? I need you to keep talking to me.”

“Umm, I’m from Golddum.” Her voice was closer now but to the right of my current path. Marking the tree I turned at, I veered right.

“Oh, I think I’ve heard of that town. Pretty small, right?”

“Yeah,” she said. “Are you almost here? Please, Lisa, get me out of here.” The desperation was clear in her voice.

“I think so Molly. You sound so close. Is there anything else that you can tell me about where you are? It can’t be much further if I could hear you from the trail.” I tagged yet another branch.

“It’s dark. I had a flashlight, but the batteries died. I’m not sure when.”

“Okay, that’s good information.” I stepped into a clearing and started searching the ground to see if I could find loosened dirt. “Anything else? Have you heard any running water? Any animals like an owl?” I scanned the trees next. There had to be an indicator of where she was. The clearing was circular and lined with tall pine trees. Tall grass grew sparsely through out the patches of dirt, waist high posts and around downed trees. Marking the tree that was beside me before I stepped into the clearing, I made my way across to the center.

As I passed the first post, I could see that it was metal and hollow. That must be how I could hear her from underground.

“Maybe. I don’t know. It’s all just blurred together.” Her voice sounded like she was right beside me.

“Molly, it sounds like I’m so close to you. Can you sing or whistle or anything?”

“Oh, thank God. I’m so ready to be out of here. Umm, I’ll sing,” she said and starting to sing Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star.

I walked to the other side of the clearing, turning to get a different view then began walking along the edge but her voice seemed to grow further away. I turned back and walked along the edge in the other direction. Her voice grew closer again until it felt like she under my feet. I stepped over a pile of logs to find a shovel lying on the ground. Whoever buried her here must have left it.

“Molly, I think I’ve found where you are!” I interrupted her singing.

“You sound so close! Please hurry,” she exclaimed. I could hear the tears in her voice.

“I am, Molly, I promise. I think you’re under this pile of logs. I must try to move them so I can dig. Just keep waiting and rest now. I’ll get you out soon,” I told her as I set my backpack on the ground.

“Okay, okay. Thank you, Lisa.”

I picked up the first log and set it to the side. Thankfully, there weren’t many logs, and I reached the bottom after a few minutes. Panting and covered in sweat, I grabbed the discarded shovel and began to dig. The dirt was packed from the logs sitting on top but still loose enough to easily disturb and dig.

After 20 minutes of digging, I stopped and called out to Molly again to check on her. “Molly, are you still awake?”

“Yes, I’m here. I’m waiting.”

“You’re doing great, Molly. I’m getting closer.” I resumed digging. My muscles were aching and burning. It already felt like hours since I had first heard her voice call out to me.

A few minutes later, the shovel hit a hard surface and Molly screamed.

“It’s just me, it’s just me!” I reassured her. “I finally found you!”

Molly began to sob as I dug faster to uncover the box she was in. Once it was cleared of the dirt, I leaned in to find the edge and lift the top. There were two latches, one near the top and the other near the bottom. Releasing them, I pulled the top open.

Sobbing and shaking, Molly had her arms wrapped tightly around her middle. She was young, dirty and weakened from her time in the box.

“C’mon Molly, I got you,” I encouraged her as I reached out for her. “C’mon, let’s get you out of there.” She opened her eyes and looked up at me before grabbing my hand. Setting back on my haunches, I pulled her up and out. She collapsed onto the ground and continued to sob.

“Shhh, it’s okay now. You’re out,” I tried to reassure her. “Can you sit up? I have some water.” She nodded through her tears and began to push herself up but fell back to the ground, her body too weak to hold herself. “Oh no, it’s okay. Can I help you sit up?” She nodded again. I leaned and hooked my arms under hers then shifted her to sit against the pile of logs.

She leaned her body back, gulping in the fresh air. I pulled two bottles of water from my pack, uncapping one for her.

“Here ya go, here’s some water.” I handed it to her. Her hands were shaking as she wrapped the bottle.

“Thank you, Lisa. Thank you.” She lifted the bottle to her mouth and took several sips. I sat beside her, drinking my own water. We stayed there for several minutes, hydrating and resting.

“Okay, are you ready to go now?” I asked her finally.

“Yeah, oh God, Yes,” she said. “But first, I’m so hungry. Do you have anything to eat in that pack of yours?” She nodded towards my bag.

“Oh yeah, of course.” I stood and walked over to where I had left it. Kneeling, I began to sort through. “I have beef jerky and granola. Which would you like?” I held one in each hand and turned back towards her.

She was standing behind me now. “I’m sorry,” she said as she swung the shovel at my head.

When I woke up, my head was pounding in pain. Lifting my hand to grab at it, I hit something hard above me instead. Oh no, I thought. “No, no, no, no, no,” I cried out. I frantically began to fill around me. Walls surrounded me. In front of me and on each side. I was in a box. Was this the same box that Molly was in. I couldn’t move much. There was just enough room to reach out to the sides and touch the top with my arms bent at an angle.

I could feel a few hollow holes on each side of me. They must be for the posts I had saw; the ones that allowed Molly to breath and me hear her.

I’ve got to get out of here, I thought to myself. Why in the hell had she done this to me? I stretched and scooted to see how far away the top and bottom of the box were. As I moved up, my head hit something that rolled away. I grabbed out and my hand closed around the object. Hard, plastic and cylinder. It must be the flashlight!

I pulled it to me and prayed like hell that it would work. Flipping the switch on, I cried out from the brightness. Once my eyes ceased protesting the burn of light, I blinked several times. Thank God, I thought. Hopefully I won’t be here for two days like Molly was.

I moved the light around to see my surroundings the best that I could in this space. Shinning it above me had me stopping my scan. Dread I never knew existed settled into the pit of my stomach.

Buried dark, buried deep

An escape is what you seek

Cry out and hope you’re found

Before your final resting place is this ground

But a task you must do

Whoever finds you must be buried too

I see you and I see them

If no one gets buried, then no one wins

I’ll take you both

You’ll never escape again

I cried and trembled as I read the words over again. Finally, I made my choice a

nd began to call out.

“Hello, is anyone out there?”