Escape From the Forest

Something cold and wet splashed the back of her neck. The icy metal secured around her wrists, held behind her, prevented her from wiping it away. The forest was unmoving and dangerously quiet. She had a plan to run but the throbbing pain pulsing in her swollen ankle prevented her from going any further. She wondered if he was dead and trying really hard to remember where the road was. She wasn’t really paying attention, three days ago, when she was too focused on his well-proportioned features and the way her small hand felt resting inside of his, to memorize the winding paths that led to the cabin. Three days ago, and the time that had passed between, felt so far away, hazy and unreachable like the remnants of a dream. There were no roadway sounds. She strained her ears and listened intently for the intruding rumble of an engine breaking through the low symphony of the forest. There was nothing to guide her. A maze of gnarly trunks and branches caged her in and the trees were dancing in a melodious breeze as if to mock her. Every movement that flickered in her peripheral sent shivers of shock through her nerves. If he wasn’t dead then he was tracking her and the grave disadvantage of her injury was putting her in fatal harm. That is, if he was alive. She wished she knew.

“Care to meet me for a drink?” The message lighting up Mia’s phone distracted her from the patient chart in front of her. The man sending the message was new. Dating had been exhausting. After a few dates with yet another “pretty face” that soon fizzled into awkward silences or forced laughter, she would become disinterested and would move on without a word. Maybe she was too observant for her own good, noticing and analyzing every banal behavior and imaging what those behaviors would develop into. The most frustrating observation was the appalling lack of depth in these men. She would struggle through two or three dates of forced conversation, sitting across from them politely letting their useless, monotone, voices drone on in the background of her senses while she silently imagined what it would be like to stab herself with the fork in front of her. Would the bits of spaghetti on it increase her risk of infection? Until she would jolt out of her sadistic daydream at the sound of silence and realize the last thing she heard had a slight upward inflection on it: a question…they had asked her a question and she had no idea what it was. “What was that?” she would ask apologetically, and they would repeat the question.

Most of the time they didn’t even notice that she was daydreaming while they were pouring their souls out to her and that aggravated her even more, like they didn’t even need her there to have a conversation. Self-absorbed, narcissistic, pretty boys who love the sound of their own voice or they were just genuinely disinterested and would leave little room for Mia to share her own thoughts and experiences.

Either way, it didn’t exactly motivate her to keep up the dates. She would inwardly take a vow of celibacy and grunt out cheesy mantras to herself for a week, like: I don’t need a man to be happy or I like my alone time and a guy would just get in the way of that. A few glasses of wine and a few demanding twelve hour shifts later and she was back to swiping right on faces that she would eventually regret. Mia recognized the cycle but she figured eventually someone would sit across from her that didn’t conjure up a desire to injure herself mid-conversation.

She realized she was daydreaming again as her eyes re-focused on the most recent Tinder message. “Care to meet for a drink?” was very succinct. Something about it was unsettling and intriguing at the same time. Usually guys would comment on her looks, starting off the thread with something cheesy like, “You have beautiful eyes”.

Before she could respond to his proposal, a new message appeared in a blue bubble, “I know that’s very forward of me, but I figured you hear compliments about your looks all the time, because you are breathtaking, so I thought I would skip the flattery and just ask you out. Besides, you are probably even more gorgeous in person!”

She just stared at the message for a minute, trying to break down its intentions word by word. Is this guy just by-passing all the small-talk because he is looking for a hook-up or is he really this tuned-in?

“I would love to meet for a drink!” she began her reply, “Do you have a place in mind?”…and send! Well, I guess I’m interested enough to find out, she concluded to herself.

Forest (was his name) responded before she could regret her decision, “There’s this little cafe’ downtown that turns into a bar at night. They have the best coffee cocktails and it has a great atmosphere!”

Her fingers hit the keypad. “That sounds intriguing! Let’s make it a date. How does tomorrow evening around 7 pm sound?”

He replied, “I’ll be there!” She smiled and slid her phone into the pocket of her scrubs and returned her attention to charting.

The Coffee Old Fashioned was as aesthetically pleasing as it was delicious and the first sips warmed her and calmed her nerves as the alcohol worked its magic. Forest had stood respectfully, as she slipped into the dimly lit, eclectic setting of the café. The sound of wood scraping the floor filled her ears as he gently pulled a chair away from the table and gestured for her to take a seat. It was all executed in a subtle flourish as if he had done this since before he could remember. Now he was seated across from her and asking thoughtful questions and breaking her streak of disappointment. Mia was captivated by the warmth in his voice and the way he intently listened when she spoke. She was already imagining a second date with this beautiful specimen. As the evening progressed, Forest began to share heartwarming details about his childhood. He reminisced about a cabin that belonged to his Father and how they would bond over fishing poles and homemade treats his mother would send in neatly packed brown bags.

A nostalgic smile softened his features as he spoke, “We’d wake up at dawn, the world would still be quiet, and we’d head out to the lake. Just us, the water and God”. She liked that he mentioned God. “Those moments were just pure unfiltered time with him. I sure do miss it,” he added. Then his tone shifted subtly, “You know…,” The word “know” was drawn out and it seemed to trail off as if he was deep in thought about what he was about to say. She sat fixated, waiting for him to finish his thought. “Well”, he continued, “I’ve always thought it would be amazing to share that cabin with someone special.” A glimmer of intensity flashed in his eyes and she thought they might even look misty. “I haven’t been up there since he passed away last year. I just haven’t had the heart too.”

Mia extended her hand across the table and gave his a slight squeeze. “I’m sorry.” She breathed understandingly.

Forest nodded his head slightly at her condolences. “Thank you. It’s still a bit fresh.”

His eyes met hers and he held the gaze until she could feel a warm blush in her face. This guy is good!

He gave her hand a gentle and assuring pat and continued his previous thought.

But it’s really beautiful and you can really escape and unwind while you connect with nature. Nothing like it.” He finished and took a sip of his espresso flavored beer.

“It sounds wonderful!” she sighed wistfully. Mia felt excited listening to him so passionately describe this place that held such precious memories for him.

“Imagine sitting by the fire, sharing stories, and just enjoying each other’s company away from all the noise of the city. It could be magical!”

“Do you have any pictures?” Mia requested.

“Actually I do.” he remembered as he pulled out his phone. He held his phone up for a moment before unlocking the screen and prefaced, ”I don’t normally do this.” He shook the phone back and forth slightly. “I think it's bad manners to be on your phone while you’re on a date. But I’ll make an exception for you,” he winked, and unlocked the screen.

It only took him a few seconds before he turned the screen around to show her a photo of a man and a boy of about seven standing in the midst of an idealistic backdrop. It appeared that the man, who was obviously his father, was showing the boy in the picture how to cast a fishing pole. He wasn’t lying. It was an absolutely gorgeous setting.

Mia gently touched her hand to her face and melted, “That is a really sweet photo! I’m sure that it means a lot to you.”

“I actually caught a fish that day,” he grinned. “My dad was so proud he could barely contain himself!”

“You know…,” Mia sprawled the word “know” out the same way he had earlier. “This cabin of yours sounds like a lovely place for a second date.” Mia flashed a flirtatious smile across the table and waited for his response.

He looked amused at her suggestion. Forrest leaned forward and a wry chuckle escaped his throat. “I like a girl that’s not scared away by nature.”

Mia feigned shock and joked, “Why me? Of course not!”

Forrest smiled at her and leaned back in his chair, taking a sip of his beer.

“You know I grew up on a farm?” Mia offered.

“Oh really? Well that explains it then.”

“You know…” Forrest started.

There he goes again, she thought.

“It’s only about twenty minutes up the road.”

Mia thought she understood what he was suggesting. The cabin was close. This is all happening so fast. I barely know him. What if he’s not who he seems? Yet there was something about him that made her feel as if she had known him for years.

Forest interjected as if he could read the apprehension on her face. “I know it’s an unconventional thing to even suggest, I mean, you barely know me, but…and this is going to sound crazy but…”

He paused as if he was unsure if he should continue. “I feel like I’ve known you forever, like there is this real connection between us.” His eyebrows drew together in contemplation. “I don’t know, maybe it’s because I don’t really feel that with people, very often.”

“Let’s do it!” A rush of air escaped her throat as if she had been holding her breath waiting to accept his offer. He’s clearly making an effort to share something meaningful with me. She decided.

Forest leaned forward and his features lit up in amazement. “Really?” He sounded genuinely surprised. “You’re gonna love it!” He promised.

Forest made a gesture to the waiter, indicating he was ready for the check, and a young man approached the table. Moments later, Mia and Forest stood up from the table and exited the cafe’ into the warm summer evening.

Forest had one hand on the wheel as he maneuvered the winding roads to the cabin and Mia slid her small hand into his free one and studied his ruggedly handsome features, as he stared ahead. He had a satisfied complexion on his face and she was happy that she had agreed to share a few more meaningful moments with him.

Gravel clicked under the weight of the truck's tires as they approached the cabin. The scene from the aged photo materialized before them. Illumination from the moon glistened on the lake's surface and a rough hewn cabin completed the picturesque setting.

“Well here it is in all its glory.” Forest shifted the truck into park. Mia glanced over at him and realized he was staring at her intently. She searched his face trying to determine what he was thinking. It felt like he had been looking at her too long.

“I’m really glad you’re here, Mia.” Something about the way he said her name made her feel uneasy, but she shook it off and smiled back at him.

“Me too.” She obliged.

Forest walked around the front of the truck to her door, helped her dismount and led her to the cabin. “Make yourself comfortable.” He gestured to a cozy couch in the middle of the room. Mia sat next to a flannel throw blanket and watched him place fresh logs in the fireplace.

“Everything is just as I left it,” he continued, his voice smooth, as he stared at the crackling logs. He seemed far away, as if he were reliving a memory—one that didn’t involve her at all.

Mia tried to shake off the unease, reminding herself that he had been nothing but kind so far. But as the night wore on, subtle shifts in his demeanor began to unravel her initial impressions.

“Let’s step outside for a moment,” he suggested, his tone suddenly serious. “I want to show you something.”

As they moved to the porch, the air felt heavier, charged with something unidentified.

“Mia,” he said, his voice low, and she turned to face him, suddenly aware of how close he stood. “I’ve been waiting for someone like you.”

His words hung in the air. “What do you mean?” she asked, trying to keep her voice steady.

He slid his hand down her arm and closed his fingers around her wrist, gripping it with surprising strength. “You don’t need to be afraid,” he said, but the smile on his face felt wrong. Panic surged in her chest as she tried to wriggle free of his grip.

“Let go! You’re hurting me!” She yelped. She felt something click around her wrist.

“You’ll understand soon enough,” His voice was level and calm.

She struggled violently, trying to use her free hand to locate her phone in her pocket.

“Oh, no, no, no…” he chuckled, “Three’s a crowd sweetheart.” He forced his hand into her pocket, clutching his fingers around her phone and dropped it to the planks of the porch. Mia heard a loud crunch as he lowered his heavy boot on the phone’s screen several times, destroying it.

“You won’t be needing this, sweetheart.” The register in his voice shifted to an annoyed growl, “I told you I wanted us to be alone!”

“Please! Let me go!” she pleaded. Her voice echoed into the night, swallowed by the silence surrounding them. “Help!” She screamed desperately.

“No one’s gonna hear you way out here. Scream all you want.” He taunted.

Mia’s entire body shook with fear as he forced her free hand behind her and secured it to the other with another chilling Click. She struggled desperately against his grip as he dragged her back into the cabin and threw her face first on the couch. She felt a pinch in her arm and a wave of exhaustion washed over her. Her eyes were heavy and her limbs felt paralyzed.

“Sweet dreams, sweetheart.” He sounded like he was miles and miles away.

Mia woke to the sound of an axe splitting wood. Her head felt heavy as she tried to take in her surroundings. Her arms ached from the awkward position the cuffs were forcing them in. She could see rays of sunlight glinting across the cabin floor. The heavy creak of footsteps on the cabin’s porch startled her, and she let out a stiff gasp. Her chest tightened and a wave of nausea crept up to her throat. Forest stepped into the shadowy room and tipped his hat at her like a deranged cowboy.

Mia had so many questions as she watched him meander around the cabin like a busy housewife. She watched him disappear into the kitchen and re-emerge with two plates of food. He picked up one half of a sandwich cut into a triangular shape and held it to her lips. She didn’t want to give him the satisfaction of feeding her but she could feel her stomach rumble in response to the smell of bread and ham and mustard. She took a bite, and then another, biting into the next piece before should even swallow.

“Slow down there missy, you’ll hurt yourself.” He joked. Mia avoided his intent stare and took another bite. She knew she would need her strength to escape.

Two days passed as she studied his routine of chopping wood in the morning, the afternoon sandwiches and two to four glasses of bourbon by the fire at night. She knew if she had any chance of escaping it would be at night when the liquor had dulled his senses.

Later that evening he sat slumped in a bean bag chair positioned in front of a bookshelf. Mia tiptoed quietly to the shelf and wedged her foot between the towering shelf and the wall. She rocked her foot back and forth, sliding the shelf forward a few centimeters each time. Then she lifted her knee to her chest and used the weight of her knee and calf to push the shelf forward. She watched as it began to topple. It crashed forward landing on Forest, pinning him to the floor.

A cacophony of sounds erupted from the forest floor. Birds fluttered abruptly to the sky with startled caws and wing flaps. Mia heard the crunch of a twig somewhere behind her. Adrenaline forced her to her feet, ignoring the pain in her ankle as she stood. Through the thickness of the trees she saw the glimmer of a passing vehicle.

And then she ran.