Into the Forest

It was when I first woke up that the jolt of panic shot through me, I sat up and couldn't hear anything. I turned to my left and saw the empty sleeping bag, lying limp and rumpled beside me. Where is he? I thought to myself, he wouldn't have left to wander about on his own, he's far too nervous for that. With my limbs and back aching from sleeping on the hard ground, I slowly pulled myself up into a standing position. Dawn, dusted the horizon giving nature a glow and making the lake turn into an ombre reflection. I took in the landscape, the peaked mountains behind the lake and the surrounding trees, tall dark and green was all around me. No where did I see my husband, I tried to scrape my memory for an idea of what he had been wearing the night before, I couldn't pull up even an inkling. If I get asked this question by the police I'm going to look like the worlds worst wife, I thought to myself. No he wasn't missing! That couldn't be the case, our equipment and car all seemed undisturbed, surely if he had been taken there would be some evidence of that?

Feeling the morning chill send goose bumps trailing up my arms made me think that if he had gone off, I hoped he had the good sense to take a coat with him, even if he hadn't shown the good sense in leaving me behind. Getting dressed, I layered up before packing my stuff away, I wanted to be ready to leave if need be, I was a woman out in the wood alone. As I sat on a slightly dewy rock drinking my coffee, I contemplated what I could do, first I could drive into town which was roughly a twenty minute journey and then I could go get a search party. Second I could be the search party and begin looking for my husband myself, this idea was not proving to be my best and so I settled for the first option.

Hopping into the car, I locked myself inside before turning on the ignition, or rather I tried to turn on the ignition, the sound coming from the car every time I twisted the key was clunky and disappointing. Sighing my mind went back to the second option, if he was out there hurt he would need to be found soon, I should just start looking. I unlocked the car, grabbed my back pack and stared at the track pocking out from the line of trees. It was darker in among the trees because they blocked the sun and so it all looked gloomy and anxiety crept into my stomach. My palms went slick and the grip on my back pack straps kept slipping as I forced my feet to step toward the forest edge.

It immediately got cooler as I stepped under the trees, the brush scratching at my shins as I moved forward. I followed the trail for what felt like forever but was in actuality only an hour according to the watch that clung to my wrist. I sighed visibility had gotten better as time had gone by but I still hadn't found my husband, the only hope that spurred me on was the second set of tread marks on the track. I paused for a moment, to drink some water when a strange guttural noise rung through my ears. Oh no, not only was I the least coordinated person in my family but now was going to have to defend myself against an actual beast? This day was becoming more and more like Wild and I couldn't fathom ever coming back to relive this trip.

After gulping down water I stashed the bottle in my bag before starting off again at a quicker pace. Now turning back didn't seem like an option and I couldn't remember the length of the trail I was on or whether I would get out of this forest when the sunset. I kept walking trying to forget my fear by remembering that people got lost in the woods all of the time and turned up alright. I would be fine, as I thought the word fine the guttural sound rang out again, tingles ran up my back leaving my hair standing on edge. My body was warning me, I froze as panic seemed to ice the blood in my veins.

I didn't know how long I was standing like that, a statue of terror, before a cat walked out in front of me. I felt the surprise jolt my body out of its panic as I frowned trying to think about the situation logically. A cat...in the forest, I couldn't think of this being a normal thing, the cat looked like a long haired house cat. A pet, not the feral animal with the guttural screech. The cat wandered closer to me, encircling my legs the hair on its back tickling my calves as it moved. I squatted down slowly in an attempt not to spook the animal before I reached toward it with a shaky hand. As the tips of my fingers brushed the cats back it began to purr.

"Oh I see you found puma," at the sound of this persons voice, I felt as though my soul left my body.

My scream echoed around us, the cat-puma I suppose bolted leaving my on my butt with my hand covering my chest in fright.

"I'm sorry!" The person said, a hand stretched out toward me.

As my hand grasped theirs, they hoisted me back to my feet and I took a deep breath to settle my body.

"I really wasn't expecting anyone else to be out here," I stated, shaking away my fear as I looked up at this person.

She looked harmless, her hair an auburn shade the lite her up with the surrounding greenery. Her eyes were such a light blue that they seemed grey. Her lips quirked into a teasing grin, "I didn't know anyone could scream that loudly."

I laughed, "I didn't know either, believe me!"

"I'm Holly," she offered extending her hand to me once again.

Shaking her hand I said, "I'm Victoria."

"Well its very nice to meet you, what are you doing this far into the track alone?" She asked, her eyebrow arched in curiosity.

I sighed, remembering my mission, "I woke up at my camp site and my husband was gone, I though maybe he had wandered into the forest and was hurt or something."

Holly's mouth opened slightly in surprise her eyebrows pinching together in concern. "How long has he been gone?"

I shrugged, "I'm not sure at least since six this morning but he could have left during the night, so I honestly don't know.

I bit my lip as Holly watched me afraid of what she might be thinking, what if she thought I had killed him and was wandering around here playing the innocent?

"Alright, come back this way with me, because there is a cabin up there because of the skiing and someone will be able to help you there," Holly said, shocked at her kindness I could only nod as she led me down the fork in the track her and the cat had scared me coming out of.

Holly and I made it to the cabin without anymore screaming episodes and found the police deputy among a group of skiing tourists.

"Excuse me?" Holly asked, tapping the gentleman on his shoulder.

He turned around a nice wide smile on his face, "yes?"

"My friend here, doesn't know where her husband is and we were hoping you might help," Holly just had all the right things to say.

"How long has he been missing ma'am?" he asked me.

"Since at least six this morning," I answered, biting my lip. I had always been nervous of authority and had never really encountered police before.

"Okay, why don't you go take a seat, I'll make some calls okay?" He asked, hand on my arm.

I nodded, "thank you."

Holly and I made our way over to a booth as the deputy stepped outside. We sat in silence until he returned ten minutes later.

"Alright ma'am, there was a man found wandering along the main road and he says his name is Henry Williams, is that him?" He asked.

I sighed, "yes, was he alright?"

The deputy nodded, "yes no worse for wear just got turned around trying to walk to the local bar."

I shook my head as a blush crept onto my cheeks, "I'm so sorry, I thought..."

The deputy smiled kindly, "not to worry happens more often that you'd think."

When he walked away, I turned to Holly to find her trying not to laugh.

"This has been the most stressful day," I said, laughing dropping my head into my hands.

Holly laughed aloud then, "Aw you poor thing! How about a drink huh?"

Holly and I spent most of the afternoon drinking, becoming friends with the group of tourists we'd seen coming in. Holly and I found out we were the same age and had gone to the same university before I went on to be a journalist and she had gone on to drop out before traveling the world and working odd jobs.

Not wanting to go back down the track I stayed at the cabin with Holly and we drunkenly sang karaoke for the tourists for hours and agreed to be friends for life. Finding each other on Facebook and declaring that we would always keep in touch, because this day was meant to be and we were meant to be friends. The night ended with me being deposited into my husbands apologetic arms and Holly being deposited into the deputy's car to be driven to her hotel.