There is a stillness in the woods that can be unnerving. I’ve heard the stories from Appalachia. People vanishing. Strange sounds.
But this isn’t Appalachia.
The sky is hidden by the canopy of trees. There are so few sounds. It’s a silence that presses in.
I pulled out the map and compass. Studied the marking, tracing where I had walked. Maybe I had gotten off the trail.
A branch snapped. I spun around, looking into the trees. I saw nothing.
The forest was growing darker, telling me the sun was sinking in the sky. I needed to figure out which way to go or set up for the night.
A chill settledand with it fog. A light layer just over the ground. It would probably build.
My decision was made.
I pulled out my tent and tried to decide on the best place for it.
Suddenly, a woman appeared in front of me. She had no backpack.
“Hello! It’s late to be out without a pack, isn’t it?”
She shrugged.
I looked around. Where had she come from?
“Do you live near here?”
She nodded. Relief spread through me.
“Could I follow you back to your house? I can’t seem to find the road?”
She tipped her head and giggled. Then she turned, heading back the way I had come from.
I decided the road was a better option and started to follow her. She followed the path. It seemed to be getting darker the further we went.
“How far is it?”
No answer. What was wrong with this woman? I had a knife on me for protection. And what could she do to me? I trudged on.
Up ahead, I could see light, and immediately felt relief. Finally! I could follow the road back to my car.
But when I stepped into the light area, it was all grass. No road in sight. No sound of cars. The stillness seemed ever heavier.
Then I saw them. The mushrooms that circled the inside of the trees. I froze.
She turned then. She smiled.
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