The girl in the forest

Patrick Desjardins

The little girl in the woods

Reader’s note

The story you are about to read, including its content and its characters, are purely fictional. Any related incidents that have occurred in real life that bare any resemblance to this story is purely coincidental.

It was around eleven o clock, pass the rising moon. The forest road was quiet under the shady branches of the trees, which sprang forth their shadow across the road, letting no light from the sky shine upon anyone who would drive there on that night.

This did nothing to ease the mood of Jessica, who was driving with her light on, but could barely see as far as two to three meters in front of her, since there where no streets lights to guide her on her trip home. She only chose this road because there was traffic on the highway and she was impatient to get back home, especially after spending a whole day of pitch meetings with the board of directors and having suffered the constant arguments about the price product.

Now, Jessica regretted her own impatience. For when she entered the dark woods, she felt as if she was entering a haunting realm of ghosts and werewolves. Her heart was pumping against her chest, for she knew that it would take at least half an hour to get through the forest, and the looming shadows of the branches that stretch out over her windshield made her want to speed. But she did not dare to press on the gas pedal anymore then she needed too. She knew nothing of this road, nor could she see much in front of her car, so precaution was much a dominant emotion in her mind, as was her anxiousness.

To help her cope with the aery gloom of the dark forest, she tried to turn on the radio. But being in the middle of nowhere, especially under a heavy shade of leaves, can altered and disrupt signals, and she soon found out that the radio could not offer any comfort.

Distraught by the lack of music to calm her nerfs and also by the fact that she didn’t have any CDs in the glove compartment, Jessica tried to think about something else while keeping a watch on the road. But she could barely think of anything, since she had to keep a sharp watch on the side lines, for maybe a deer or a moose might suddenly spring out of nowhere. And because she had to keep a watch on the woods, her fear grew as she gazed the dark shadowed trees that reminded her of those scary woods in the Disney movie Beauty and the Beast, and her mind got caught up by the mental images of the scary wolves who chased Belle on the snowy road. While she was caught up on this ride of horror in her mind, she barely notices that she was speeding up.

The road then took a turn to the right. She saw the turn in time, and she turned the steering wheel in the same direction, still speeding up, but slightly. She decided not to bother much about the speed, since she wanted to get out of this forest as soon as possible, even dough she was going over seventy miles per hour.

Then, all of a sudden, something appeared in the middle of the road. In the space of a short second, she saw a small shadowy figure on two legs (for which she mistook at first for a chimpanzee), running across the road, then pausing when it saw Jessica’s car approaching. Jessica then slammed both her feet on the brake pedal and the car’s tires screech off the cement of the road before the car could be fully immobilized. The dark shadow had disappeared under the hood, and Jessica feared that she might have hit it. As soon as the car was completely stopped, she timidly stepped out of the car and steadily walk to the front of the car, fearful of what horrible and macabre site she might discover. She then heard a faint moan, accompanied by a few hard-breathing sounds, which convince her that she might have hurt an animal, and her lips trembled on what she was about to see. However, the animal was anything but; it was in fact a little girl.

Jessica then took a hasty step back, her heart pounding against her chest, and she had to grab the side of the car, to not lose her balance. The little girl (she though was about five or six years old) was dressed up like the little Match Girl from Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tale. She wore a single t-shirt that had been ripped apart by branches, and a pair of dirty shorts that seemed ripped apart by a broken washing machine. Shocked enough to have found such a child lost in the woods, Jessica could barely move any muscle, as her eyes followed a long scar, with a few drops of blood dripping out, that covered the child’s left cheek. The girl’s eyes we’re full of fearful tears, as her face was frozen in time, as if she had just run away from a werewolf, only to be found by a witch, while Jessica stood by and couldn’t help but wonder what could of happen to her, without bringing herself to ask the question.

However, before she could mutter a word, the Girl sprang up as quickly as a cat who had just saw a mouse and ran straight for the woods.

—Wait! cried out Jessica.

But the girl had already vanished in the dark forest.

Jessica didn’t move until after she notice a drop of blood on the road, which convince her that she was not imagining things. Her first instinct was to contact the police, but when she got her phone from her purse, she discovered then there weren’t any bar signals. Even when she tried contacting 911, she got no service. She got frustrated and threw her phone on the seat, then took a deep breath to calm her nerve. There was no doubt that she just saw a little girl, and worst, a girl who was bleeding, and it was clear for her that she didn’t get hit by accident. Somebody, or something, had hurt that poor girl, and most surely attempted to do something even more gruesome. The red flags then flared up in her mind when she thought that the monster that had harm the girl could be looking for her at this very moment in this very forest! She immediately looked in the forest where the girl sprang out of. Nothing came out. Not even a sound.

Jessica took a deep breath, seize her phone, and set out to look for the little girl. Once under the shade of the leaves, she had to open the flashlight of her phone to clear a path in the darkness. She tried to take off her high heels to move faster, but she hurt her foot by stepping on a branch, and she had no choice but to put them back on. All around her, the forest grew quiet while she was struggling in the dark. It was as if all the animals were sleeping, but Jessica had doubts about it. Even dough she could barely see the forest around her, she had this chilling feeling that someone was following her in the darkness. On occasion, she could hear the little sound of a branch cracking, or the blowing of leaves from the wind, and this made her turn her back to see if there wasn’t someone following her.

Still, despite her fears, she kept on walking. But she still prayed that nothing was going to happen to her.

Luckily for her, the little girl had left footprints on the soil, and, despite the branches, the leaves, the acorns, and the flowers, she could still spot the footprints with the help of her phone. In no time, she hoped, she would catch up with the girl.

However, she soon spotted another set of footprints that cut across the girl’s own. Jessica was shocked to discover that the footprints, judging by the claw and paw marks, that they must belong to a wolf. Jessica took two steps back and quickly search the area with her phone to try to spot the beast that she was certain was lurking about. But there was no wolf in sight, or anything else. Still, Jessica wanted to go back. The feeling of danger was bearing down on her like a chain ball. Her fear grew stronger, and she felt the branches of the trees closing in on her, entrapping her into a wooden cage, where she would be trapped inside a world of which she could not escape the fangs of the terrible fangs that chase her under the white moon of hunger and blood. She wanted to run, run straight for her car, and drive off until she was out of the woods. Out of danger. Out of the fangs of death.

But then, what would happen to the girl?

—No, she muttered.

And she continued on hoping by some miracle, that she will catch up to the girl.

Then, a sudden “AAAAAHHH!!!” echoed across the forest. Jessica felt sure it was the girl, and she turn to the east. She was sure that the girl was in trouble, and she hurried across the forest, not bothering to watch her step, for she hurried through the thick of the bushes, in order to reach that scream as quickly as possible.

Then, she heard a rushing river. She raised her phone, and she saw the girl, clinging for dear life, on a submerged rock, while a tumultuous river was trying to drag her to the bottom of its bed. The light of the phone directed at the girl; Jessica could scarcely see her tiny fingers slowly slipping on the wet rock. She had to act now! Wasting no time, Jessica entered the river. Luckily, the water line could only reach her upper waist, so she could reach the child without being dragged by the current. However, the girl was more freighted by her then the river. She even tried to reach another rock and try to move away from Jessica.

—No please, don’t!

Jessica begged her not to make the attempt. She then offered her hand, while staying a few meters away from the child. The girl looked at her right hand but did not budge from the rock.

—Take my hand, c’mon! she shouted.

But still, the girl would not budge. Then Jessica calmed herself and ask again.

—You can trust me, she said with a calmer voice, hoping this would smooth the fear of the child. I can get you out of here.

The girl kept on looking at her hand, puzzle and wondering what to do next. Then, by a miracle, the child finally reaches out with one hand and cling to Jessica’s. She then gently pulls her to her side and ask her to hold to her waist while she pulls her out of the water and brought her safely to shore.

However, as soon as she was on dry land, the little girl took another dash into the woods. Before Jessica could call her, she had already disappeared into the woods, like a ghost passing through a wall. Jessica then chased after her, calling to her to stop, and yet, she did not return.

After crossing a few dozen meters, she finally caught up with the girl. The girl was just standing in the middle of a clearing, and it wasn’t long until Jessica understood why she had stopped.

There was a wolf in the clearing. Even though the light of her phone was shut off, Jessica could still see two glowing eyes near the little girl. She could even distinguish the thick gray fur covering the beast in the darkness. And worst of all, she could hear the growling.

Meanwhile, the girl stood frozen in fear, while the wolf kept its eyes fixated on them. They we’re shining like diamonds in the darkness, and they seemed to have captured the girl in a hypnotic trance, making her an easy prey. Jessica then slowly approached the girl, then stop a few inches from her and whispered:

—C’mon girl, she said quietly. Get behind me.

The little girl then turned her scared face towards her. But the wolf growled again, and she brought her attention back to the eyes of the beast.

—N…

Jessica almost screamed her lungs out, but she shut herself up, for fear that she might provoke the wolf.

—No, please, she whispered. Come to me. Don’t look at the wolf. Come to me, little girl. Come to me.

For a moment, the girl lay still her movements, like a movie who was put on pause. The wolf got closer and closer, moving one leg before the other, moving its massive body of muscles and fur, and a mouth full of sharp teeth towards the girl. Then, she finally turned her head, and even though Jessica could see the scar on her face, she was glad that she had listen to her words.

However, the girl acted too rashly by running towards Jessica. This upset the wolf greatly, for it became angry when the girl turned it’s back on it, and the animal let out a lash of angry barks. The girl hid behind Jessica’s back, while she stood like a wall between the wolf and the girl. Now it was Jessica’s turn to bare the brunt of the wolf’s gaze, as it slowly approaches her with its fangs. Jessica shook in terror before the eyes of the wolf, but she stood her ground. She wanted to run away, but she knew the wolf would easily catch up to her and the girl.

Then, she noticed a small rock near her feet. As she leaned down to grab it, the wolf, as if it had guessed her intentions, made a short, but loud, growl towards her. She then panicked and brought her hand behind her.

The wolf then approached her, with it’s mouth open and its nose sniffing her, and Jessica stood there with her eyes wide open, her lips trembling, as her mind played in her head a gruesome and bloody end to this nightly adventure into the woods.

Then she felt her hand of the little girl touching hers. She looked down and she saw the terror in her eyes, and even worse, the scar on her face. She then took pity on her, thinking on what horrible event gave her that scar, and her fear dissipated a little, but not completely.

She turned around to face the wolf. It kept getting closer and closer, with its menacing mouth and sharp teeth, seeming ready to make a jump for her throat. The wolf then raises its nostrils towards her, and Jessica, with jitters coming down her spin, braced herself for the anticipated attack, of which she knew she had no chance of surviving. And yet, she stood there, like a wall, between the wolf and the child, not shying nor attempting to make a break for it.

She waited. She anticipated. She trembled.

Meanwhile, the wolf got closer. And closer. And closer. Until she could smell its own breath.

And then…

The wolf halted.

The animal began to examine Jessica by smelling her with its nostrils, as if he was looking for a particular smell, or maybe, it was just making sure Jessica wasn’t a threat. But for whatever reason, it chose not to attack.

Finally, the wolf stopped smelling, turned around, and went back into the dark forest, not looking back even once. Jessica waited until she was sure that the wolf was gone. Then, she took a sigh of relief, before taking out her phone and turning the flashlight on. She then gently took the girl’s hand and said:

—All right, we can go now. My car is not far. I will take you out of here.

The girl hesitated at first, not sure weather she should trust Jessica. But she took a chance, and walk beside her, with her hand holding Jessica’s with a firm grip, as if she was hanging from a cliff.

The two girls then walked across the woods by retracing the footsteps. Jessica still remained wary of the dark corners, but she was less fearful then when she entered the woods. Finally, they found the road and Jessica’s car. Jessica first invited the girl to step into the car. The girl remained silent, as if she didn’t know how to speak, but she got into the passenger’s seat in order to get out of the cold. When Jessica got behind the wheel, she didn’t start the engine right away, for she wanted to see if the girl was all right.

When she tried to comfort her, the little girl began trying, as she reminisces the tragic event that gave her that scar. Jessica then carefully wrapped her arms around the girl, and her towards her chest and hold on to her with all the warmth she could give, and then she said:

—It’s ok now. It’s all over.

THE END