Lost and Found

“The cabin in the woods had been abandoned for years, but one night, a candle burned in the window.”

“Oooo, that sounds so scary. A cabin in the woods. That’s a story that has never been told before,” Dylan said sarcastically to the man who had come over from the next campsite.

A few minutes prior, Dylan and his friends walked over to his campsite to ask if they could score some beer since they were underage. The man was tall and thin with grey hair and had a calm demeanor. He looked harmless enough, so when they saw him drinking a few beers in front of his large blue tent, they walked to his site and asked for some. “Sure,” the man said, in exchange for some of the marshmallows they were roasting. He also insisted that he tell them a ghost story while they roasted marshmallows. The teens snickered, “Yeah right, we don’t need to hear about the latest episode of Dateline that you watched last night before your 9:00 bedtime old man.” The man smirked and sat down. “Trust me, if this story doesn’t scare you, you can have the rest of my beers and I will disappear,” he said seriously. The teens looked at one another, “deal,” they said.

After Dylan mocked the first line of the man’s story, he said, “I thought we made a deal? in a more forceful tone. “Sorry,” Dylan said. “We’re listening,” he assured him. The man continued, “As I was saying, there was a candle burning in the window of this abandoned cabin. The candle would continue to burn each night until it was found. After all, it could be considered as lost. Lost in the deep forest of the Appalachian mountains.” The teens shifted in their seats as they were currently in the Appalachian mountains. The man cleared his throat, looking at each of the teens with narrowed eyes as he continued his story.

The same mountains that Jane, Penny, and Eddie were traveling through. Jane and her father Miles lived in Boone County, West Virginia. Which was not far from some of the most remote areas of the Appalachian Mountains. A vast wilderness with portions widely undiscovered. Jane was told for years to never go into the forests that lurked just outside of her small town and certainly, never go alone. Her father would never explain the reasons why she shouldn’t go into the forests, but she thinks it has something to do with the disappearance of his brother 15 years ago during their hiking trip in the mountains. Whenever she asks what happened to her uncle, his face goes pale, he freezes in place, and simply says, “He went where he wasn’t supposed to go, and he paid the price.” Then he tells me to not speak of this again. “Do not go into those mountains. And especially, do not go into the mountains at night.”

But Jane just grew more curious about what was in those mountains. She had heard about all of the people who had disappeared exploring the forests over the years, with little to no trace left behind. She’d also heard tales of dangerous creatures. Some described them as creatures who could change their physical form or mimic the appearance and voice of a person. She had even heard tales of ghosts and evil spirits lurking in the thick forests.

Jane was fascinated by these stories despite the fear she felt inside at the possibility of discovering the darkness that may live in the forests. However, Jane wasn’t one to believe in urban legends, so she decided to do some investigating of her own. So, when she turned 18, she decided to make a trip with her best friend Penny and Penny’s boyfriend Eddie after graduation. She would tell her dad they were going to Atlanta to visit her mother and to explore the city for a few days. However, she had found a map in her dad’s office a few months ago with a small red circle in the middle of a portion of the mountains not far from Boone County. Next to the map was a picture of her dad and his brother Tom in front of a blue tent surrounded by trees and lush greenery. This must have been the trip where her Uncle Tom went missing. She didn’t know how he disappeared, but it only fed her curiosity.

Just before leaving her house the morning of their trip, she snuck into her dad’s office, grabbed the map, and tucked it into the pouch of her backpack. According to her GPS, the location was only a few hours away. It appeared to be in a remote area, so the GPS indicated that they would be arriving near the spot by a few miles give or take. Jane didn’t know what to expect about the difficulty of finding the precise location on the map, so she made sure to pack food, water, flashlights, and the essentials to build a small shelter. She only expected to explore the area for a few days.

Before she left, she kissed her dad on the cheek to say goodbye. “Have fun in Atlanta sweetie and call me in a couple of days!” he said. After they closed the front door Eddie asked, “Why didn’t you tell your dad where we are really going?” with confusion in his voice. “I’ll explain it all on the drive down,” she said. “Besides, I know you both are always down for a great adventure,” Jane laughed. “Hell yeah!” they both said in unison. They each threw their backpacks into the bed of Eddie’s truck. It was sunny outside with a slight breeze and there was a smell of dew on the grass. It was a bit warm so Jane pulled her long brown hair into a ponytail. She took a deep breath and got into the truck after Penny and Eddie. “So, where exactly into these mountains are we headed?” Eddie asked scratching his thick head of hair. Jane gave him the GPS information and they began their adventure toward the mountains at last.

As they drove through the winding pathways of the Appalachian mountains, Jane gasped at the lush green forests surrounding them. The sun was shining through the trees and she had never seen anything so beautiful. The forests seemed endless, which was both exciting and haunting. She suddenly felt a pit in her stomach. What if they get lost? What if they find answers about Tom’s disappearance? Jane was already in too deep to turn back now. Also, Eddie had gotten them turned around which caused the crew to lose an hour of daylight. They had to keep going if they were going to have any chance of finding the spot before nightfall.

After a few hours, the roads became narrow and winding, signaling that they were reaching the more remote areas of the forests. This became more apparent as they hadn’t seen another car in quite some time. They soon reached the end of the road they were on, which met a slender path not large enough for a vehicle to travel through. The path seemed out of place and the overgrown brush surrounding it made the trail barely visible. It seemed they had reached the end of where their GPS could take them. Their cell phone reception was already becoming spotty. There were no other visible paths in sight, so this must be where they needed to go.

Eddie parked the truck and they all walked toward the trail. Penny stopped, staring at the trail suspiciously. “Are you sure about this Jane? This pathway looks dangerous,” she said. Jane swallowed her uncertainty and nodded, “Come on, we don’t have time to waste.”

So the three of them began to walk down the shifty pathway. The trail was steep and winding. The rocky ground was unstable and became more treacherous the further they descended. Penny grabbed Eddie’s arms forcefully to keep her balance. “Are we lost?” Penny asked with a shaky voice. “I sure hope not,” said Jane nervously. “We’ve been walking for miles,” Penny said clearly frustrated as her sweaty blonde hair stuck to her face. “I know, but we’re almost there,” Jane said lying through her teeth, as she had no idea if that was true. The spot on the map was just beyond this trail, but it was impossible to tell how deep into the woods they would have to go to find it. Or could they even find it at all before nightfall? Jane was starting to doubt how well she had thought this through.

It was starting to become dusk and the wooded area became denser the further they walked. The tall weeds and overgrown trees were incredibly difficult to trudge through. Jane was focused on her every movement so she wouldn’t trip over the branches that were entangled within the trail. Eddie stumbled on a rock and Jane grabbed his pack to keep him from falling. “Thanks,” he said. Jane could hear the fear and uncertainty in Eddie’s voice.

Just as the group began to fear that they were truly lost, a clearing suddenly opened. The clearing looked like a perfect circle with trees surrounding it symmetrically. It was hard to see into the forests beyond the thick wall of trees that encompassed the wide open space like a tall fence. “Wow,” they all gasped. This had to be the spot on the map. The confinement of the trees around them gave Jane an eerie feeling. However, this was where the path ended, so they entered the clearing.

The group set up camp and munched on some granola bars as they were too tired to start a fire and cook food. Jane tried to call her dad, but there was no cell service this far out into the woods. She’d have to call him as soon as they got back to Eddie’s truck in a couple of days. After eating, they assembled their tent and got into their sleeping bags to get some rest. The forest was so quiet that Jane didn’t even hear the buzzing of bugs or the chirping of crickets. Jane, Penny, and Eddie fell asleep quickly in the silence of the forest.

***

Jane awoke to Penny shaking her and yelling, “Where’s Eddie!? He’s gone!” with panic in her voice. “He’s probably just using the bathroom,” Jane said still groggy. At that moment they heard a blood-curdling scream. The kind of scream that nearly stops your heart. It sounded like Eddie, but it swirled in pitch and volume around the tent. It sounded like it was coming from all around them. “That’s Eddie!” Penny yelled. They ran from the tent and were instantly consumed by the guttural shrieks. The screams rang in Jane’s ears and she nearly lost her balance. This wasn’t just Eddie screaming. It couldn’t be with the sheer force and volume it exuded. Another voice could be heard, but it didn’t sound human. It was deep and coarse like gravel.

Then, suddenly the screams stopped. All sound stopped. It was as if the sound was stripped clean from the forest. All that could be heard was a ringing in their ears and the rapid beating of their hearts. The silence was deafening and horrifying. Jane felt lost in the pitch-black darkness. She grabbed Penny’s arm which was shaking uncontrollably. And then, they heard a single whisper in the darkness.

It was Eddie’s voice. “Penny.” It said quickly and quietly. “Penny help me.” The voice was too calm. Too at ease. But it was Eddie’s voice. Suddenly, Penny screamed Eddie’s name and darted off towards the sound. “Penny no!” Jane yelled. She tried to chase after her, but tripped over a branch and fell. Her chin hit the dirt and she felt her teeth bite through her lip. She felt the warm blood drip down to her neck. The searing pain was far less terrifying than the reality that Jane was now completely alone.

Jane couldn’t see a thing. It was as if a veil had instantly covered the night sky and concealed all visibility. It felt like a cloud of black smoke had seeped into the woods and the air became dense and still. The silence and darkness were drowning Jane’s senses. She felt like she was choking and began to panic. Dizzy and shaking, she forced herself up to find Penny.

Jane stumbled aimlessly with her arms outstretched to try and feel the trees and form some semblance of a path. She walked for what seemed like hours yelling Penny’s name with no reply. Jane realized, she had no idea how to get back to the tent. She would be out here alone in this forest until morning. Jane swallowed the heavy thought like a jagged pill and kept going, tripping over branches that couldn’t be seen. Until she felt a sudden presence.

Jane stood frozen as a gust of wind surged across her face. The strands of her brown hair blew back wildly. But the blast of wind was warm and smelled sour, like sulfur. It wasn’t the wind. It was a breath. Jane was unable to move as the fear had reached into her soul and taken its hold. And then Jane heard another scream. This time it was a female scream. It was Penny. Except it felt as if it was right next to her, expelling into each of her ears at equal volume. The sound was so loud her ears began to ache. Jane cupped her ears and fell to the ground crying and begging for it to stop. The terrible shrieks collapsed onto her with a weight that felt as if her bones would break. Then it stopped. Jane laid there shaking for a few minutes until she finally let her quivering hands down from her ears. Her hands were warm and wet. She reached up weakly and touched her ears. They were bleeding.

Suddenly, in the thick black darkness, Jane saw a flickering light. Disoriented, she ran towards it. As she got closer, she could just barely make out that it was inside the window of a small cabin. The light was so dim she wasn’t sure if she was just seeing things. Jane felt a wave of relief as she had finally found someone to help her. Then she heard two voices in unison coming from inside the cabin. It was Eddie and Penny. “We’re in here Jane. Come in.” they chimed with soft sweet voices. Jane felt a pit in her stomach. This didn’t feel right. She instantly heard her dad’s voice in her head saying “he went where he wasn’t supposed to go and he paid the price.” At that moment, Jane somehow knew that this was the place she wasn’t supposed to go. She whipped her body around and tried to run until a force beyond her control grasped her tightly. The sinister force enveloped her and she was powerless. She knew there was no exit.

She felt herself being pushed towards the door. “No!” She screamed as she got closer and closer. The door swung open violently. “Come in Jane,” her friends said softly. Jane walked through the doors. As she turned the corner she heard a scream, unlike anything she’d ever heard before. It was a shriek of horror. But this time it was her own. The door slammed shut. The candle burned out swiftly and the darkness claimed the forest once again.

***

Miles knew something was wrong when he hadn’t heard from Jane in two days and she didn’t arrive at her mother’s house. He went into his office to search on his computer for places Jane may have gone, as Jane often used his computer as well. He noticed something on the floor as he sat down. When he peered under the desk he realized it was a picture of him and his brother Tom. The picture they took together on the last day he ever saw him in the Appalachian mountains. He felt a sense of panic and desperately searched for the map he always kept next to the picture. The map was missing. It was then that he knew that Jane did not go to Atlanta, she went into the mountains.

A deep feeling of dread overtook him when he realized that Jane intended to follow the map to the exact place where Tom disappeared. He knew better than to call the police this time as he remembered how they treated him 15 years ago when Tom went missing. Noises in the woods, horrifying screams, and voices. After Miles barely made it out of the forest safely, the police made him feel crazy for believing in silly ghost stories and urban legends. They closed the case saying Tom must have been killed by dangerous wildlife in the woods after he got lost. Miles knew he had to take the search for Jane into his own hands if he was ever going to find her.

Miles did not have the map to follow this time, but he would never forget how to get there as he went back only once to search for his brother shortly after he disappeared. He only made it a few miles into that winding treacherous trail when he heard the same whispers he heard the night Tom disappeared. He remembered feeling eyes watching him. He was too afraid to continue so he ran back to the start of the trail and went home. He never went back until today. Today he would go back into the mountains to find Jane. Towards the very place that took his brother from him. He was utterly terrified, but he knew Jane would be in incredible danger if she entered those woods.

Miles sped through the streets as fast as he could as it would be nightfall soon enough. At last, he reached the all too familiar end of the road where he saw Eddie’s car parked next to the dead-end.

He spotted the single trail he trudged through all of those years ago with Tom. He nervously got out of his car and walked towards the ominous pathway. The entangled and overgrown brush consuming the trail was just as he remembered. Miles stumbled and struggled to catch his breath, but he never slowed down. He remembered how he cursed at Tom for making them hike down this treacherous hill 15 years ago. He’d never forget the perfect circle of trees that invited them in so graciously when they’d stumbled down this winding path all those years ago.

When Miles finally reached the clearing, he stopped at its opening. The opening that ushered him in to the perfect circle of trees and felt like a secret place he wasn’t supposed to find. Miles froze briefly with fear as he remembered the haunting details of his time in the clearing with Tom all those years ago. He shook his head and said to himself, “Snap out of it, you have to find Jane.”

Miles ran into the clearing and spotted a tent. He frantically unzipped it and found Jane's purple jacket. Miles screamed her name and ran through the forest swatting through jagged tree branches. He had been running for hours and nightfall hovered over him. An familiar eerie feeling approached him as well.

“Jane! Please answer me! Jane, It’s me, dad!” he yelled desperately. As soon as the words left his mouth he heard a soft voice. “Daddy,” said the voice. Miles froze. “Daddy, It’s me, Jane,” it spoke again. It was Jane. Miles followed the voice, “Jane where are you, I can’t find you!” he yelled as he ran towards the voice that led him closer and closer to its destination. Miles ran until he saw a small cabin with a single candle burning in the window. Miles sighed with relief. Jane must have gotten lost and found a place where she could stay until someone found her.

“Daddy, I’m in here. Come in,” she said sweetly. Miles walked towards the door slowly. He stopped at the top of the porch stairs and hesitated to open the door. He felt very uneasy as if he was being watched from all directions. He remembered that uneasy feeling of eyes peering at him in the darkness.

He started to hear whispers from all around him, just as he had 15 years ago when he searched for Tom. Miles started to back up when he heard Jane’s voice say more powerfully this time, “Daddy, I’ve been waiting for you. Please help me!” Miles pushed open the door without hesitation. The candle dimmed suddenly and he could barely see anything inside the cabin except a pair of white eyes staring at him from across the room. “Jane?” he muttered with a sudden sense of terror. The door slammed shut. A thundering scream could be heard throughout the entire forest. Then there was only silence. The candle burned out and the darkness claimed the forest once again.

***

“Legend says the candle continues to burn in the cabin each night, waiting for someone to find the lost flame. Waiting for them to find what lurks inside of that cabin. What lives inside of our nightmares. And what waits for all of us,” the old man said concluding his story.

The teens were visibly shaking and breathing heavily. The man’s face shifted to a cold and distant stare. “Well, I can see you liked the story,” he chuckled, “but I’ve gotta get to bed,” as he signaled to his blue tent. The teens sighed with relief as he began to walk away. “Oh, by the way, what’s your name?” Dylan asked. “Oh, I’m Tom.”