Into The Woods

Chapter 1

Lost

It was a year ago today that it happened; what I am about to tell you, terrified me when I first heard about it, and haunts my memory still.  Let me tell you the story of Eliza Goodrich and Amy Knight. At the time they were both seniors in Broadway high school; there art teacher Mr Griffin was taking the class on a two-day trip through the forests of mount Deer, so they could get a real grip on the art of nature.

“Do you have any potato chips? I forgot to bring any, and I’m starving; this whole nature thing is such a drag,” said Amy, with a sigh.

“Let me check,” said Eliza

They stopped and Eliza started rummaging through her bag, to find a small packet of bacon potato chips.  She tore them open and held them in front of Amy so she could take some.

“Where’s everyone gone?” asked Amy.

“I don’t know.  HELLO GUYS, ANYBODY; WHERE ARE YOU? HELLO! Oh my god I think we’re lost.  We’ve got to catch up with them”, said Eliza, starting to feel nervous butterflies in her stomach.

They started to run as fast as they could. Suddenly Amy tripped over some barbed wire, which cut deeply into her foot.

“Ahh, help me,” she cried out in pain.

Eliza turned around to see what was wrong.  On seeing her friend trapped in the wire, she ran to her aid.

“Oh my God, are you ok?” she said, concerned.

“What do you think?” replied Amy, sarcastically.

“Oh,” said Eliza looking at the barbed wire, then her foot.

She ripped some of her sleeve and wrapped it around the angry, bleeding wound.

“I’ve got to go after them,” said Eliza, seeing an even greater need to acquire assistance now.

“Please don’t leave me here,” pleaded Amy, not wanting to be left on her own in such a state.

“I really should get help, but ok I’ll stay with you, I couldn’t bare the thought of someone coming along to you while I’m away.  Who knows what might happen? We are friends after all, right?  So then, we’ll have to crash here for tonight, its almost sundown.  We can try and catch up with the class tomorrow; they’ll be stopping soon, and maybe your leg will be a bit more fit to walk on then,” Eliza replied, resigned to the situation and without really knowing what else she could do.  She just knew she wouldn’t be able to live with herself if she came back and found her friend in a worse state or even, God forbid, missing.

Sundown came.

The fire crackled away.

“Did you bring any food with you Amy?” Eliza enquired, feeling hunger starting to eat away at her.

“Yeah, there should be some chocolate” Power Bars” and Evian in my backpack,” Amy replied, relieved that her friend had decided to stay with her.  She’d seen films like “Deliverance” and “Wrong Turn”; so couldn’t bare the thought of being left on her own here.

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The sun rose; Eliza did not get any sleep.

“Amy, are you awake?” she enquired.

She shook Amy’s shoulders in an attempt to wake her.

“It was all a dream, please tell me it was all a dream!” screamed Amy.

TBC