The Unknown

The trails

Mike's pov

We allow the girls to sleep in so they'll be ready for a long day of hiking. Once everyone's up, Shane and I fry up some bacon and eggs-in-a-basket over the campfire for breakfast. We have some coffee while the girls help clean up. Around twenty minutes later, we're almost ready to go. We extinguish the campfire and grab our backpacks. By 10am we're ready to hit the trails.

"Listen up, girls!" I get their attention as we stand by the first trail marker. "We need to stay together at all times. I will be in front and Shane will bring up the rear. The four of you will be inbetween us, WITHIN SIGHT AT ALL TIMES. Does everyone understand?" I wait for a verbal response from all four.

After hearing four yes sir's, I continue, "There are cliffs and canyons here that can be very dangerous for hikers. Sometimes the weather causes rocks and other surfaces to become slippery and unsafe. Erosion can wear away soil, making some paths unusable. There won't always be warning signs or barricades, which is why it's so important the four of you stay with us. AT. ALL. TIMES. Have I  made myself perfectly clear girls?"

"Yes sir," the girls say in unison.

"Great, let's go."

We spend two hours leisurely walking the trails before we find a place to stop for our picnic lunch. Sandwiches and juice boxes all around. The girls ask if they can play by a nearby creek while Shane and I finish our lunch.

"Stay where we can see you," I say, as they run off. We shoot the breeze for a bit, enjoying a break from the endless questions the girls have had while hiking. After collecting all our garbage, we're ready to continue.

"Let's go, girls," I yell, calling them over. I hear, "Okay, we're coming."

The girls run over. Lisa, Carrie, Julie.

"Wait, where's Stacey?" I question, starting to panic. Julie shrugs. I grab Carrie squarely by the shoulders. "Carrie, where's Stacey?"

"She went down a path by the creek, I think."

Shit! I silently curse.

"Shane, Stacey's lost. We need to find her," I say in a panic, as Shane returns from a relief stop.

"Stacey, Stacey, Stacey, where are you? Stacey, can you hear me?" Shane and I are yelling at the top of our lungs. We hear only silence in return. I take out my cell phone to call for help. Fuck! There's no cell service here.

"Shane, run back to the car and drive over to the rangers' station. See if they can help us with the search. I'll keep the girls with me until you get back."

Shane, looking directly at me, says, "Hey, it's going to be okay. We'll find her."

I don't know who he's trying to reassure more. He takes off running back to the cabin. I grab Carrie, maybe a little too roughly, again.

"I need you to show me where you saw Stacey go when she walked away from you guys."

Carrie just looks at me frozen by fear. I shake her shoulders trying to snap her out of this trance.

"NOW, CARRIE. SHOW ME NOW!" She starts to tear up. I feel awful for scaring her by grabbing her and yelling, but I can't worry about that now. Stacey could be hurt or in danger. I need to find her as soon as possible.

"I think she went over there," Carrie says softly, pointing to a narrow trail about five yards from where they were playing by the creek.

"The three of you stay here and don't move a muscle. I'll be right back."

I follow the trail into the woods, shouting Stacey's name and looking for clues indicating she's nearby. I don't see or hear any sign of her. Afraid to leave the girls alone for too long, I head back to where I left them. I pray for her to be okay and for Shane to get back quickly so I can look for her. I feel so helpless. I see how scared the girls look sitting on a boulder, staring intently at me, wanting me to tell them everything's going to be alright.

"Don't cry," I say, bending down and wiping tears from Carrie's and Lisa's cheeks. Julie's not crying but she has a blank stare on her scared little face. I know she's worried about her cousin.

"We're going to find her soon."

I know I'm not very convincing but it's hard for me to put on a brave face when I'm this terrified. I pace nervously, awaiting Shane's return. I can't stand doing nothing to find her. What if she's fallen and broken her leg, or slipped off the side of a cliff, or been kidnapped for chrissake? What if we don't find her by nightfall? She'll be alone and scared in the dark. I have to do something. I can't just stand here waiting. I continue to pace back and forth, becoming more impatient with each stride.

What was that? I heard a noise. Oh thank God, I hear someone coming. Maybe it's Stacey. I allow myself a glimmer of hope. Oh, it's only Shane and two of the park rangers.

"Don't worry, Dr. Horton. We're going to find your daughter. Dispatch has been alerted and if we don't find her by foot, Search and Rescue will search by helicopter. Why don't you take the kids back to the ranger station and wait there? We'll keep you up to date on the search."

"That's not going to happen. Nothing's going to keep me from searching for my daughter."

"Based on what Admiral Donovan told me, I kinda figured that would be your answer. I brought radios for the two of you so we can stay in communication while we search. If it's alright with you, I'll have a volunteer pick up the girls and wait with them at the station. I promise they'll be safe."

"Of course they can wait at the station." I kiss the girls and tell them to wait with the ranger and behave at the station. "Shane and I will be back soon with Stacey."

We each head off in different directions to start the search.

Stacey's pov

I'm lost. Mike's gonna be so mad at me. I don't know how I got so far away from everyone. I just wanted to find some rocks to throw in the creek. I only went down the path a little but then I didn't know which way to go to get back. I kept thinking they're gonna know I'm gone soon, I've got to get back before Mike finds out. He's gonna be so mad at me and then he'll spank me. I started walking faster and then I just started running but I can't find my way back. I'm so scared. It's spooky here being all alone. I hear weird noises that make me jump.

I don't know what to do, so I yell, "help help help," over and over til my throat hurts. No one hears me though, so I sit down and start crying.

Mike's pov

Where could she be? Why isn't she answering us? Can't she hear us? I run down the trail until my lungs burn and I'm so out of breath I think I'll pass out from hyperventilating.

I drop to my knees and pray out loud, "God, please keep Stacey safe and help us find her. Please Lord."

I bury my face in my hands. Why weren't we watching the girls more closely? I shouldn't have taken my eyes off of them for even a second. What was I thinking bringing four little kids here? This is all my fault. What have I done?

Suddenly I hear it. The three most beautiful words ever spoken.

"We found her." It's my radio. One of the rangers. "She's pretty shaken up but not hurt or injured. We're heading back to base now. I repeat, mission complete, call off the search. Everyone convene at the station. Out."

"Thank you, God," I say, raising my head to the heavens. I find my second wind and race back to the rangers' station. Now that I know she's ok, I want to kill her. First hug her, then strangle her.

Back at the station

Mike's pov

I'm the last one back to the station. I guess I ran further than I realized while I was searching. I burst through the door and see Stacey standing by the girls. Her eyes are red and swollen and her shoulders are still shaking as she tries to stop crying. She looks up and sees me enter. My anger takes a backseat to my elation. I run to her, pick her up, kiss her and hug her so tightly, afraid to let go.

"Thank God you're okay. I was so worried." I hold her even closer and whisper in her ear, "Don't ever scare me like that again."

Stacey sobs into my shoulder, her little hands clasped behind my neck.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry Mike," she says, choking through tears.

"I know, baby. I know," I say, gently holding her head against my chest.