Distant Minds

Chapter 25: The Forest

    Rain begins to pour aggressively in the quiet town of Springville, and everyone is trapped in their homes. Unfortunately for Ralph and Kate, they decided to go biking at Sunrise Park for the second time. Ralph says to Kate as they cower underneath a tree, "First we get lost, now we get stuck in rain? Okay this place doesn't like me." Kate laughs. "This place doesn't hate you! We just come here at the wrong times!" "Man, tell me about it. Once we're out of here I won't be back for a long time." "Do you think we can make a run for it? I mean we know where the parking lot is," "I don't think so. The bikes will slow us down and we'll be soaking wet by the time we get there." "But I don't just wanna stand here, we're getting wet anyway." Ralph hesitantly agrees. "Yeah, hold on! I think I have an idea. How about I take both bikes to the car while you stay here? You have your phone right? I can get the car and drive it here so you don't have to get any more wet." Kate shrugs nervously. "O- okay, I guess that will be easier. Are you sure?" Ralph holds a handlebar on both bikes and begins to walk away. "Yeah, I'm sure."
After waiting for quite a while, Kate begins to get worried. Where is he? She wonders. What's taking so long? The rain begins to pour harder on the tops of the trees of sunrise park. Kate goes deeper into the forest trail to keep cover, but the deeper she goes the more lost she becomes. She finds herself in the darkest part of the trail. I knew I shouldn't have gone into the forest. Now I- I don't know where I am.. "RALPH!!" She yells. "RALPH!!! ANYBODY!!!" She pulls out her phone. "Crap, Crap, no service. What am I supposed to do now?" Kate loses her sense of direction. All of the trees look the same, the trails split into 5, and the storm is getting stronger. Kate feels the wind brush against her hair as the light begin to close in on the trail. She turns her phone flashlight on. Good thing I have a sweater on today. I was about to leave the house in a shirt.
Ralph parks his car at the place he last saw Kate. Lightning strikes and thunder can be heard rumbling across the dark sky. Where is she? He thinks as he pulls out his phone. Kate cannot be reached at this moment. Please leave a message "Crap she prolly went in the forest trail" Ralph whispers nervously as he exits the car. He turns his flashlight on, and enters the dark trail. "KATE!!" He yells, "KATE WHERE ARE YOU!?" He walks deeper into the trail, not knowing which way he is going. The rain makes it very hard to hear in the forest and Ralph is continuing to struggle on his search. His phone shuts off. "Are you fucking kidding me!? Jesus I really need to charge my phone more often."
Kate's phone light is beginning to dim and the rain is calming down a bit. But the thunder makes it very hard to hear other voices, let alone your own thoughts, so Kate continues to find a way out of the forest. At this point she is soaking wet, and waiting for Ralph to arrive was totally not worth it. She is beginning to hallucinate. Hearing voices in her head. The forest is getting to her. I'll be okay, she whispers. Ralph will come find me. She hears a rustle in the leaves behind her. She turns around to see a humanoid figure a few feet away from her. "Ralph! Oh my goodness it's you! Oh my gosh where have you been-" The humanoid figure walks toward her. Kate shines her light at it. "Shit. Shit. No." The humanoid figure spreads its arms to reveal wings about six feet in length. "I'm just seeing things." Kate staggers backward. "Wh- what i- is that.." she whispers. Red eyes stare deep into her soul, and it begins to fly. "AAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!" She screams loudly. The creature speeds toward her direction. Kate runs as fast as she can in the dark, not seeing anything. She slips and falls against a tree. Shaking, she can't get up. "I'm so scared I'm so scared RAAAALPHHH!!!! RAAAAALLPPHHH!!!" She yells loudly. The creature lands in front of her. Her light shows the appearance. Big ears, fully bloodshot eyes, brown fur. Kate's heart begins to pump loudly. The creature lets out a loud HISSSSSSSSS. "AAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Ralph hears the scream. "Kate?! KATE!!" He runs toward the scream as fast as he can in the puddle filled forest trail. "KATE WHERE ARE YOU?!?" He hears another screech for help. Ralph sees a low dimmed area of light in the near distance. He sprints towards it and sees Kate, helplessly cuddled against a tree, phone in hand. Ralph kneels and tends to her right away. He takes the phone from her hand and puts it towards her. She is pale and shaking aggressively. "R- Ralph... th- there was a monster- h- here. I'm so s- scared Ralph i- is it gone..?" She continues to shiver. Ralph looks around. "Kate, there's nothing here. I think you're just imagining it." He takes off his jacket and wraps it around her mud soaked body. "Kate I'm so so sorry for leaving you here. We should have left together. I'm never leaving you alone ever again." Kate stays silent, still horror shocked. "Can you get up?" Ralph asks quietly, Kate shakes her head no. "Okay. We'll get out of here together." Ralph picks up Kate and puts her on his back. "You good there?" Kate makes herself comfortable on Ralph's shoulder. "Kate you're freezing. We really need to get you home."
Ralph sets Kate down in the passenger seat and sits right next to her. He puts his arm around her and brings her close. Kate dozes off in his arms as Ralph sits there, waiting for the storm to die down. He whispers to her, "I don't know what you imagined there on your own, but I'm very very sorry. I mean it babe." Hours pass by and rain stops completely, and the moon can be seen shining over the soaked city of Springville.