Cascadia

3. Woman in the Woods

Keana felt like Alice chasing the White Rabbit as she traipsed after the dog. It consistently rushed a good distance ahead of her, but always halted to ensure she didn't fall too far behind. Despite the gap between them, it never let her disappear from its line of sight as they trekked deeper and deeper into the woods. She traveled up and down many unexpected slopes and sharp inclines until the forest around her started to feel unfamiliar.

As dark fell, the shadows of the forest grew longer. Earthy colors darkened to deep shades of black as the sun retreated behind a distant range of mountains. She shivered against the cold and rolled the sleeves of her thin flannel shirt down over her arms, grateful she hadn't bothered to change out of her warm clothes earlier that day. Soon it was too dark to make out her furry guide. She tripped over exposed roots and mossy logs, and grew certain the perpetual scraping of thin, dry branches had done a number to her face.

At last, she let out a frustrated groan and stopped dead in her tracks.

"I give up," she told the dog. Using her outstretched hands, she groped around in the dark until she found a mossy stump upon which to plant herself. "I don't even know where I am anymore."

She could barely make out the shape of the dog standing off to her right, watching her while emitting the most pathetic whine she'd ever heard. It was obvious the canine was eager for her to keep following, but she just couldn't do it anymore. She was alone. Scared. Tired. Above all, she was hungry and no longer in the mood for exploring. She decided to remain on the stump for the duration of the night and in a few hours, once the first light of dawn broke through the trees, she would get up and make her way back to Elysium.

She sat in silence for a long time, gazing up at the stars blinking faintly above the trees. The soft sound of rippling water filled her ears, causing her to realize just how thirsty she'd become after having not had anything to drink for the entirety of the day. The prospect of cool liquid on her parched throat was enough of an incentive to get her onto her feet and once again feeling her way through the trees, intently focused on following the sound. The dog, alert and ready to go, ran ahead of her, still attempting to guide her with his keen hearing and sense of smell.

Keana pushed through a coppice of trees and found herself standing on the rocky bank of a small creek. The dog began licking the water while Keana watched, hypnotized by the pale moonlight reflected off the flowing surface. Entranced, she focused on the swirling eddies as she listened to the gentle lapping of water crashing against the rocks. There was something about the sound which soothed her anxiety, exorcising all the tension and fear from her body and replacing it with a sense of calmness. Finally, she knelt and cupped her hands to fill them with crystal-clear liquid, which she promptly slurped down. It felt refreshing in her mouth, so she helped herself to three more handfuls before she felt hydrated.

Drying her hands against her jeans, she noticed the dog was now standing with his back to her and his ears flattened in warning as he faced off against the dark shadows of the forest. There was something hidden behind the black void the engulfed the bank of the creek. The dog lowered its head and emitted a soft growl from the back of its throat. She crouched low to try and see what could possibly have gotten the dog so agitated.

And that's when she noticed the scent of cooked chicken carrying along the breeze to greet her nose. Her mouth watered and her tummy grumbled. Ravished by hunger, she cursed herself for not having bothered to eat earlier in the day. Straightening up, she inhaled deeply and savored the delicious scent.

Urged forward by her desperate hunger, Keana found a place where she could easily cross the creek by stepping on a series of rocks perfectly illuminated by the fullness of the moon. She placed her foot onto the first stone, taking great care not to slip as she swung her other leg forward to reach the second. The third one, being relatively long and flat, allowed her enough room to plant both feet before continuing across. She worked up enough momentum to leap between the last two and traverse the final gap, landing firmly upon the opposite shore. Of course, her shoe came down in a slick patch of mud, throwing her off balance. She reached out and grabbed onto a thick willow branch to keep from stumbling backward into the creek.