Chapter 4

Before long, a pungent smell invaded my senses. I had to stop, thinking I had come across a skunk hole, but I couldn’t see any of the usual signs. I crinkled my nose and tried to breathe through my mouth so I wouldn’t have to smell it, but now, I could taste it on my tongue.

My eyes started to water from the horrible stench and I lifted my shirt to my face, using it as a mask.

I knew it was probably just an animal marking its territory, but I didn’t remember it smelling this bad the last time I was here. Maybe it’s mating season and the smell needs to be extra potent or whatever.

I quickened my pace, thinking I could put the smell behind me if I just continued forward, but somehow, it just got worse and worse. What kind of an animal even gave off such a reek?

Before long, I reached a fork in the road. Taking the path to the right would bring me to a small lake, while the left would lead to a meadow of wildflowers. I followed the path to the right, thinking that I could dip my feet in the water for a little while.

But a few feet into the path, I felt the hair on the back of my neck stand on edge. I looked over my shoulder, feeling some sort of presence as if someone was behind me, but I couldn’t see anything. “Hello?” I called out, hoping someone would answer. Maybe the couple from earlier had gotten lost again.

When no one answered, I decided to grab the mace from my backpack. I was about to put it back on when I remembered the safety whistle that I always kept attached to one of the zippers. I tried to untie it from my bag when I noticed my fingers shaking. “Come on… Jenna… you’re just being paranoid.” I whispered to myself.

Finally, I managed to grab the whistle, holding it tightly in my hand. Feeling a bit more confident, I stepped forward, but I still couldn’t shake off the feeling that someone was watching me. “Hello?” I called out again, even though I couldn’t see anyone on the path.

Suddenly, I heard a twig snap in the woods and I sprang to my feet, my heart instantly pounding in my chest. “It’s probably just an animal or something…” I tried to convince myself. Looking around, I spotted a large stick and picked it up. I started to bang it against the tree trunks, hoping it would scare away any animals that might be following me.

As I continued on the path, I kept making noise, keeping my head on a swivel. Droplets of sweat formed on my forehead as I started to feel more and more nervous. It was the first time since I had been hiking that I felt like I was in danger.

I could hear my heart pounding in my chest, but my body kept carrying me along the path. My stick banged against the trees, echoing loudly. Birds squawked in irritation as I passed by, flying into the treetops and disappearing.

I watched them, my head craning in their direction.

In my admiration, I didn’t pay attention to my footing and suddenly, I lost my balance. Before I could push my hands in front of me and break my fall, my head smashed into a rock, my vision blurring.

My whole body felt like it was paralyzed as I laid on the forest floor, unable to move an inch. My heart slowed down and my eyelids grew heavy. I tried to fight it, but the darkness was at the edge of my vision and quickly moving in. Soon, it consumed everything and I fell into a dark abyss.

***

I didn’t know how long I was out for. My body felt heavy, my mind foggy. I tried to remember what had happened to me as I slowly regained control of my body. I shuffled my legs. It seemed I was lying on some sort of blanket on the ground. I tried to sit up, but I still couldn’t find the energy to do so.

I took a deep breath and forced my lids apart. For a second, it felt like they were glued together, but slowly, I managed to pry them apart. I blinked a few times, waiting for my vision to come back, but I couldn’t see anything. For a split second, I thought I was blindfolded, but I couldn’t feel anything around my face. I brought my hands up just to make sure.

As I suspected, there wasn’t anything obscuring my vision, so why couldn’t I see? I blinked again, but darkness still surrounded me.

Carefully, I got up, holding onto the surface beside me. It seemed like I was in some sort of a dark cave.

How had I gotten here?

Desperate to see something, anything, I searched around for my backpack, knowing I had packed myself a flashlight. I fumbled around but found nothing.

It was gone.

I searched my pockets to find my phone, pepper spray, whistle, and keys all gone.

Fear quickly bubbled inside of me. I had been kidnapped. Someone had waited for me to knock out on the trail and had brought me here. It was the only explanation.

But I couldn’t understand why they hadn’t tied me up…

If some serial kidnapper was lurking around the woods, looking for girls to do whatever he wanted with, why would he just take their stuff and throw them into a cave? It didn’t make any sense.

All I knew was that I had to get out of here. Whatever was happening, I had to leave this cave before whoever had kidnapped me reared his ugly head.

I clung to the cave wall, hoping it would guide me toward the exit. My palms were sweaty and my fingers were shaking. I had never been so terrified in my whole life. But I couldn’t just sit here and panic. I couldn’t let fear control me. I had to get out of here.

As I continued to shuffle forward, my eyes finally adjusted to the dim lighting.

There was a light trickling in up ahead. This tunnel was leading to an exit!