by Wendy Wang
“You’re awake,” a man’s voice said from behind her. Charlie turned quickly. She glanced at the ground and snapped up a rock.
Her blood pounded in her ears as she sized him up. He had a boyish face, wore his curly brown hair short, but he was tall and broad-shouldered. He easily outweighed her by 70 pounds. “You stay right there,” she said, summoning a warning voice.
He held his hands up in surrender and gave her a weak smile. “I’m not gonna hurt you. I promise.” He took a step closer.
Charlie clenched her jaw. What she wouldn’t give for one of her uncle’s shotguns right about now. “I mean it. Stay put.”
“Okay, sorry.” He smiled sheepishly. “It’s just you’re the first person I’ve seen in a while.”
Charlie frowned. “What do you mean?”
“It seems like I’ve been out here alone forever. I saw you fall into the river. Fished you out.”
The whole thing reminded her too much of the way she met Tom. “Are you a reaper?”
“I . . . am I a what?” Confusion clouded his dark brown eyes.
“Nothing. Never mind.” She let her arm fall to her side. She glanced around. “Where are we?”
“My campsite. I’ve been here for . . . “ He paused and the line between his brows grew deep as he stopped to think. “For a while I guess. I saw you fall into the river and pulled you out before you went over the falls. You'd have been dashed to bits on the rocks if you’d reached the rapids.”
Charlie shivered and glanced around. The gloom of the forest went on in every direction. She scanned the trees for the girl. “I don’t hear water. How far are we from the river?”
“A way in,” he said. “I figured I could get you warmed up fastest with my sleeping bag and fire.”
“You . . . you stripped me out of my clothes.” It wasn’t a question. She knew the answer. Of course, he did. Who else would it have been? Her cheeks flushed with the heat of embarrassment.
“You were already on the verge of hypothermia. Leaving you in your clothes would have definitely made it worse.”
The adrenaline pumping through her body made her skin twitchy, and she tightened her fingers around the rock in her hands. A million questions danced on the tip of her tongue, but she couldn't settle on just one. Her thoughts kept traveling back to the girl. Where was that dead girl?
“It’s not that I don’t appreciate you pulling me from the river, but I'd like to go back to my cabin now. My family will be worried. So, if you would just take me back to the river I'll be on my way.”
“Sure, of course. There's just one thing.”
“What?”
“There's no place to safely cross the river. Not for miles.”
“What? Which side of the river are we on?”
“It’s kind of stupid. They call it the Devil’s Snare, but really, it’s fine. I’ve camped in these woods all my life.”
Charlie’s heart dropped to her stomach. There is no light. Only the dark. Only these woods. The girl’s high voice floated through her head. “We have to get out of here.”
“Okay. I understand. I’ll be happy to take you back, but we’ll have hike to my truck, which is even farther away than the river I’m afraid.” He glanced over his shoulder. “This forest is pretty dense. It could take several hours just to cross the two miles to my truck.”
Charlie glanced at the sky. A thick layer of clouds obscured the sun making it impossible to determine the time. “Well, let’s get going then.”
“It’s gonna be dark soon and walking through these woods is hard enough when it’s light. I was thinking we just stay put tonight and we’ll head out at first light.”
Charlie shifted her feet. Her breath sounded harsh in her ears. “Why are you so far out?”
“I was following one of the trails. But I got curious about these woods. You know what they say about them and all.” His eyes tightened and darkened as he spoke. “Turns out the rumors are true.”
Daphne’s voice floated through Charlie’s head. There’s a place called the Devil’s Snare. It’s supposed to be haunted. Right up your alley.
“What rumors?” She held her breath, her heartbeat quickening.
“You know, that it’s easy to get in but hard to get out.”
Charlie sighed. “So you're lost. Is that what you're trying to tell me?”
“Not lost exactly. Just a little off course.” He sounded a little defensive.
“Fantastic. That is just freaking fantastic. So we’re both lost.” She started to pace back and forth keeping the fire between them. “Do you have a cell phone?”
His forehead wrinkled, and he shook his head. “Um. No. Sorry. I’m not really into technology.”
“Great. Do you at least know how to get back to the river? My family will come looking for me. I have no doubt about that. If we can get to the river we’ll at least have a chance of seeing them on the other side. Then they can call the authorities and get us both out of here.”
“Right.” He nodded. “That’s a good plan.”
“Oh-kay, well?”
“Oh, um, it's that way about quarter of a mile.” He pointed to his left. All she could see were more trees and the darkened gloom.
“Wait, you carried me that whole way?”
“I . . . “ He kicked the toe of his boot into the leaves. “You were almost hypothermic. I didn't want you to die. I knew I could warm you up here.”
Charlie dropped the rock in her hand. What an idiot she’d been. “I’m sorry. I should be thanking you. I guess I overreacted.”
“No, it’s totally understandable. Honestly, I’m surprised you’re not more freaked out.” He chuckled softly.
Charlie forced a smile. “Don’t get me wrong. I’m still freaked out. There are . . . “ She glanced around, scanning the woods. Where was the girl? This was her territory. “I just really want to go home.”
“Of course.” He nodded but didn’t move.
“So, you said it’s this way?” Charlie pointed and took a step in the direction he’d pointed to a few moments before.
“Yep.” He nodded.
Charlie’s stomach growled loud enough for them both to hear and she pressed her hand against her belly.
“You're hungry?”
“A little,” she lied. If given the opportunity, she would have eaten a horse.
“Hang on,” he said. He looked around the ground as if he were trying to find something. Then he held up one finger and smiled. “Be right back.” He disappeared into the small two-man tent nearby and returned with a backpack. He fumbled to get it open and dug out an energy bar in tan plastic wrapping. “I know it's not the same as hot food but it's about 250 calories.” He handed her the bar, and she leaned carefully over just far enough to snatch it back from him.
She read the flavor on the package: crunchy peanut butter. Her stomach growled louder when she ripped open the plastic wrapping with her teeth. The oat and protein enriched peanut butter bar tasted a little stale, but she didn't care. She crunched through it quickly, wishing for more. She looked up, and he handed her a plastic bottle of water. The label looked worn and bleached. Maybe he had bought several cases of it and by the time he'd gotten to the last bottles the labels had started to fade. Whatever the reason, she didn't really care. She twisted off the plastic top and downed a big gulp of water.
“You want another one?” He held up another energy bar.
“Maybe for the road.” She took the bar and crammed it into the pocket of her damp jeans. “I lost my camera. But I don't remember taking off my bag. Did I come with one?”
“Right, your bag.” He walked over to the camping chair, which looked a little worse for wear. Hanging off the back of it was her bag. He grabbed the strap and handed it to her. “Everything's there. I mean I did look at your wallet to see who you were, but that's all. I promise.” His words just kept plucking at her tightly wound nerves. “Charlotte.” Her name on his lips kind of creeped her out, and she fought the urge
to shiver.
“You didn't happen to see a necklace around my neck, did you?” Absentmindedly, she put her hand to her throat. “Maybe when you pulled me out? It was round and had a little star on it.”
His lips flattened into a thin line and he shook his head. “No. Sorry.”
Charlie paused, waiting for her intuition to tell her if he was lying. But everything about this guy seemed off. Everything about him screamed watch your back, which made no sense. After all, he had pulled her from the river and saved her from drowning.
“Okay. Well, you can call me Charlie. That's what everyone else does.”
“Charlie,” he muttered. “I like that.”
“So — “ Awkward tension crept up between them. “What’s your name?”
“Daniel.”
“Daniel.” Charlie swayed on her feet and jerked her thumb toward the woods. “Well, it’s nice to meet you and all but I'd really like to see if we could make it to the river before the sun sets. The last thing I want is to spend the night in these woods.”
“Of course. I’ll just pack up my campsite and we’ll head that way.”
“Uh . . . okay,” Charlie said tentatively. Why did he need to move his campsite?
“I was going to move closer to the water today. Like I said, it's not always easy to keep things straight in these woods so if we do find your family maybe I'll go with you guys if that's okay. Try to get on the trails a more traditional way.”
“Sure,” she said. “That would be good. And much safer for you.” She glanced around again. These woods were still haunted by at least one ghost and possibly by more if the girl was to be believed. “What can I do to help?”
Chapter 9
Jen stood by the window of Charlie’s bedroom and watched as Sergeant Hicks picked through Charlie's things looking for some sort of clue. Even though she couldn’t see the dark halo emanating from him, just knowing it was there made her uneasy, especially as he grabbed a pair of Charlie’s panties and onto held them for a few seconds. Jen made a mental note to tell Charlie, just in case she wanted to burn them once they found her.
“She took her phone with her?” he asked.
“Yes,” Jen said. She folded her arms across her chest and frowned. “I showed you the text, remember?”
“Right,” Hicks said. He moved on.
Jen glanced out the window and watched Lisa lead two officers and Daphne down the path to the river. She wished they could’ve all gone together.
“So, is this common? Does your cousin often just wander off?”
“It was a beautiful morning. She's on vacation,” Jen said, feeling a little defensive. She bristled. “She took a walk.”
“Of course.” He smiled, but it never touched his eyes. “It's not uncommon you know.”
“What?” Jen asked.
“For someone to get lost around here. It happens, probably more than it should,” Hicks said.
“Why is that?” Jen asked.
“People are curious about the woods here. Because of the legend.”
“Sure, something about the Devil's Snare?” Jen asked. “It’s a curse, right?”
He nodded. “Right. If you believe in curses.”
Jen felt the hair on the back of her neck stand up, and she fought the tremor threatening to shake through her. She did believe in curses. “My cousin Daphne has a book about the place. They hung a witch, right?”
“Yep, they did. Almost three hundred years ago. People always blame her when hikers disappear.”
“Who do you blame?”
“Me?” Hicks chuckled. “Well, since she doesn't really exist, I blame the hikers for wandering off the trails.”
“Do they ever find them?”
“Sometimes,” he said.
Jen swallowed hard. “Alive?”
He opened the nightstand’s drawer. It was empty except for a pad of paper and pen with the rental company’s logo on it.
Jen pushed. “You didn’t answer my question?”
“I didn’t,” he agreed. “Your cousin sure packed light.”
“Yes. That’s how she is.”
“Hmmm.” He glanced over to the window. “Looks like the chief just pulled in.” He headed back downstairs, not waiting for her to follow.
She couldn't wait until they were gone so she and Lisa and Daphne could start looking more into this curse. Maybe they’d find something in a local library or newspaper archives. Hicks made his way out to the front porch where he met the chief.
Lisa and Daphne and the officers appeared on the path and made their way back up to the front porch.
“What did y’all find?” the chief asked the officer standing next to Lisa.
“It looked like something fell into the water. But I can’t verify one way or the other that it was their cousin.”
The chief nodded his head as he listened. “All right then. Let’s go.” The chief and his officers headed back down to their cars.
“Wait, that’s it?” Lisa said, sounding annoyed.
The chief turned and gave Jen a smile that sent a chill skittering across her skin. “Oh, don’t you worry ma’am. We’ll be back.”
They all gathered around Lisa and watched the men climb into their cars and drive off down the steep hill.
Jen sighed. A pang of hopelessness filled her chest. “They’re really not going to help us, are they?”
“Nope,” Daphne said.
“Looks like it’s up to us,” Lisa added. “We need to find out if there’s a local coven.”
“Okay. I’m on it.” Daphne pulled her phone from her front pocket and logged onto a website that allowed witches to communicate and connect easily.
“Hicks mentioned a curse. You know, because of the witch that was hanged here.” She headed back into the cabin with Lisa and Daphne following.
“One of the officers mentioned it, too. Said that hikers sometimes disappear because of her.”
“So, he believed in the curse?” Jen asked.
“Hard to tell for sure,” Lisa said. “He did ask if we were here to look for the witch.”
“Why?” Jen asked. She took a seat on the plaid couch, and Daphne plopped down next to her.
“He said that the curse only affects those hikers that go looking for her.” Lisa sat in the brown leather armchair and put one leg on the matching ottoman.
“What else did he say?” Jen set her gaze on her sister.
“Not much. Just that no one ever comes out of the woods if they go looking for the witch.” Lisa scrunched her brow and twisted her lips. Jen knew that expression well. Her sister was trying to think through the problem. Break it down. Analyze it. Find the most logical solution. Jen just wasn’t sure there was a logical answer for any of this.
“What time did Mama say she’d be here?” Daphne asked.
“She'll be here tonight. Do you want me to text her?” Jen asked.
Daphne looked up from her phone. “It's gonna be dark soon.”
“I know,” Lisa said. “That's what I'm worried about.”
“Maybe we should go to town,” Jen said. “Go to the library before they close. Then we can get some dinner. I’ll bet you the librarian knows about the witch.”
“If she doesn't, maybe she can point us in the right direction,” Lisa said.
“There’s a small newspaper in town and a historical society,” Daphne chimed in, reading from her phone. Her voice sounded hopeful for a moment but her face fell. “Dammit. They’re both closed until Monday.” Daphne’s phone vibrated in her hand. “Okay, Mom’s on her way,” she said. “She's bringing Jason with her.”
“Good,” Lisa said.
“Oh. Wow,” Daphne said. Jen and Lisa both perked up at the surprise in Daphne’s tone.
“What?” Lisa asked.
“Tom’s with her, too.”
“What?” Lisa asked. “How did Tom even get wind of this?”
Jen got up from the couch and headed for the kitchen. She grabbed her purse from the
breakfast bar and slung it over her shoulder. “We should get out of here. The streets are gonna roll up on us if we don’t.”
“Jennifer Lee. What did you do?” Lisa asked using a stern tone.
“What?” Jen frowned. “I texted him, okay?”
“Why?”
“I figured he could help us. And he still cares about Charlie. A lot. So . . . “
“So, what? You’re just leveraging the feelings of a supernatural creature? That’s kind of dangerous, don’t you think?” Lisa rose from the couch and took her purse hanging from one of the chairs. She slipped it over her head and the small bag rested at her hip.
“It’s fine. He knows how she feels about him. I think he just wants to make things right,” Jen said.
“Charlie’s gonna kill you.” Daphne hopped to her feet and gave her cousin a knowing smirk.
“Good. I hope she does,” Jen said. “Because that would mean she was safe and sound with us. Until then, I’m going to do everything in my power to make sure she gets the chance to be mad at me. Now move it. We’re burning daylight.”
Chapter 10
The pain started in the back of her foot. Dull at first, it grew sharper with each step. Her wet socks weren’t helping the situation. Still, Charlie pressed onward trying not to let it slow her down too much. The cool scent of water hung in the air. It had to be close by. She strained her ears, listening for the sound of rapids or waterfalls. Anything that meant they were moving in the right direction.