Predator In The Woods

Part 1/1

Why? Why did she insist on going to the bar on the weekends when a beer at home was just as good? The only people there, besides herself, were two old timers that never seemed to move, and a bartender that never stopped cleaning glasses. Elaine stood up, slapped a few bills down, and left the dimly lit bar. The small bar sat on the outskirts of an even smaller town just outside of Detroit, Michigan. Elaine had lived here all her life but never left even though she'd always wanted to travel. Five generations of her family had resided here and never left, and she just accepted that she wouldn't either.

Instead of heading straight home, Elaine decided to wander into the nearby park since there were still a few hours of daylight left. It wasn't a large park, but it had a decent patch of forest with a trail running through it. Elaine grew up exploring the forest and all the hidden treasures it had to offer. As a child, she had made a tree house out of a scarred red oak tree. It hadn't been a real tree house, but lightning had taken out one of the main branches where it split from the trunk. It created a flat enough area that she could get up there and relax. She would regularly go up there, and people watch as it was just high enough that she was out of most people's line of sight.

Elaine wandered into the forest in search of her favorite red oak. She wondered if she could still climb the tree like she had as a kid. At almost thirty, her body reminded her daily that she was no longer a spring chicken, but she was determined to climb that tree again. Luckily, she had worn her combat boots instead of the flimsier designer shoes she typically wore. Finding her tree, Elaine grabbed the lowest branch and tested it to see if it would hold her weight. It had been at least fifteen years since she last climbed this tree, and she had since filled out and was quite a bit taller.

Allowing the branch to hold her entire weight for a few seconds, Elaine determined that the tree was still solid enough for her to climb. Grabbing the second branch, she started to haul herself up and immediately slipped and almost fell when she swung her leg up and missed.

This was a lot easier when she was younger, Elaine thought.

Trying again, she made sure she had a good grip on the two branches and swung her leg up once more. She managed to get the tip of her toe on the branch and, with enough determination, got her ankle up and over. Now, to wiggle it over enough that she could hook her knee on the branch and pull her other leg up. Elaine was thankful that there was no one in the forest at this time in the evening. If anyone had been there, she knew that they would be doubled over laughing by now. Successfully getting both legs on the branch, Elaine then slowly stood up and managed to climb the four branches to where the trunk split. Sitting down, she breathed slowly and hoped that getting down would be much easier than the climb up. Otherwise, she might be calling the fire department as if she were a stranded cat.

She got comfortable and looked at the scenery in front of her. The leaves had just started to change as Autumn rolled in. It was still relatively warm out as long as the wind didn't pick up. Once the wind picked up, though, it wouldn't stop till early spring. There was a breeze, but just enough that it lazily rustled the leaves of nearby trees, creating an almost earthy harmony. Cardinals flitted from tree to tree, the bright red males looking like small ornaments sitting on the branches. It was always so peaceful here, and Elaine wondered why she had stayed away so long. Life had simply gotten in the way and never allowed for any real free time. She watched the birds flit, and the trees wave in the breeze, letting her mind wander...

Elaine woke up and realized she must have dozed off at some point. Climbing that tree had taken more out of her than she thought, and she was lucky she hadn't rolled off of it. Looking around, the sun was just starting to set, and the birds had started to settle for the evening. Elaine sat up and wondered how she was going to get down from this tree, even if it was ungraceful. Looking down at the branches, Elaine noticed movement out of the corner of her eye. Assuming that it was a squirrel or some other critter, she glanced up before looking down at the branches again. She quickly looked back up when she realized that it was not, in fact, a squirrel, but what looked to be a woman in dark clothing. She only caught a glimpse of her before she disappeared behind more trees going further into the forest.