Old Pine Lake

Chapter 4

Dedication: writingiscoolz check out her book! It's super good!

------------------ Time: 5:30 -----------------

I set up camp a few meters away from where I showered. The axe is still on my mind, especially because I can see it if I look up.

The fire in front of me crackles, and I jump. I've been very jumpy lately, well ever since I saw the object of my attention.

I shake my head, I need to think about something else. Setting up my camp helped me keep my mind off of it, but now that that is over, my mind won't stop wandering.

Making a meal would help, I just need to boil some water and find some berries or something. That will work, so I set to it.

While I boil some water on the fire, I start walking around the campsite to find any berry bushes. There are none in the immediate proximity, so I expand my search deeper into the trees.

After a few minutes, I find what I was looking for. I jog over to the huckleberry bush and pick a handful of ripe ones. I look around and find some Mahonia Aquifolium. More commonly known as Oregon Grapes.

Oregon Grapes aren't very sweet, they tend to be more tart. That's why they are known to be mixed with sweeter berries, or a lot of sugar, in jams and jellies.

Sadly I don't have any sugar, or else these would be delicious. For now though, I'll just eat them plain. I have my two handfuls of berries, and am heading back to my camp.

On my way there however, I stop in my tracks and listen. A sound not too far away, but still far, catches my ears.

As soon as I figure out the sound, it's too late. A tall pine tree comes crashing down from the sky, and onto me.

I didn't get hurt luckily but there is a tree on my leg, and I cannot escape.

Unfortunately I know that this wasn't nature, this tree wasn't old, and it wasn't falling over because of the wind. It fell over because someone chopped it down. That is the sound I heard.

The axe I saw earlier is probably gone now, and is in the hands of the person who killed the tree, and almost killed me.

I don't have to wait long before the culprit is walking down along the tree. I do not think they have seen me yet, because I am hidden by the the pine branches.

What do I do? I think they will be pretty freaked out that there is someone in these woods besides them. Unless, there is a tiny village out here or something. How could that be though? I am in the middle of the biggest forest in Oregon! Maybe they ran away too, or maybe they are a serial killer. I shiver at the thought.

I take a risk and move a couple branches out of my vision to see who this mysterious person is.

It's a boy. He has blonde curly hair, and is quite tall. He looks fairly muscular, and is probably about my age. He doesn't know I'm here yet, and I want to keep it that way.

As quietly as I can, I try and pry my foot from underneath the tree. It doesn't budge at all.

I need leverage. I look around and see a thick branch nearby, I reach out for it but it's barely out of my reach. I stretch further and my fingers brush the branch before it is in my grasp.

I almost let out a sigh of accomplishment, before I remember I am trying to stay hidden. I shove the branch underneath the tree and push down. It barely moves a centimeter. I try and pull my foot out, but it's useless.

I give up, he's gonna find me anyways. I throw the stick to my side, and sigh.

"Wait, who's there?" I hear him say.