Chapter 2
As soon as we arrived at the visitor center, I was slightly nervous, so I grabbed a brochure to get my mind off of what was going to happen. Reading always helped! Owned by Ingrid Woodlawn the cover read and Woodlawn Ridge, reminding me of who the forest was named for and of all the disappearances on the famed hill. Well, not exactly helping me now.
“Heather? Have you ever worried about the disappearances on the ridge?” My voice was stuttering with nervousness and several goose bumps pricked up on my pale arms.
“Not really, I’ve hiked it before.” She answered with confidence.
“Oh.” I mumbled.
The forest surrounded our narrow pathway, and an earthy atmosphere bathed us in a grassy, pine tree smell. Evergreens were packed so densely, I could barely make out the newly blue sky above us, as the storm cleared. Despite the canopy, I could still feel the sun beat down on us in the cramped forest.
As we headed up to the top, I spotted several markings on the trees. BWREAE, one read. I pondered for a minute, and then it struck me. It was a code that I loved to use, called Railfence. First, you divide the message in two halves, and then go down, diagonal, down, diagonal, and so on.
B W R
E A E
Hmmm….Beware. Things were getting a little suspicious.
We trekked just a bit farther, and encountered a large crack in the path. Good thing Heather and I had stopped; my hiking boot would have been easily lodged into it. At this point, I told her I would stay put while she finished hiking the insane trail. I turned back; just to view a fire-engine red paper flutter in the breeze. I leaned down to obtain it, and saw engraved on it, The Ghost of Wendy, Starring Ingrid Woodlawn. I plopped down onto the side of the path, and then remembered that she had our backpack, containing emergency supplies and my cell phone. “Heather! Wait! Wait!” I yelled desperately, but she was nowhere to be found.
I settled into the gravel path, I had plenty of time. Suddenly, I heard a tiny ring,
“Bum Bum Be Dum, Bum Bum” Wow, that sounded a lot like my phone. In fact, I could almost imagine it lighting up in the damp, nearly dark forest as Heather hiked along. But why would she be anywhere around here? Hours passed as I watched other hikers venture into the deep green. Oops, I remembered now that I should probably get back to the visitor center. When I arrived at the worn-down building, Heather wasn’t there. Where could she be?
We looked all night long, our flashlights flickering, scanning the forest, but we still couldn’t find her. I just couldn’t believe it! Heather had hiked the trail a million times before. And she was equipped with everything she needed. I wonder if something else happened, something more…malicious.
