In Wilderness Found

Chapter 5: Overwhelming Senses

Peaches comes to a halt at the woodline, as if she's saying, "That's it, I'm done." The pair had only been traveling for about an hour and a half, just strolling casually after getting out of eyeshot from the house.

"Alright. I hear ya, girl." Madison gives the horse's neck a soft rub as she stares into the dark woods ahead of them. Town is very clearly not in this direction and this path has come to an end, but it is too late and too dark to keep up that venture tonight.

The western North Carolina mountains aren’t uninhabited by any means, but to Madison the number of people here feels microscopic in comparison to the seemingly limitless forest. That seemingly limitless forest also feels like it’s about to swallow Madison up in this moment.

She leads the horse just inside the woodline and hops off, taking in the scene before her. A hearty mix of oak, maple, and pine trees surround them, casting dark shadows onto the forest floor. It feels like midnight even though she knows it isn’t that late - the trees have stolen nearly every inch of sunlight left in the evening. Several rhododendron bushes litter the ground in heeps, and what isn’t covered by leafy vegetation is green with moss or brown with decaying leaves. 

The birds have stopped chirping upon their arrival into the wilderness and Madison can only hear the crunch underneath her boots. The near silence is deafening.

“We’ll have to camp here tonight, Peaches,” she says while untying the straps of her leather satchel from the horse. 

The bag feels light in her hands, despite the pistol and jar she has inside. Madison begins to think all of the things she should have brought to be truly prepared for a night in the woods - water, a lantern, and a blanket to start.

She may not know where she is or how to get to town from here, but still Madison can’t manage to be unhappy. A swell of delight rises in her when she thinks of standing up to Abner. She could have swore she saw some sort of emotion on his face as she left, though she couldn’t tell which one it was. 

Regardless, she doesn’t think he’ll try to come after her. He cares for his own life too much, and she could tell he was frightened by her self-assured handling of the gun.

Deciding to munch on a crumbly piece of cornbread and a few cold beans straight from the jar, Madison settles in for the night. 

With Peaches tied to a tall oak, she tries to make herself comfortable by leaning up against a soft log next to it. The wood is damp against her back, but it isn’t unbearable. She intentionally chose a spot that lacks tall vegetation, praying she can avoid the ticks for tonight.

It isn’t Madison’s first time camping out in the forest. She and her father, Oliver, had camped out several times during her childhood years while they were hunting or fishing way back in the Kentucky woods. They had taken a bit more in supplies besides some beans and a pistol, though.

With her mind foggy and exhausted from the turmoil of the day, Madison finds herself slipping off into sleep faster than expected. 

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A rustling of leaves. Quiet padded foot steps. A peculiar chattering noise.

These are the first things in Madison’s ears upon waking in the middle of the night. 

Tiny slivers of moonlight beam through the trees and onto the ground, giving off just enough glow for Madison to see Peaches standing straight up with her ears drawn back in agitation. The horse lets out a snort, and her head rears back, slightly loosening the rope Madison has used to tie her to the tree.