The sky was covered by a cold blanket of clouds. Rain fell earthward causing the chill in the air to turn bitterly cold. Striding through the woods, the ground was littered with dead leaves, as I tried to read the map again. It had been a couple of days since my phone died, and I had to rely on the paper map I had purchased. However I had no idea how to read it, nor had I brought a compass. I had figured that my phone’s battery would have lasted, especially since I was only going to be here for a couple of hours.
I still didn’t know how I had gotten so turned around, the path I had used to walk into the forest had been straight. How it had turned crooked, almost as if it had become a loop, I had no idea. All I knew was that I was tired, starving, and it was raining. All I wanted to do was find my car and leave these woods behind, maybe stop at a drive through.
A strong breeze swept through the tops of the trees causing more dead wet leaves to fall down around me. I stopped to watch them, letting my body rest. I was exhausted, though it should have been easier to walk now that I was no longer carrying what I had brought to the woods, but it wasn’t. I was growing more tired the longer I was trapped here.
It had been two days without any food, and I hadn’t even brought a bit of shelter.
I just wanted to get out of these woods.
Folding up the map, I gave up with trying to read it, and slipped it into my coat pocket. I just had no idea how to read it right now. Though in the back of my mind I realized that was because I was running out of energy. I needed food. I needed to get out of these woods. Heaving a deep breath I started to walk again, somewhat confident that I was heading in the right direction.
At least I was somewhat confident…
Matthew William Lindquist 