A Jog through the Woods

At the break of dawn, the sun was just starting to shine through the thick clouds and dissipate the mist that weighed the air down.

It was unusually cold for that time of year, almost as if a storm had passed, which wasn't the case. No one would have expected the weather to be so chilly that morning and certainly NOT Caleb, who, being the reckless biker boy he was, surely would never be bothered to check the weather forecast, ever. Who really does that, anyways? Besides gardeners, hobby-fishers, and the elderly, who let's be honest, still would trust their own guts - and joints! - ten times over a 'silly' forecast elaborated by scientists and professionals of expertise...

So, needless to say, the young man was underdressed for the low temperature outside and was therefore lightly shivering as he jogged alongside the river.

As the dawn fully broke, and the sun set itself on its high and mighty place in the sky, naturally, the day got brighter, although, it didn't warm up. So, going against his pointless pride, Caleb gave in to the crisp winds blowing, and took a turn into the woods in the hopes of a somewhat less harsh condition to continue his jog in.

Little did he know it would affect his life in such an unforeseeable manner. I mean, it seems silly now, "so what, he changed up his route this one time?" you might be asking, but trust me, dear reader, that one decision changed way more than that! You just dive into the story with me and I'll tell you everything!

At the peak of the season, everything was exuberant and flushing out with life. Tall trees and lush bushes, flowers and grasses of all kinds and colors. The air was filled with delightful fragrances and undisturbed silence. The scenery was indeed awe-inspiring and could easily rid one's mind of worries. However, since it wasn't Caleb's regular route, the young man went on about it a bit more cautiously than he would've otherwise and paid more attention to his surroundings than he normally would. Yeah, sure he was a careless guy, but he didn't want to get lost!

Of course, his friends would mock the living hell of him because of it, were it to happen, and wouldn't let him see the end of it anytime soon. But also, it is worth mentioning that although close to the town those woods weren't dangerous, as one went deeper, the wildlife was known to become truly prolific. Something that most certainly helped bring folktales many to be.

After a while, Caleb finally relaxed and allowed his mind to tune in with the music on his headphones, focusing on the rhythm of his pace rather than the track.

The vegetation started getting less and less dense, which made the young man think he must have been nearing town again, soon to be home, and take a nice hot shower to shake off the shivering cold that took charge of his body.

Well...

he was not nearing town,

he was entering the remains of a battlefield.

The pathway ended abruptly, and Caleb found himself right in the middle of a vast clearance.

He took his headphones off and looked around trying to make sense of where he was and maybe, find where the track branched out. Something the young man would've never guessed was that not long ago those parts of the woodland had been burned to the ground. It was truly impressive how the landscape sprung back from the ashes so fast. As if something was somehow helping it grow.

Without any music on, he noticed how unsettling silent the forest was.

He found it odd that he hadn't come across nor seen any wildlife thus far, so, intrigued, he kept wandering and searching for any critter, solely to put his mind at ease.

"I must just have been really distracted", he thought.

The young man was inspecting shrubs and leaf piles when a tall pile underneath a particular willow tree caught his attention.

He walked towards it, and as he got closer, he had this weird feeling in his guts.

He didn't know what it was, but there was definitely something wrong going on. Could have been the breakfast burrito he ate right before going on a run, sure, yet he was sure it was something else.

When Caleb reached the pile, he noticed that the leaves were green and fresh and the willow above it was flushing beautiful purple blooms as if it was still spring. The young man wasn't a plant or nature enthusiast, but even he could tell it was odd. Very odd.

He began spreading the leaves out and even the ones down lower were green and soft.

He continued until he saw something different underneath it all.

Unexpectedly, he touched what felt like a piece of fabric or clothing.

"WHAT THE FUCK!", he yelled jumping back startled.

There was a girl inside that leaf pile!

Overwhelmed, he stood up and started rubbing his face nervously, afraid to go check if the girl was even alive.

What the hell was he supposed to do if she were,

and

what if she weren't?!

Had he just touched a goddamn corpse?!

Caleb had to take a deep breath before he went to uncover the girl. If she was indeed alive and in need of help it would have been selfish of him to delay it any further just out of fear.

The girl was mostly covered by her long and thick black hair and wasn't wearing much but a really torn bloodied white linen dress and some belts and harnesses.

To his amazement, when Caleb touched her, he could feel the warmth on her skin, and it gave him a strange sense of hope.

So, he gently pushed her hair away from her neck searching for her pulse...

and there it was,

faint,

yet there.

The young man grinned in relief and sighed...

...but what now?!