APPARITION
By Randy Romero
Isaac was seriously lost. The narrow,
unmarked trails had led him astray. What started out as an idyllic hike had
turned into a harrowing nightmare. He tried his best to navigate his way
through the treacherous woods. But the further he ventured, the further he
drifted from civilization.
Sunlight faded rapidly, and the
darkness swept in. And as the darkness consumed his surroundings, the fear and
paranoia consumed his mind. The anxiety was overwhelming. His legs were
rubbery, his chest constricted, his lungs struggling to regulate his labored
breathing. Beads of sweat accumulated on his forehead and rained down the sides
of his face.
He checked his cell phone. No
reception. It was an old flip phone, one without a light. The pale, bleak
moonlight was the only thing guiding his way. He eventually reached a clearing
which paved the way for two distinct paths. He choose the path to his right.
The path was broader than the other trails. He couldn’t see, but he felt dirt
and gravel under his feet, could hear the crunching of dry leaves and the
snapping of fallen branches.
From there, it was all uphill. His
calves burned and his thighs screamed as he ambled up the steep incline.
When he reached a hilltop, he stopped to catch his breath and
rest his aching, burning legs. The terror still coursed through his veins. What
if I can’t find my way out of here?
“Get a grip,” he said aloud for
nobody to hear but himself. “You got lost. Don’t panic. Panicking won’t help.
You’ve got to find your way out of here before the temperature drops. You get
stuck out here all night, they’re going to find you frozen against the trunk of
a pine tree.”
It took a few seconds for his eyes
to register the sight at the top of the hill. It was a lone woman, short and
thin. Emaciated would be the better word. She was young, younger than Isaac by
at least a few years as far as he could tell under the veiled moonlight.
What’s she doing out here? He
wondered. Maybe she’s lost too. Or maybe she knows the way out of here.
“Excuse me, ma’am,” he called out.
“Can you help me? I got lost on a hike. I can’t seem to find my way back to the
main trail.”
The woman didn’t turn to face him.
She didn’t even flinch at the sound of his voice. She stood with her back to
Isaac.
“You’re not supposed to be here,” she said.
“What?” he said, bemused. He wasn’t
sure if he had heard her correctly. He moved closer. The girl didn’t stir.
“You’re not supposed to be here,”
she repeated.
He got close enough to see how pale
her skin was, almost transparent. He reached out to tap her shoulder and she
spun around. Her eyes were milky white, as if coated in some kind of clear
film. Her irises discolored, her pupils faded. The skin of her face was drawn
back, as if being stretched and pulled by some invisible force.
“Where’s Jeremy?” she asked, hostility
in her voice. “Where’s Jeremy?” she repeated, practically screaming it. “You’re
not Jeremy! You’re not supposed to be here! Go away!”
“Please calm down,” he pleaded. “Are
you lost too? Maybe we can help each other find a way out. Do you need help?”
“You can’t help me! Nobody can help
me!”
“It’s alright,” he assured her.
“It’s alright. Just calm down, please.” He grabbed her wrist; she was cold to
the touch. Skin like the dead of winter.
A flashlight beamed across the
hilltop.
“Hey, you!” another voice shouted.
He glanced over his shoulder. A man trudged up the hill, wearing camouflage
pants and a bright orange vest. A rifle slung over his left shoulder. “What are
you doing out here?” the man shouted. “You know it’s hunting season? Wandering
around in these woods after dark is a good way to get yourself shot.”
“I’m sorry,” Isaac called out. “I
got all turned around. Couldn’t find my way out. And my cell phone isn’t
working. Do you have a phone I could use? This girl needs help.”
“Girl?” the hunter asked as he drew
closer to Isaac. “What girl?”
Isaac turned to look, but the girl
was gone.
“Impossible,” he whispered. “She was
just here.”
The hunter approached him with more
caution than he expected from a man carrying a 12 gauge rifle. “You okay, son?
You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
“I think I did,” he muttered. “You
really didn’t see the girl?”
“Son, I have no clue what you’re talking
about. You were all alone when I first saw you.”
“I must be losing my mind.”
“It’s alright, son. I’ll give you
directions back to the main trail. I’ve even got a map. Hmm…” the man trailed
off.
“What is it?”
“Nothing, it’s just…you said there was
a girl here? By herself?”
“Yes. I’m telling you, she was right
here. Why, what is it?”
“Nothing, just reminded me of a
story years back. A real tragedy. Girl committed suicide up here.”
Isaac had a vague recollection of
the story. He’d seen it in the papers, even caught wind of it on a few local
news stations. He couldn’t remember all the details, but the hunter filled him
in on what he failed to recall.
“Jennifer was her name. I knew her
family. I mean, we weren’t best friends, but I used to see her father around
town a lot, we’d chat for a few minutes here and there. See her mom in the
market. She was always kind to me. Jennifer and her boyfriend used to come up
her at night to fool around sometimes. One night, she was supposed to meet him
out here, but he never showed. He died in a car accident. A firetruck was
racing to a call and they ran a red light, plowed right into him. The whole car
was in pieces. Nobody could have survived that crash. She took her own life
shortly after, right here on top of this hill. Damn shame, if you ask me. She
was so young. Had her whole life ahead of her.”
“The boyfriend, what was his name?”
“Jeremy.”
