AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“We need to tie together so that we don’t lose each other,” Gauge yells over the sound of the rain.
Reaching into my bag, I grab the bungee cords, fumbling as I try to attach them together. Once I’m able to get them connected, we put them around our waists, tying ourselves together. If one of us goes, we both do. It’s the safest thing we can do at this point.
“Was it up here?” He points to the Old Log campground.
“This is where they were. They turned their backs and she was gone, according to the report.”
Gauge puts his hand out, cautioning me to stop, before he stands up. “She wouldn’t have gone far; she’s going to be close to this. I think she’s scared. By the time she worked her way back, her parents were gone.”
“It’s a good theory, where do you think we should go?”
Of the two of us, Gauge is much better in the wilderness. He’s always had a sixth-sense about what’s around and anything that’s coming. “If I were her, I’d head down here to the east.” He points to a small drop. “There’s a cave not far away and, although it’s raining, it usually doesn’t flood. It’s a place she could get out of the elements and think about what her next move might be.”
“Do you think she’ll know about it?” It’s not that I’m second-guessing him, I’m just wondering if he’s more sure than he should be because he knows so much about the area.
“Kids are curious. If she walked away from her parents, I’d say she’s more likely to go down than up. Wouldn’t you?”
Taking a moment to put myself in Trinity’s shoes, I think about what she would do. Rising in elevation would be hard on her. She’d make almost no headway and give up quickly. She'd definitely go down. “Yeah, you’re right; let’s head that way.”
We go slowly, combing the wet ground for any sign that she went this way. Rain drops into my line of sight. Stopping for a moment to wipe my eyes, I close them then refocus. That’s when I see it. “Gauge, is that a shoe?”
“It is.” He rushes over to pick it up.
“Why would she leave her shoe?”
I’m scared to death that something or someone has taken her. We head further down, quicker now that we know we’re on the right track.
“Got a gum wrapper over here,” Gauge says, bending down to pick it up.
“Is she Hansel and Greteling us?” I ask, disbelief in my voice.
“I think so. There’s another gum wrapper right there.”
“If you know where this place is, take us. She’s got to be scared to death and freezing. Since we found the shoe, I’m worried she’s hurt.”
Like the guy he used to be, Gauge takes charge and directs us a little further down the mountain. That’s when I see the opening of the cave.
“Morgan!” I yell. “We’re firefighters here to help you; are you down here?”
We stop for a moment, allowing our voices to carry. I’m just about to yell again when I hear it.
“I’m over here, in the cave. I sprained my ankle and hit my head.”
Her voice is so small and sounds way too much like Trinity for me. We take off at a run and, when we breach the edge of the cave, we see her.
She’s trying to stand and has tears streaming down her face.
“Don’t hurt yourself; we got you.” I rush over to her, taking my backpack off and immediately beginning to do the little bit of first aid I can right now. “Are you okay?”
“My mom and dad told me not to go anywhere, but I saw a baby deer and I wanted to follow it. I went too far and couldn’t find my way back and when it started to rain, I slipped. That’s when I hurt my ankle and hit my head. I crawled to this cave.”
“You did good,” Gauge praises her. “That was the perfect thing to do. We’re gonna get you taken care of and then get you home. Sound good?”
She nods. “Thanks for rescuing me.”
His voice is low, but I can hear it. “I think you rescued me.”
Natalie
