In The Midst Of Adventure

Episode 6

Natasha's POV

They all raise up their head and stared at me. We stared at each other confusedly. We're done for!

"What do we do now? Did any of you come with your phone?" Cathy asked breaking the awkward silence.

"Yes" Trisha and I answered in unison.

"Bring it out let's access the net perhaps we'll get the map" Cathy said.

Access the internet in a forest? I doubt the possibility of such. But regardless, I nervously brought out my phone and handed it to her. She swipe the phone and gaze up at me with a quizzical expression.

"What?" I asked.

"There's no network connection here" Cathy replied.

"s**t!" I exclaimed and ran my fingers through my hair. I thought as much that this would happen.

"Trish do...."

"Its the same on my phone" Trish replied cutting Cathy mid-sentence.

"We're trapped" Bernie said and covered her face in her palms.

Silence followed thereafter, we were lost. We didn't know where to start from. Seconds turned to minutes and we were all in deafening silence. Suddenly, my mind flashed back to where we came out from, the leavitt waterfall. My eyes widened with excitement, is definitely going to be there, that's where we left before coming to this place.

"I think I know where it'll be", I announced and my friends gaze up at me in furrowed brows.

"Where?" they asked.

"The leavitt waterfall. It might have fallen on the floor where we were taking pictures" I said.

"There? Do you mean to go back there alone?" Bernie asked with a raised brow.

I shrugged and answered. "I guess so".

"That would be dangerous" Cathy said. I don't really care if is dangerous or not, I have to find the map to get us safe.

"I've got no choice. If I don't go get the map, we'll be stuck in this forest" I replied throwing them speechless as they stared at me with a sad face. I wasn't going to die or anything, right?

I turned my back on them and started walking away in sluggishness. I was nervous, scared, and sad as I kept walking but I had to be strong.

"I'll go with you" I heard one of my friends say making me to halt. Slowly I turnaround to know which of them had spoken.

"I wanna go with you. I can't leave you to go there alone" Cathy said.

I was surprised that Cathy would volunteer to go back there with me.

"You want.. to.. go.. with me?" I asked staring at her.

"Yes. Its a risk you'd be taking if you go there alone. So I'll go with you while Bernie and Trish can stay right here and look after our bags" she answered.

I couldn't still believe it but I was greatful that I wouldn't be going alone. "Oh..uhmm..OK. Thanks" I replied in relief.

"You're welcome. Now let's get going. Friends?" Cathy called and Bernie together with Trish gazed up at her. "We'll be right back" she added.

"Be safe girls" both girls replied in unison.

"We will" I assured them. "And make sure you don't leave this place, OK?" I added.

"Yes captain" both girls answered in unison and giggled.

"Silly" I said with a chuckle and then Cathy and I left them and find our way back to Leavitt Fall.

We were almost reaching down the waterfall when a sudden wind took place making us to stand still. It blew so heavily for more than a minute while Cathy and I held each other's hand and waited for it to calm down.

"Are you OK?" I asked Cathy immediately everywhere came back to it normalcy.

"Yes but my eyes..."

"What about your eyes?" I interrupted tilting her chin up.

"Some particles entered my eyes due to the wind, its itching me. Please help me to check it out" she replied taking off her glasses and rubbing her eyes with the back of her hand.

"Hey stop rubbing it so I can check it out" I said to her removing her hand from her eyes. I look through her eyes but I didn't see anything. "There's nothing in your eyes".

"But its itching me" she cried out.

"Sorry. Can you manage to the waterfall?" I asked.

"With your help I think I can" she replied.

"Good. When we get there then you can wash out the dirt in your eyes, OK?".

"okay" she answered.

"Alright. Now wrap your arms around my shoulders and I'll lead you there", I said and she nodded and wrapped her right arm on my shoulder while I snake my hand round her waist and led her down the waterfall axis.

We finally got to the waterfall and I helped her wash off the dirt in her eyes. "Do you feel better now?" I asked.

"Yes. Thank you so much" she replied smiling up at me. "Now let's get to business. The map"she continued.

"Yeah, the map" I repeated and we began our search. We search all round the area and couldn't find a thing, "Not a single paper is here" I said.

"The wind might have blown it off" she replied. The wind? Why did the wind choose to blow at that particular time when we were heading down here?

"What do we do now?" I asked scratching my head confusedly.

"I don't know either. Maybe we should go back home?" she suggested.

"Go back home?" I asked with a raised brow and she gave a nod. "How do we go back home? Can you still remember the way we took while getting into the forest?".

"Ugh...the way...I think I do" she answered unsurely.

"You think? Cathy, this forest is wide. We can't base our life on assumptions here, what if we decide to assume that a particular route was where we took while coming into the forest and we lost our way?".

"So what do you suggest we do now?" she asked with a frown.

"Uhmm...let's get back to Bernie and Trish then we can search the forest if we can find anyone to help us find a way out of this forest" I replied.

"A good idea. Let's go then" she said and I gave a nod.

After 10-15 minutes of walking, we got to the picnic area where we'd left Bernie and Trish. Was my eyes deceiving me or were they really out of where we had left them?

"Cathy? Where...."

"Did they go to?" she completed my question.

"I wanted to ask you that" I said staring at her.

"Their bags...their bags...are here together with ours" she stuttered nervously.

"Maybe they didn't go far" I replied and my eyes scan the trees around me but no sight of them.

"But we told them to sit right here. Why would the both of them leave at the same time leaving our bags this way?" she asked with furrowed brows.

"I...I have no idea. It's weird" I answered. "Let's yell their names so they'll know we're back" I suggested.

"Bernie!" Cathy screamed on top of her voice for Bernie while I screamed for Trish.

We walked closer to the bushes surrounding us still yelling their names but no trace of them nor sound of their voices.

"Could it be they've been kidnapped?" she asked with wide eyes and instantly my arms were covered with goosebumps.

Thoughts of my friends being kidnapped in this wide forest freaked me the hell out. How do we find them if they were really kidnapped? Who could have kidnapped them? What would i tell their parents if i couldnt find them? I shivered at the thoughts and sat down on the ground looking confused and lost.

What have I gotten myself into? I asked myself as tears streamed down my cheeks. I've just made the biggest mistake of my life.