Snowy Wood

This was it, all the planning and packing for a trip away and it snows. British weather is unpredictable, and the idea of a romantic break had sounded fun. This was far from fun.  The brochure showed a sunny cabin in a wood. A beautiful remote location. Have to admit it is beautiful, but in the snow it is cold and lonely.  The hut has no heating and there is no one else around here for miles.

My car had struggled up the snowy dirt track to get here, so I didn’t fancy the risk of going out unnecessarily. The brochure should have advised that we need an off-road vehicle. Not a twelve-year-old Ford.

Sitting on the porch I tell myself that I am lucky to be here. If it had not snowed, I wouldn’t be sat here sulking.  Hearing my name called, I reluctantly now stood up and went inside.  Nothing could have prepared me for what I was about to hear.

The evening news had just started. Barry was sat with his mouth open. The news reporter was stood in a wood, our wood, covered in snow. I sat down, my legs shaking like jelly. I could see the people dressed in white suits behind him. A dog walker had discovered a body, and they were thinking it was a holiday maker staying nearby.

We can’t leave just yet as its snowing outside now and we risk getting stuck if we attempt it.  Hearing a knock at the door, I look at Barry, should we ignore them? As they knocked again, Barry got up,

“It might be the police.”

Barry

As he left to answer the door, I sat back and watched the news.  I now learnt that there had been disappearances all over the nearby village.  The holiday maker had been one of many, had she been staying here? If she had, all her stuff had gone, maybe her killer had covered his tracks.  Remembering Barry, I got up now to check on him. All was quiet and the door was wide open.  Feeling sick, anxiety shooting through me, where is he?

Slowly walking now, I glance outside, no signs of Barry. I was alone, what now? do I shut the door? Do they know I’m here? Pulling out my phone I can feel the tears now chasing down my face.

“911 emergency, which service would you like please?”

“Police, my husband has been murdered.”

Had he been? He wasn’t here.

“Mam, where are you?”

“In a cabin, in the wood on the news. Stammering I’m thinking the worst.”

“I’m sending two officers out.  Inspector Williams and PC Jones.  They will be carrying ID and have matching bands on their cuffs.  Please don’t panic!”

Don’t panic, my husband has disappeared.  He went to answer the door and vanished.  Hearing a police car outside I wondered how they got here so quick. Then I remembered the police presence surrounding the body.

Answering the door, the lady officer motioned me to come out. Trusting her, I told them my story.  As I relaxed and talked, I let my guard down.  As I talked the lady put her arm around me and they walked me to the car.  They then offered to help find Barry,   Getting into the car, all I could think about was finding him safe.

The police

Williams brought the jeep to a stop outside the small hut.  Seeing the door wide open he felt uneasy.

“Jeff, she’s not here, that hut is empty.”

“Where would she have gone?”

“I don’t know but she’s not here. Something’s really wrong”.

Jeff Williams got out of the car and checked the hut, finding it empty he closed the door behind him.

“Follow the tyre tracks, Julie, she can’t have gone far.”

Julie Jones had been a Police Constable many years and had seen things that would cause nightmares. The latest series of murders had confused the police as they appeared to all be random. Following the tyre tracks they drove for about a mile around the wood. Entering into a further deserted area Jeff put his foot on the brakes as he saw what looked like a police car ahead.  The car was stopped at what looked like a farmhouse.  Was this where the couple were? And where the murder suspect might be?

Julie radioed through for more officers and gave their location.

“Now we need to sit and wait,”

Help

About fifteen minutes later a helicopter could be heard and then cars, speeding towards them.  Julie and Jeff picked up their guns and took it now as their time to get out and join the other officers.  As the helicopter landed, someone ran out the back of the farmhouse, soon to be caught and handcuffed.

As the police entered, the stench of flesh and fear met them.  What really was the sense in all of this?  Hearing a woman wailing they followed the noise,  Realising it was coming from the basement down they went.

Found

I have never been so scared ever in my life. Being captured and then dragged into this basement was not on my agenda this week.  Barry is next to me alive but unconscious,  Hearing the people arrive upstairs I worried that this was it, this really was the end.

As PC Julie Jones took my hand, relief flooded through me.  She advised that the men had been captured upstairs and I was safe now.  I told her that I really should not have got into their car.  Julie reassured me that if I had not got in their car, then they might not have followed the tyre tracks and found us as quickly as they did. Tracks that wouldn’t have been there if there was no snow.

Later

A few weeks later I found a news article about the farmhouse. The men had been at their gruesome business for a while.  There was more than one body found and body parts.  We had been lucky but next time that Barry wants to go on a romantic weekend anywhere, I think we will opt for a busy hotel with a swimming pool.  Not a remote idyllic snowy wood.

Written for Write the story prompt on Writers Unite

For more see The empty school classroom