The Return

by Anthony M. Strong

  “Nobody is going to bother us.” Ben had a mischievous look on his face. “Except for the ghost that is.”

  “Come on. Don’t say that.” Sally glanced around, nervous. “There’s no ghost.”

  “Sure there is. A crazy woodsman who died in this very spot, and comes back each year to claim new victims.” Ben held the flashlight under his chin so that the beam cast long shadows over his face. That, coupled with the dancing glow from the fire, gave him the countenance of a demon, just for a moment.

  “That’s enough.” Sally punched Ben’s arm. “You’ll give me nightmares. I won’t sleep a wink.”

  “Suits me.” Ben grinned. “I can think of things we can do.”

  “Not a chance, not if you keep this up.” Sally stretched, yawning. “What time is it anyway?”

  Ben glanced at his phone. “A little after ten.”

  “I don’t know about you, but I’m beat.”

  “You want to hit the sack?”

  “Maybe.” Sally glanced toward the tent. “Can we leave the fire going?”

  “Sure.” Ben stood and took her hand. He pulled back the flap and motioned, guiding her in with a gentle hand on her back. “After you my lady.”

  “Thank you. What a gentleman.” Sally felt Ben’s hand slide down to her rump. It felt good. “You know, if you apologize for earlier, I might still let you have some.”

  “Apologize huh?”

  “Yep.” Sally turned to face him and peeled off her tee. The air was cold on her bare stomach, but hopefully Ben would be keeping her warm enough pretty soon.

  “Well then, I am very sorry.” Ben feigned an apologetic look. It wasn’t very convincing.

  “Good enough.” Sally grinned and unclasped her bra. “So, are you going to take those pants off or what?”

  ##

  The tent was dark now, the fire having burned down to little more than glowing embers. Even so, Sally was glad for the slight red light that filtered through the thin tent walls.

  Next to her, Ben slept, his chest moving up and down in rhythm, a loud snore escaping his mouth on each exhalation.

  She pulled the sleeping bag up and huddled down into it for warmth, briefly considering changing back into her clothes, and out of the thin negligee she’d pulled on after their fun. She couldn’t be bothered though. It would require getting up and rooting around for the clothing, and she might wake Ben. So she lay there cocooned within the layers of fleece and nylon, listening to the breeze rustling the outer shell of the tent, and the fire crackle and pop as it consumed the very last of the wood.

  She closed her eyes, thinking of Ben, and how good he’d felt. She could not believe it was only three months ago that they met, it seemed like so much longer. She sighed and stretched her toes to the end of the sleeping bag, relishing the warmth. She was about to drift off, was almost asleep, when something pulled her back.

  She opened her eyes and lay there, listening, ignoring the gentle snores of her boyfriend. What had she just heard? It was a small noise, but out of place. Alien. It came again, a shuffling sound, as if someone was out by the fire walking around, and trying to be quiet about it.

  She sat up, her ears straining.

  From somewhere out by the fire it came, just like before. A strange clicking, knocking sound.

  Tap. Tap. Tap.

  Sally’s eyes flew wide. She reached over and found her boyfriend’s prone form. She shook him. “Are you awake?”

  He snored and shrugged her hand away.

  “Ben?” She tried again. “Please wake up.”

  For a moment she thought he was still sleeping, but then he rolled over and looked at her with half closed eyes.

  “What is it?” He sounded groggy. “What’s going on?”

  “There’s someone outside the tent.”

  “No there isn’t,” he mumbled. “Go back to sleep.”

  “Ben.” Sally hissed the word. “I’m serious.”

  "Alright.” Ben sounded irritated. He sat up and rubbed his eyes. “What did you hear?”

  “I don’t know. Noises.” Sally bit her lip. “Out by the fire.”

  Ben rested on his elbows and together they listened, but the only sounds were the chirping of crickets and the lapping of the waves at the lake’s edge.

  “I don’t hear anything,” Ben said finally.

  “I swear. I heard it.”

  “Like earlier in the restroom?”

  “Yes. Just like that.”

  “Jesus Sally. You’re just freaking yourself out,” Ben grumbled. “There was nothing in the restroom. You’re just hearing animals. We’re in the woods.”

  “No, I’m not.” Sally glared at him.

  “This is the last time I bring you camping.” Ben laid back down and pulled the sleeping bag up to his chin.

  “Dammit Ben,” Sally said, suddenly wishing she hadn’t let him have his fun with her earlier. It wasn’t her fault that Ben didn’t hear anything. If he’d been awake a few moments earlier he would have heard it just like her. She shook him again. “Why don’t you believe me?”

  “It’s not that I don’t believe you…” Ben was on dangerous ground now.

  “Then what?”

  “Well…” Ben shrugged. Then, obviously unable to come up with anything plausible he changed tack. “Fine. I’ll go take a look if it will make you happy.” Ben unzipped his sleeping bag and found his jeans, pulling them on. Sally caught a glimpse of his round butt, pale and toned, as he did so. He slipped his arms into a plaid shirt and buttoned it. “Stay here.”

  “Thanks.” Sally felt better already. She watched him crawl to the tent flap and pull it open. As he was about to step outside, she added, “Be careful.”

  Ben shot her a backward glance and disappeared outside without uttering another word.

  The tent became a different place in the blink of an eye. It seemed silly, but with Ben there she felt safe. Now though, on her own, she felt vulnerable. What if the intruder came around the back while Ben was at the front? Sally pushed the thought from her mind. That was the last thing she needed to be thinking about right now. If only Ben had brought his hunting knife up with him, she would feel so much safer, but he said he hadn’t. She looked around for something to use as a weapon should the unthinkable happen, but the tent was sparse, and short of hitting any would be attacked over the head with a rucksack, she came up empty.

  Ben will come back in a moment, she reassured herself, and he’ll tell me again how silly I was, that it was just a cat or a raccoon. They were, after all, out in the woods, and it would be natural for wildlife to be attracted to something as foreign to the environment as the tent. Even so, she didn’t think the footsteps had sounded much like a small animal, just like it hadn’t been an animal at the restroom earlier. Whatever Ben said, she knew what she had heard.

  Another thought struck her. What if it was a bear? She’d heard stories of bears foraging for food at campsites, and Ben had been gone awhile now. Maybe he was in a mortal battle with a black bear. But no, if that was the case there would be a ruckus going on out by the fire, and everything was quiet.

  Actually it was a little too quiet.

  She pushed the sleeping bag down and off, grimacing at the sudden cold air that enveloped her, and crawled on all fours to the mouth of the tent. She pulled the flap back, just enough to see a swathe of the clearing, but not enough to see everything. She wasn’t that brave.

  “Ben?”

  No answer.

  A cold lump formed in her throat. “Ben, are you alright?”

  A cricket spoke up, its chirp loud and close by, but still no answer from Ben.

  “Ben.” She called his name once more. He couldn’t have gone far. How could he not have heard her? “Are you out there?”

  “Shhh.” Finally. She recognized Ben’s voice somewhere off to the left of the tent. “Keep quiet.”

  “What’s going on?” She whispered this time, taken aback by the urgency on Ben’s voice.

  �
��You were right,” Ben hissed. He was closer now. “There is someone else up here.”

  “Oh shit.” Her heart missed a beat.

  “We have to go.” The tent flap opened and Ben made a grab for her arm. “Now.”

  “What?” Sally drew back. “Why?”

  “Come on.” Ben made a grab for her.

  Sally scooted back toward the pile of clothes in the corner. “Okay. Let me get dressed.”

  “There’s no time.”

  “What?” Sally was shocked. She looked down at the knee length sheer nightie, the one she’d brought not because it was practical or warm, but because Ben liked it. “I can’t go out there like this.”

  “Jesus Sally. There’s no time. Come on.”

  “Well at least let me put my shoes on.” Sally grabbed her sneakers and pushed one foot in, then the other.

  “Fine.” Ben looked nervous. “But for God’s sake, hurry up.”

  “I’m coming.” Sally tied her sneakers and climbed from the tent, hugging herself against the cold. “What is going on?”

  “We have to get to the Ranger’s Station.” Ben took her hand and pulled her toward the woods.

  “Why?”

  “There is someone up here, and they aren’t here to camp.”

  “Oh God. What did you see?” Sally swallowed. A ball of fear curled itself in her stomach. She felt sick.

  “I’ll tell you when we get to the Station.”

  “It’s that bad?”

  “Less talking.” Ben looked around. “We don’t want to alert it that we’ve left the tent.”

  “It?” They were among the trees now. Sally wished she’d at least grabbed a jacket. The nightgown was paper-thin.

  “Keep it down.” Ben led her out onto the trail and turned them left, back in the direction they had hiked from earlier.

  “Fine.” Sally whispered. “Will you please tell me what is going on?”

  “Not yet.” Ben’s voice was horse, low. “Just keep moving.”

  He positioned himself at the rear and pushed her along the path and practically heaved her over the fence, until they reached the fork in the trail. Straight ahead would be the official campsite, but that wasn’t where they went. Instead they turned right and took the narrow path back down to the parking lot. Sally tried to remember how long it had taken them to walk in earlier in the day. It didn’t seem like it took much time, but she wasn’t paying attention either.

  The path was dark, and she soon wished she’d grabbed the flashlight on the way out of the tent, but it was too late now. All she could do was hope not to put her foot down a hole or trip on a root. They walked for about half an hour, with Ben looking over his shoulder every few minutes, as if he was expecting someone, or something, to come up behind them. He also insisted that they stay mute so that he could listen for pursuers, but Sally heard nothing but the sounds of the forest. After a while she began to think that perhaps the whole thing was just some ruse to get her out in the woods in nothing but a piece of flimsy fabric. At least until he held up a hand and stopped that was.

  “Did you hear that?” Ben glanced around, first one way, and then the other.

  “What? I didn’t hear anything.” Sally wished they would move again. The seeping chill of the night air was already finding its way back under her nightie, icy fingers that touched every inch of her bare skin.

  “We are being followed.”

  “How do you know that?” Sally felt like crying. She wished Ben would tell her who was after them, and why.

  “You didn’t hear it?”

  “No.” Sally strained to detect any unusual sound, but everything was normal.

  “Okay. I want you to listen to me very carefully.” Ben gripped Sally by the shoulders. “We need to run now. You go first, and I’ll follow. Get to the Ranger’s Station. Whatever happens, keep going. Okay?”

  “Okay.” Sally nodded.

  “Good girl.” He glanced back over his shoulder, a look of fear on his face. “It’s getting closer. We need to move. Now.” He gave Sally a push and together they ran.

  Sally barreled down the trail, her legs aching, calves burning from the exertion. Once, at a particularly narrow point, her foot jammed under a fallen branch and she stumbled, almost losing her balance, but then she regained her feet and took off again. Behind her she could hear Ben running, his footfalls a steady smack, smack, smack as he followed. She rounded a corner, slowing lest she veer into a tree, at the same time avoiding a low hanging branch that threatened to knock her cold. It was then that she realized she could no longer hear Ben.

  She risked a glance over her shoulder.

  The trail was empty.

  “Ben?” She stopped and turned, scanning the path, the trees and brush that crowded the side of the trail, but she was alone.

  “Ben, where are you?” She kept her voice low, hardly daring to speak. She felt a wave of panic rise up. How could he have disappeared? He was right behind her.

  She stood there for a moment, feeling lost, unsure what to do. Ben had said to keep moving, no matter what happened, but she couldn’t leave him out here. What if he was hurt? She was locked by indecision, torn between running to safety and finding her boyfriend. Then the choice was made for her.

  Something moved in the trees to her left.

  Sally swiveled around, her eyes searching the blackness between the trees, but she saw nothing.

  There it was again. The crack of a branch, the rustle of leaves, as something pushed past, stalking her, following her.

  Sally backed up, wanting to run, wanting Ben to come around the corner even more.

  Then she heard it, low and faint, barely audible.

  Tap. Tap. Tap.

  The same odd tapping she’d heard before. She stood still and listened, her heart thumping in her chest.

  Tap. Tap. Tap.

  The sound was much closer this time. There was no mistaking it now. Sally turned and ran, all thought of Ben lost from her mind, at least for the moment. In her haste she didn’t notice a thorn bush, its branches half covering the trail, and soon the thorns were tearing at her skin, ripping through the nightie, but she didn’t care.

  Behind her, as if it were keeping pace, she heard it one more time.

  Tap. Tap. Tap.

  She let out a scream and found a jolt of speed, her legs carrying her faster than she had ever run in her entire life. All caution thrown to the wind, Sally negotiated the last of the trail in a fit of blind panic, and was surprised when the trees fanned out and she found herself in the parking lot.

  She staggered to a halt, and gasped for breath, her lungs burning.

  There was Ben’s car, right where they parked it the day before. Up ahead was the Ranger’s Station, a warm yellow glow pulsing through the window. She crossed the parking lot and hurried to the cabin door. Without a second thought, she pounded on the door.

  “Help me.” Her voice sounded strained, hoarse. “Please, open up.”

  For a moment she thought no one would answer, but then she heard a bolt being drawn back. The door opened a crack.

  “Can I help you?” A face appeared in the space between the door and the frame. It was the Ranger she’d bought the camping permit from the day before. He looked tired. He held a flannel robe closed. He must have been asleep.

  “Please, let me in,” Sally pleaded. “Someone is chasing me.”

  “What the…” The door opened wide. The Ranger looked alarmed. “Get in. Tell me what happened.”

  “Thank you.” Sally pushed past him and stood shivering in the small office.

  The Ranger stole a glance in the direction of the trail, and then closed and bolted the door. “Alright young lady, what’s all this about.” His eyes roamed her body.

  Sally looked down. The nightie was a mess. Here and there smudges of dirt soiled the white garment. The fabric was torn in places, exposing swathes of pale white skin. Not that it mattered. The nightdress was almost see-through, and even in the dim light of the o
ffice she could tell that it left little to the imagination. She folded her arms across her chest and met the Ranger’s gaze. “My boyfriend is still out there. We need to call the police and look for him.”

  “Now slow down there. I’m going to need a tad more information before I go calling the cops up here.” The Park Ranger plucked a dark green jacket with yellow badges on the sleeves from a coat rack and held it out to her. “Put this on before you freeze to death. My name’s Arnie, by the way.”

  “Thanks.” She snatched the jacket and pulled it on, covering herself. “Can we please find Ben now?”

  “Well now, what makes you think he’s missing?”

  “We were chased. I told you.” Sally could feel the tears coming, hot and wet.

  “There’s no need to cry.” Arnie looked around. “Gosh, I don’t have any napkins. Tell you what, why don’t you come through to the lounge and sit down, and I’ll make a few calls.”

  “Okay.” Sally sniffed and followed Arnie toward a door at the back of the office, behind a service counter. Beyond the office were small living quarters. She found herself in a living room. It was sparse but comfortable, with two chairs and a bookshelf. The remains of a fire glowed in a stone hearth, the warmth from the embers still filling the cramped space.

  “Sit down, please.” Arnie motioned toward a chair near the fire. “Get warm. I’ll take care of business and bring you a nice hot cup of cocoa.”

  “I don’t want anything to drink.” Sally slid into the chair, relishing the heat emanating from the hearth. “I just want to find Ben.”

  “I’ll bring you a cocoa anyway. Just give me a few minutes to throw something on.” Arnie turned and left the room, leaving Sally alone. She heard him clatter around somewhere else in the building, and then things went quiet for a while. After that she heard the clink of cups and the whistle of a kettle. A few moments later Arnie returned, now wearing his crisp green uniform. In his hands he carried two mugs with the Park Service logo emblazoned on them.

  “Here you are.” He handed one of the mugs to her.

  “I told you, I don’t want a drink.” She took the mug anyway. “Did you call for help yet?”