The wrong turn | short story

In the year 2009, after we finished our final exam, we went on a trip with my four other friends. Two male and three female. My other female friend and I were 17 years old, while the other male friend was 18 and 19 years old.

So, we went hiking nearer the mountain, and we asked my brother to send us off there.

We all are excited about the hiking.

We don't have any phone at that time, so I just asked my brother to come to pick us up at 3.00 pm since we arrived around 6.00 in the morning.

As soon we arrived, we register our name.

Since one of our friends were people coming from that place, we didn't need any guide. The guide told us not to follow the other road and stick to the road that has been made.

So, we understand and started our hiking.

Gary, the one who 19 years old, told us that he had been there before and knew there's a short cut for another road. At first, we doubt it, but then, we change our mind and follow him.

There were 6 checkpoints, and each of the checkpoints was 20 minutes away, and the hill is so steep.

When I arrive at checkpoint 3, Gary shows us the other road. Since no one was looking at us during that time, we went to it.

The bushes were thicker than we thought. As if it has not to be cleared for a long time.

But, Gary insist that it is the way.

So, we just walked. After a while, about hours and hours, we went into more deep and silent woods. Gary seems to panic as he just realises that we enter the wrong road but still keeping the cool.

Then, after 30 minutes wandering into the woods, finally, he said, we got lost. We all were so angry at that time. Therefore, we have to go back to where we walk by.

But, the thing was we can't find the road anymore, we went into deep and thicker woods.

Gary felt sorry, and he tried to take care of us. However, the sun getting darker. We don't even realise how many hours we were lost in the woods.

July, my other friend, was crying because she never experienced this thing. As that happened, we stuck in the bushes, and the time get near to 7.00 o clock, and we get scared,

Luckily, July has a small torchlight hang in her bag, and we used that to light the way, but the thing is, it is so steep. We all are holding onto each other; as soon we arrive at a place with a bigger space, Janna suddenly screams because her leg is stuck in one of the holes. 

We hurriedly pull her, and she cried hysterically, but we tried to calm her down. We saw a scratch on her leg as someone clawed at her.

At that time, we heard someone calling my name and my other friends. The sound seems too far from us; it came from the above. We tried to be silent for a moment, and for sure, someone was calling our name.

They must have found us; my brother must have reported it to the authorities. We saw the light coming from above, about 30 to 40 metres. Then we shouted and flash our light too.

When they found us, they told us to not move around and stay where we are. So, we listen; the fireman picked us one by one, Janna, the first one, followed by me, then July, Calvin and the last one, Gary.

When we all were saved, Gary apologised to the authorities and will not again break the rules. As we see the place from above, I was surprised, there was a big hole in front of us. We're so lucky that we did not continue but instead stayed there.

The shortcut road has been closed because a landslide happened several months ago. I'm pretty sure Gary got his lesson.

Disclaimer; The character and name used in this short story are a made-up word, and it is based on the author's imagination. Any resemblance to actual events, locale or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.