Lost girl in the forest

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The forest was not supposed to be that dark at 4pm.

In Greater Tubatse, everyone knew the rule: you never go into Molo Forest after 3pm. The elders said the trees get hungry. Lena thought it was just a story to keep kids from getting lost. Until today.

She was supposed to be home by now, helping her mother. But her little brother's goat had run into the forest, and she had to get it back.

"Tshepo!" she shouted, pushing through thorns. "Where are you?"

No goat. Only silence. And then... crying.

It was soft at first, like wind. Then louder. A girl crying.

"Hello?" Lena called. Her voice shook. "Who is there?"

She followed the sound, heart beating fast. The trees were taller here. The light barely came through. The air was cold even though it was hot outside.

Then she saw her.

A girl sat against a giant marula tree. Her dress was white but now torn and dirty with brown leaves stuck to it. Her feet were barefoot and bleeding a little. Her black hair was tangled. She looked about sixteen, same age as Lena.

"Are you okay?" Lena ran to her and kneeled.

The girl looked up slowly. Her eyes were beautiful but empty, like she was looking through Lena.

"I... I don't know," she whispered. Her voice was hoarse, like she had been screaming. "I don't remember."

"What don't you remember?"

"My name. How I got here. How long I have been here." She touched her head. There was a small cut. "I woke up here. And I heard him."

"Him? Who?"

The girl started to shake. "The man in the forest. He said I cannot leave. He said if I try to leave, the forest will take me."

Lena felt cold all over. This was not a joke. This girl was really scared. And Lena recognized her face.

Wait. She had seen this face before. On a poster at the school gate three days ago. MISSING. REWARD. A girl named Amara who went to the school in the next village. Everyone was looking for her.

"Your name is Amara," Lena said quickly. "You are Amara Nkosi. You disappeared three days ago. Your family is looking for you everywhere."

Amara stared. "Amara? Is that my name? It... it sounds familiar but... I don't feel like Amara."

"It's okay, you hit your head. You have memory loss. We need to get you to the clinic."

Lena tried to help her stand, but Amara pulled back.

"No! We can't! He is watching!"

"Who is watching? There is no one here!"

"Listen!"

Lena listened. The forest was too quiet. No birds. No insects. Just the wind in the leaves. And then, she heard it too. A footstep. Crack. Behind them. Heavy.

Someone was there.

Lena turned fast. Nothing. Only trees. But she felt eyes on her back.

"Okay, okay, we need to go. Now." Lena grabbed Amara's hand. It was freezing cold.

They started walking, fast. Amara could barely walk, her feet hurt. Lena half-carried her.

"How did you get here?" Lena asked to keep her awake.

"I don't know... I remember school... I remember walking home... I remember a shortcut... someone said the forest is faster... then... darkness... then I woke up here. And he was there. He gave me water. He said I am his now. That the forest chose me."

"What man? What did he look like?"

"He wore... he wore a dark jacket... and his face... I could not see his face. He always stood behind the tree."

Lena walked faster. The trees seemed to be moving closer. The path she came from was gone. Everything looked the same.

"We are lost," she whispered.

"No," Amara said. "We are not lost. The forest just doesn't want us to leave."

Suddenly, Amara stopped and screamed, pointing at the ground.

There, under leaves, was a small white shoe. A girl's shoe. And next to it, a school bag, open, books scattered and wet.

"That is mine!" Amara cried, falling to her knees. "That is my bag!"

Lena opened the bag. Inside, a notebook. She opened it. First page: AMARA NKOSI - GRADE 11 - MATHS. And drawings of flowers. And a photo. Amara with her family, smiling. Happy.

"You see? You are Amara. You were going home from school. You took the shortcut."

Amara held the photo and started crying hard. "I remember... my mother... my little sister... I need to go home..."

"Yes, we will go home. Come on."

They left the bag and kept walking. Lena tried to remember the way. She looked for the sun, but she could not see it. The trees covered everything.

Then they heard it again. Closer this time. Footsteps. And humming. A man humming a song. A lullaby.

Amara froze. "That is him. That is his song. He sings when he comes."

Lena's whole body shook. "Run!"

She pulled Amara and they ran. Branches hit their faces. Thorns cut their legs. They did not stop. They ran through bushes, jumping over roots.

Behind them, the humming got louder. And someone calling: "Amara... my lost girl... where are you going... you belong to the forest..."

"Don't listen! Don't listen!" Lena shouted.

They ran until they could not breathe. Until they fell to the ground at the edge of a small river that runs through the forest. Lena knew this river! If they follow the river, it leads out! It leads to the village!

"We are close! Follow the water!"

Amara looked at the water and her eyes went wide. "No. He said never cross the water. The water is the border."

"What?"

"If we cross, he can't follow. But if we cross... something bad will happen to me. He cursed me."

Lena was angry and scared. "There is no curse! It's just a story! We must cross!"

She pulled Amara toward the water. The water was only up to knees. Easy to cross.

As soon as Amara's foot touched the water, she screamed. Not from pain, but from memories. Flashes.

"I remember! I remember him! He is not a man! He is... he is the man from my village! The one who... who promised to help me with school fees... he said he would take me to town... then he brought me here..."

Lena understood now. This was not a forest spirit. This was a real man. A bad man who kidnapped girls.

And he was still here, somewhere behind them.

"We have to cross. Now!"

They held hands and stepped into the cold river together.

Behind them, a man's voice shouted in anger: "NOOO!"

Lena did not look back. She pulled Amara to the other side.

When they reached the other side, the forest suddenly became bright. Birds started singing again. The air became warm.

Amara fell to the ground, crying. But this time, happy crying.

"I remember everything now. My name is Amara. I am 16. I live in Burgersfort. My mother is waiting."

Lena hugged her. "You are safe now. You are not a lost girl anymore."

From the other side of the river, they could see a shadow between trees, watching them. But he could not cross the water. He turned and disappeared into the dark forest.

Lena helped Amara up. "Let's go home. Your family is waiting. And we will go to the police."

Amara nodded, holding Lena's hand tight. "Thank you for finding me. If you didn't come, I would have been lost forever."

And together, the two girls walked out of Molo Forest, following the river that would take them home. But Lena knew this was not the end. The man was still in the forest. And he would try to find another lost girl.

She would have to stop him.Amara's legs were shaking so much she could barely stand. Lena put her arm around her shoulder and held her tight.

"You are so brave," Lena whispered. "Most people would have run away when they heard crying in the forest. But you stayed."

Lena looked back one more time at the dark side of the forest. The shadow was gone. But she knew he was still there, hiding. Watching. Waiting for the next girl who takes the shortcut from school.

"I will tell everyone," Lena said, her voice strong now. "I will tell the teachers, the parents, the police. No girl will walk alone through Molo Forest again. We will put signs. We will make sure."

Amara smiled for the first time. A small, tired smile, but real.

"Do you think my mother will believe me? About the man?"

"Yes," Lena said. "Because I believe you. And I was there. I heard him too."

The sun was starting to set now, orange light coming through the trees on this safe side of the river. For the first time that day, Amara felt warm. The cold of the forest was finally leaving her body.

They started walking again, slowly, toward the lights of the village in the distance. Two girls, holding hands, who were lost and now found.

K