The Man From The Woods

Ballan Springs Article, 1989

Local Boy Missing

While hiking in the Ballan Trails, Margaret, and her husband, Richard Lankan, lost their seven-year-old son, Toby Lankan. "We stopped to rest for a moment, and before we knew it, he was out of our sight," says Margaret. They have been staying in their house since then, letting the police, and forest rangers handle the situation. "We just want our little boy back home, that's all we're asking," says Richard, before he starts crying. If you are to be hiking on the Ballan Trail, police, and the parents of Toby are asking you to keep an eye out for their son, and if you find anything relating to the case, to please go to the police, or the parents directly.

By Erik Palkensie

Ballan Springs Article, 2017

Local Woman Missing

The mother of Toby Lankan, the missing boy from 1989, was reported missing three days ago by her husband. Margaret Lankan has been absent from her home for three days. A nurse who is currently staying with the couple came over to find Margaret not home, and her husband left alone. "She would never just leave like this without telling anyone," says their personal nurse. "Miss Margaret gets confused sometimes, she's probably wondered into the next town or something," she adds on. Margaret Lankan is still missing, please contact police if you find Miss Margaret Lankan.

By Erik Palkensie II

Present day,

Going about my run in the woods was a daily thing. Getting some fresh mountain air, looks of nature and the physical activity that helped me with my training. I was going on week four for the position of the sheriff's apprentice. Not a common job, right? Well, in Ballan Springs, a small mountain town, everything isn’t common. I’ve seen the elderly going down the middle of the road in wheelchairs--not sure if they’re confused or if they thought they were riding in a car? No matter what it is, it’s not normal, but in Ballan Springs, it is.

My runs though, were common, and normal. It wasn’t until I came across a shouting voice, shouting from somewhere. It was definitely a man, but I couldn’t see where he was.

“Hello? Can you tell me where you are?”

“You’re real right? A real actual person?” I thought the question was kind of strange, but I told him I was in fact a real person. “Okay, just making sure. Now, I am in a hole, a very small hole that only a child can get through. You can either go back and get others, or do you think you can widen the hole by yourself and try and pull me out?” I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do. Why was that man in a hole that was only big enough for a small child to fit through? And why in the middle of the woods?

“I need to know where you are first. How did you end up in there anyway?”

A rock then flew from somewhere close, leading me in that direction. I then found the hole, and with the help from the sun, I could see the man’s face in the ground, or really his blue eyes that came through the dirt caked on his face. “I’ll tell you everything after you get me out of here. I haven’t eaten in two and a half days! If you didn’t come, I think I would have been dead. Why are you out here?” I examined the hole, trying to figure out a way to get him out. I didn’t realize he asked me a question.

“What was that? Oh, I go on runs sometimes, but this is the first time meeting you out here. Why didn’t you say anything yesterday? I was out here running then,” I said to him, moving the rocks and patches of grass away from the hole.

“Well, I was sleeping then, I tend to sleep a lot during the day. Have you found out how to get me out of here?” As I got closer to the hole, a strong pungent smell hit my nose. It smelled like something was dead in there.

“By that look on your face, I can tell you’ve already gotten a whiff of me, right? I haven't showered in three days, sorry. Are you going to get me out or just sit there and plug your nose?” The man started to get frustrated with me, I don’t blame him though. I wouldn’t want to be stuck in a hole for three days without food or water.

“I’m sorry, I’ve just never been in a situation like this. I’m going to get you out right here and right now. It will take me well over half an hour to go and get someone. You have to help me though, I need you to dig around the corners of the hole to make it bigger. Man, how did you even get down there?”

“Don’t ask me, I have no clue either. Let’s get working on the hole.” I watched his fingers scrape against the side of the hole, his nails were long, dirty, and had a tint of red on them. I tried to ignore it, and not be more judgemental than I already was. That was another thing to write on my list for uncommon things in Ballan Springs.

The hole began to get larger, and I could finally see more of the man. “You think you can get out now?” I asked him, tired from scraping the dirt away.

“Grab my hands and try to pull me out, if I get stuck, we’ll just have to dig some more.” He really wanted to get out of there, fast, and I was willing to help him. That deed was definitely going to get me the position.

His hands came out through the hole, and I was reluctant to grab them at first, but I put it aside and grabbed them tightly. I pulled with all my might, and half of his body came through. I accidently let go, his hands were very greasy.

“It’s fine, it’s fine!” he yelled. He started to pull himself out fully, and when I had the chance to get back up to help him, he was already out.

When I took a good look at him, he did not look like he had been in that hole for three days. His pants were baggy, torn and filthy. His shirt was probably once white, but now a brownish-yellow color. His hair, along with his face, was caked in dirt, and it was severely long and knotted. He looked as if he’d been living in that hole his whole life.

“Finally! You have no clue how long I’ve waited for this!”

“Three days?” I asked, getting scared at what I just released.

“Is that how long I said I was down there? Then yeah, three whole days!” He sounded like he wasn’t positive that it was three days when he just told me a moment ago.

“I’m sorry, but I never got to ask your name, and are you from this area?”

“I was born here in 1982. By your looks, I’m guessing you’re a lot younger, probably don’t even know who I am, right?” How would I know him?

“I didn’t catch your name though, did you say it, sir?” Before I saw it coming, the man grabbed my ponytail and dragged me over to the hole, pushing me in. I was smaller than him, so I slid in more easily, along with the fact that I was being forced in. I landed on something hard when I fell through, and it cracked. It was completely dark, I couldn’t see anything around me.

“Thank you for all your help, Angela, but I have to be going. I’ve already finished off my mother, and now I have to go find my father. There might be some meat left on her bones for you, I’m not sure if I cleaned her all yet.”

I started freaking out. How did he know my name?! The man just shoved me into a dark hole with something he claimed was in there with me that he “hasn’t eaten all of yet”. “Why are you doing this! I helped you out!”

“Because my parents did it to me in 1989, ever hear of the lost boy named Toby Lankan? Well that’s me, all grown up and out of that hole for good. Have fun spending time in there with my mother. She probably won’t talk much though, she’s not the best company.” He then walked away from the hole.

“Hey! You can’t just leave me in here!” He kept walking and didn’t look back. I gave up on the fact that he was going to help me out.

What exactly did he mean by his “mother”? I dug my phone out and turned the flashlight on. I moved the light around until I found something horrifically chilling.

Lying next to me, was a human skeleton. I just let a psychopath-cannibal loose in my town.

I am definitely not getting the position.