The Forest


As the ranger led the students through the trail, Wayne can't help but be awed at the ancient trees that surround them. Yews, maples, sycamores are just the few he can name, and then some which he could not recognised as they were covered in moss. The four of them went deeper into the woods in search of their camping site for the next three days. As they went deeper into the woods, the sounds of other students faded into silence; soon, there was only the panting and grunting of the four. Finally, the ranger stopped at a clearing and the four of them gave a big sigh of relief.

The sun overhead filled the clearing with a haze of warm sunshine which made them feel that the long walk was definitely worth it. The bubbling sounds of a nearby stream could also be heard.They were told to gather up fire woods and taught to set up the tent which would be their home for the next three days.

"If you ever get lost or need any help, use these compasses and head south-east, that should lead you to the direction of our headquarters. Use the flare gun wisely as it's only good for a single shot," said the ranger as he handed out the compasses and the flare gun to the boys.
Before the ranger left, they were also given a first aid kit in case of any emergency situations. After the ranger left, the four of them got to work setting up their tent and gathered pots and pans to cook their dinner. Kit and Ken were tasked to gather fire woods while Wayne and Long were supposed to cook. When Kit and Ken finally gathered up enough firewood, the sun had already set and their surroundings were dissolved into darkness.

After tinkering with the flint stones for almost half an hour, they finally got the fire going. It was another half an hour before they got the fire hot enough to cook themselves a simple meal of potatoes and porridge. Even though the food weren't tasty, the four of them were ravenous by then and wolfed all of it down. After cleaning up the cooking utensils at the nearby stream, they went back to the camp and soon fell into a blissfully dreamless sleep surrounded by the sounds of the insects in the forest.

The boys woke up next morning to the cheerful sounds of birds chirping and the morning sun shining through the thin nylon of the tent. Groggily, the four of them tumbled out of their tents and proceeded to walk to the nearby stream to wash up.

"Ow! You stepped on my foot!" yelled Ken when Long accidentally stepped on him in a sleepy daze.
"Sorry..." Long managed to say before he tripped over a branch which landed him face first into the river mud.

The other three broke into raucous laughter at the sight of Long's face buried in the mud. After a good long minute, they finally managed to stumble over the stream to clean up their dirty bodies. The cool refreshing stream came as a huge relief as they were all sticky and sweaty after yesterday's flurry of activities. The boys frolic for awhile more in the clear cool water of the stream before their stomachs staged protests.

Breakfast was a simple affair made up of canned meat, beans and some slightly squashed bread which were found in Ken's backpack. After satisfying their stomachs, the four of them decided to explore the surrounding woods as they were slightly bored with just staying at the camp site. They packed some sandwiches and followed a faint trail that led to the woods, bringing along their compasses in case they lose their way. There were little wild flowers along the trails, which gave a touch of colour to the vast green forest. But boys being boys, they had fun trampling on the flowers while cracking jokes with each other while they were hiking through the woods.

"Hey! Look at that!" Kit said as the boys came to the foot on an ancient oak tree that stood at at least 100 feet.

For a moment there, all boys stopped their incessant chattering and just stood there awestruck at the wonders of nature. The oak tree stood taller than any other tree in the forest, with branches reaching out to the sky above. Seeing the oak in its full splendor simply took their breath away. It was awhile before they'd regain their senses and started the walk back to their camp site as the sky overhead grew darker and the temperatures dropped.

By the time the four boys retraced their steps and got back to their campsite, night has already fallen. Hungry and tired, they hurriedly made dinner and went to rest their aching bodies.

When they awoke the next morning, it was already nearing noon. They were scheduled to arrive back at the headquarters before sunset. So after a quick brunch of instant noodles, they decided to take a look at the majestic oak tree for the last time before leaving. Bringing along their compasses once again, they tried to retrace their steps from the previous day. As they hike further into the woods, their easy banter soon changed into worried exchange as the tree from yesterday was no where in sight.

"I swear it was around here somewhere! We saw it just yesterday!" Long said as he tried to figure out where the tree went.

The puzzled looks on the other three boys' faces showed that they too, had no clue as to where the tree could have possibly disappeared to. Tired and disappointed, they got out their compasses to help them figure out which way would lead them back to the campsite. However, the needles of the compasses just spun wildly in every direction when the boys took them out. Their uneasiness grew when the cell phones would not work properly either; there seemed to be no signal no matter where they went.

They started to panic as the sun was quickly dipping below the horizon. Arguments started to break out as they tried to determine which way was south-east. Hungry and thirsty, they wandered aimlessly in the woods, hoping to run into some other groups of students. Sunlight was fading fast, soon there was only darkness left. The night air was cold and still, and the boys' breaths rose up in puffs of steam.

A sudden rustle in one of the bush startled them as everything else was still and quiet in the dark forest. Just as they were about to dismiss it as a figment of their imagination, a low growl rose from bush. The boys exchanged a glance and immediately broke into a sprint, trying to put as much distance between them and the beast as possible.

When they finally came to a stop, they were even further into the woods than before. The forest is now covered in mist, the surroundings were as silent as a grave, not even the sounds of insects could be heard. Shivering and scared, the boys were lost in the woods.