Last summer in July, I started going on night walks. It was a healthy way to keep my mind off of the negative things in my life. I’m a recently widowed mother and I live with my daughter in a small house on a pretty quiet street. Ever since my husband passed, I became an alcoholic and have been trying to get sober ever since. I’ve found night walks to be a way to free my mind and get a clear head so that I could be a better mom for my daughter. One night, after I tucked my daughter into bed, I went out for my routine walk. I’d walk a mile or so down the road, passing a few houses, to a parking lot of an old rustic church no longer used by any congregation at the end of the road.
I made my routine trip, walking down the street and circling around the parking lot to then walk back home at the church which is the halfway point to my house. When I was about a third of the way back home, I heard something in the forest I haven’t heard before. It sounded like a distant voice, faintly echoing through the trees, though I couldn’t hear it very clearly. My skin chilled and my breath halted. I soon was able to make out the noise I kept hearing… it was a woman’s voice, maybe some hundred feet or so back into the woods, crying. Sobbing. Her voice was strained, and it sounded like she was in agonizing pain.
Immediately, dozens of scenarios played out in my mind, each one more terrible than the last. I could hear a distant voice of what sounded like a man in the woods near the area of the screaming. Despite being defenseless and terrified, I slowly crept into the woods to try and get a little closer to the noise. It was pitch black, but after walking 70 feet or so, I could hear the voices, only this time much easier. I could hear the man’s voice yelling as he attacked and beat the women, but I still couldn’t see anything. I took another dreaded step closer, and that’s when my foot landed on a stick, making a loud snapping sound. The man went silent, and the woman screamed out for help as loud as possible. My heart felt like it was beating out of my chest, as I stood there frozen in fear trying not to make the slightest sound. That’s when my fight or flight instincts really kicked in, and I knew I had to get out. I had a chance of overpowering whoever the man was in the darkness just feet in front of me. I convinced myself I had to run, and run fast, as I thought about my daughter at home sound asleep.
It took every ounce of courage in me, but I turned around and sprinted towards the road as fast as possible. It could’ve just been my imagination, but I could’ve sworn that I heard footsteps behind me as I sprinted as fast I ever have. Despite falling a few times and scratching myself against tree branches, I made it to the road where I could already see the lights to my house. I continued sprinting, completely terrified, and ran up to the front door, horrified to look back, not knowing if I was being followed. As soon as I got inside, I slammed the door shut and reached for my phone to call 9-1-1.
I told them there was a woman being attacked in the woods near my home. They eventually arrived at my door, and I explained what happened. Despite their suspicions of me being involved with it (which I don’t blame them considering that I’ve made terrible choices drunk) they finally went out into the woods to search for the woman. A couple hours went by, and I eventually passed out on the couch out of pure exhaustion. The next morning at 6am, I woke up to the dreaded sound of my alarm clock, knowing I had to get up and go to work. I made breakfast for myself and my daughter and we got in the car so I could drop her off at school then head to work.
On the way, I approached several police cars parked by the side of the road. My heart sunk as I neared them. I had my windows down, and came to a stop as an officer waved me to pass through. I had a really bad feeling in my stomach that something terrible had happened but I kept driving since I was with my daughter and I didn’t want her to hear anything.
The next day after work, I learned what happened when I was watching the news. It made the headline story for my local news station. A body had been found in the woods. The body of a young woman. I immediately began to tear up as I watched the segment of the horrifying details of the murder.
I felt so much regret as I watched the interviewed family grieve and mourn the loss of their daughter. If only I had taken a few steps further into the woods, I could’ve possibly helped her and prevented her death. It still haunts me to this day, but I’m glad I’m still here for my daughter at least.