What Kyra Found at the Edge of the Woods

         Kyra’s head hung in exhaustion, her ash-blonde hair falling into her face. She sat upon a moss-covered rock, waiting for her socks and some of last night’s ashes to filter out clean drinking water. “How long have I been here? I know I have been lost for a day . . . at least,” Kyra absentmindedly said thinking aloud, “the sun raised behind me this morning . . . so that,” she said pointing to the top of the crumbling mountain, “must be east.” The sweltering summer heat was getting to her; she dipped her head into the stream, along with an extra white t-shirt she had brought. Kyra draped the white t-shirt over the top of her head in an attempt to keep from going into heat stroke. Her gray eyes scanned the wooded area for signs of edible ferns and mushrooms. Stomach growling Kyra thought to herself, “I have to find something to eat or my metabolism will be the death of me!”

         Kyra was both beautiful and smart. She had been born into the dredges of inner-city life where most girls’ destinies are to become single mothers, but her brains and beauty brought her to the wild. Kyra graduated high school early, only 16 years-old when she received a full-scholarship to Sacred Heart University. She studied anything and everything which interested her; going so far as to take a year off during college to pursue what turned into the beginning of her dissertation---an objective viewpoint of living “off the land--” comparing sustainability versus viability by a first-hand account. Kyra received her PhD, and her dissertation received national review and publication; however, there were some major corporations less than pleased with her findings.
She had received more than one death threat since the publication of her dissertation. In true Kyra response, she wrote a grant proposal, which would allow her all the necessary tools, time, and space to keep researching her findings. They approved her grant; and Kyra began researching different areas of the United States for viability and sustainability. This brings us back to the present. . .

         Kyra checked the water supplies, “Oh thank the Universe!” she exclaimed, the water she had filtered was ready for drinking. Kyra knew she had to drink slowly or risk regurgitation, I cannot afford to lose any more nutrients than I already have, she thought. After hydrating, Kyra did a scan of the area to make sure she had not left anything of importance behind and that she remembered to tie a piece of red string to a tree, marking the location where she had been. “If I am going to attempt to get myself out of these woods,” Kyra spoke with fierce determination, “I will do it with all my skills!” She wrote a message in the soft dirt, and then drew an arrow pointing the direction she headed, down the mountain by the stream.

         “All rivers lead to the Ocean,” Kyra thought to herself as she slowly and deliberately made her way downstream. The woods seemed to open up a bit as the sun trekked across the sky. “I wonder why nobody is looking for me.” Kyra thought. She pulled out her safety whistle and began to blow the Morse code for S.O.S. Stopping to listen for any response, a chill went up her back, as if someone had walked over her grave. Kyra kept moving, stopping every so often to tie a red string to a tree.

         Finally, Kyra saw what could be the edge of the woods. A glint of light caught her eye and she began to move faster. She reached the clearing where she had parked her car and saw emergency vehicles everywhere. There was an ambulance, med-e vac Helicopter, numerous police cars, several search and rescue vehicles . . . and then Kyra saw---no . . . she could not be seeing what she was seeing. The paramedics were lifting a small, ashen-haired girl onto their stretcher; covering her with a sheet.

         Suddenly, Kyra found herself at the side of the girl, “Who is she?” Kyra asked the paramedic. No one answered her; no one even saw her standing there. “HELLO?” Kyra screamed. Just then, a police officer walked right through her. “What is going on . . . I don’t understand,” Kyra thought.

         A bright light appeared at the edge of the woods, whispering Kyras name. Drawn to the light by a force beyond her control, she started toward the light. Unfortunately, what Kyra found at the edge of the woods was herself.