Search and Rescue

Kelly set off from the dock at Arbuckle National Park early that morning, fully prepared for a day on the water. She spun the boat's steering wheel with a practiced hand, heading for the opposite side of the lake. At the rugged, tree-lined shore, far from any signs of humanity, she dropped anchor.

A tablet for taking notes lay in her lap. She scanned the shoreline, watching the various tiny animals going about their business. Lizards basked on rocks warmed by the sunlight. Squirrels darted wildly back and forth, chasing each other in circles up tree trunks. A bullfrog croaked from the reeds and rushes fringing the waterline.

Kelly spent several minutes quietly recording visual data. She took a water sample and put it aside for analysis, noting the date and time. She snapped a few photos and even nudged the boat closer to the water grasses to record the trilling chirps of red-winged blackbirds.

Once she had taken note of as much as possible, Kelly leaned back, resting. She watched as a family of mallard ducks paddled slowly by. A soft wind whispered through the grasses, rippling the water and setting the boat rocking gently.

It didn't seem as though life could be any more peaceful or carefree than at that moment. Kelly looked up and studied the sky, analyzing potential weather conditions. It appeared there could be a pop-up thundershower later. She reached out to turn on the radio, adjusting the volume so as not to disturb the wildlife surrounding her.

"A boy is missing in Arbuckle National Park," a staccato voice interrupted the weather report. "He was last seen yesterday evening at the West Shore campsite, wearing Superman pajamas and holding a blue teddy bear. Any assistance with the ongoing search is immensely appreciated…"

Kelly didn't need a map to know she was only a couple miles away from the campsite in question. She debated whether she felt like breaking her routine to help search. There were several good reasons she could think of not to attempt anything risky.

The brush along the shore gave way with a tremendous crackling, and three rangers with a K-9 pushed out onto the narrow beach.

"Hey, young lady!" One man hollered and waved. "Are you in the search party?"

"No, not yet," Kelly yelled back.

"You want to help us?" Another one asked. "We could use another member!"

Kelly ran her mind's eye over the territory. A thought occurred to her. She beached her boat, climbed out and approached the rangers.

"I know an abandoned cabin about a mile into the woods, away from the lake," she said. "There's a dry well behind, and if the boy is still in the area he could fall into it. We need to check."

"Where? We never heard of a cabin out here."

"Follow me. I'll lead the way." Kelly plunged off into the forest without pausing to find a path.

The men struggled to push through the scrubby underbrush after her, their K-9 panting and tugging at the leash.

"Chief didn't smell anyone going this way," a taller, older ranger said gruffly. "How do you know if the boy found the cabin?"

"I'll be able to tell pretty soon," Kelly responded briefly, focusing on picking her way through the uncharted wilds.

They continued silently, until one ranger pulled out his radio, leaning towards Kelly.

"I need to know where we are to inform the others on our team. My phone signal is dead out here—no GPS."

"We're exactly three miles north of the West Shore campsite, two miles inland from the lakefront, and half a mile away from the cabin."

"You sure?" He frowned.

"Yes. At this point, I'm fairly certain the boy will be found by the cabin."

"How can you tell?"

"I can't guarantee…" Kelly paused. She didn't want to share too much.

"This better not be a wild goose chase," the man behind them grumbled. "Even Chief is lost. How can you expect to find anything in this mess?"

They arrived at a tumbledown cabin in a clearing, with thorny weeds and vines choking cracked windows. By now Kelly knew exactly where the boy was. Her footsteps pounded towards the back of the building. The men and dog stumbled to keep up.

A faint cry pierced the stillness. Chief barked in response, and the cries grew louder. The men came to a gaping hole in the ground, half-hidden with brush. Kelly was already leaning over it, talking soothingly.

"Don't worry, little fella. We'll get you out." To the men she said, "lower me down. I'll be able to keep him calm as we're coming up."

Two rangers tied a rope to her and passed it around a tree trunk, arranging a quick safety pulley of sorts. Within minutes, Kelly was down in the well, attaching the boy to herself. His frantic tears turned to giggles as she whispered something in his ear.

When the rangers hauled her up, they cheered to see the little boy safe and sound, hugging her and still clutching his teddy bear.

"This is incredible!" The leader said. "How did you know where he was and how to get here? We couldn't have found this place in time without your help!"

"It was nothing, really," Kelly replied, smiling. "I know this area quite well. Now I need to get back to my boat and finish my research."

"Wait, don't leave!" A ranger laughed. "We're still lost. Let us follow you back to the lakefront."

***

Kelly settled into her boat and pushed off from the shore. She waved goodbye to the little boy, the forest rangers, and Chief the search dog.

For a moment she couldn't remember what she had intended to do next. Then she set off for a tiny, rocky island in the middle of the lake. A rare species of lizard was purported to be there, and she needed to document its existence.

"Flash Blog Part 2" 

Written for

The Flash Blog Contest   [E] #2114347 A contest combining flash fiction and blogging. by Dee

Word Count: 990.