Pete the Griphead
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- Feb 24, 2009
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Hey everyone...& Happy Halloween 😉 It's been a bit since I've posted here in the Stories forum, so I thought I'd remedy that. This is a story moderately influenced by the famous 'vicious vines' sequence from the "Evil Dead" films, and is the first of likely several parts. Suffice it to say, I think you'll be able to see where things are heading. Hope you enjoy!
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Hayden’s first week on official field duty with the Trident County Parks Department had proven to be rather lackluster overall. She had adopted the notion of training to be a Park Ranger, on the bold assumption that it would offer her a thrill-ride of sorts. She had always fancied herself a bit of an adrenaline junky, but didn’t think she had the guts to cut it as a full time Police Officer, or even a Firefighter. So the Parks Dept seemed like a nice happy medium. In hindsight, if she’d known that it would be as ‘thrilling’ as treating the occasional picnicker for indigestion, or administering sunscreen to absent-minded tourists, she might have thought twice before completely foregoing the full-fledged first responder route.
As a consolation prize, her trainer and current lead partner, Jake, was very easy on the eyes. At 24, Hayden had been in her fair share of relationships…most of which ended largely at her own behest. And since she found herself currently single, it was hard not to daydream about Jake. That said, even she knew better than to get mixed up in an awkward work relationship. Especially one that, with her track record, was ultimately destined to be a messy break-up. But that didn’t keep her from window shopping from afar, and entertaining the occasional flight of fancy…even just within the confines of her own wild imagination.
Jake had let on that today could potentially be a bit more hectic than her first handful of days on patrol. It was a weekend, and those had been trending a bit busier than the season prior. Plus, they were inching closer to a warm weather long holiday week, so the foot traffic on the trails was seeing a steady increase in volume overall. Hoping for something to break the doldrums, Hayden finished changing in to her Park’s & Rec issued khaki cargo trousers and short-sleeve camp button down, but opted to carry her bulky wool socks and hiking boots in to the mornings pre-patrol briefing. For starters, she’d always preferred being barefoot, in general…especially in nicer weather. And to add to it, her work issued hiking boots had failed to break in quite right, so they did a number on her feet if she wore them too long. With that, she closed her locker, grabbed her boots, socks, and backpack, and threw on her ball cap, careful to feed her blond ponytail through the hat’s snap back closure.
As she exited the coed locker room, she felt a bit more self-conscious about the exposed feet for some reason…perhaps because she was still sporting naked toes, and had yet to decide on a new polish for these late spring weeks. She’d have to do something about that her next off day, since she was way overdue for a mani/pedi trip. Ignoring the momentary flash of awkward self-awareness over her naked feet, she padded her way in to the meeting room for Wednesday’s AM roll call.
“OK, so that brings us to some newer points of order” she catches her Senior Ranger, Janet, offering mid-sentence. “Let’s all just make sure that we’re keeping our eyes and ears open out there. You know how things start to go off the rails a bit with tourists this time of year.”
“Nice of you to join us, your highness” quips Jake, taking his focus off of Janet and addressing Hayden, on the heels of her mildly tardy entrance.
“Thanks, DAADDD” she says, while offering a flirty wink at Jake to soften the delivery. “I was 10-1, if you insist on knowing. I should have thought to text you from the bathroom stall.”
“Please, NOO! We are NOT at that stage of our…’relationship’ yet!” The last part is offered with exaggerated air quotes, for good measure.
While it was an unwritten rule that neither of them would ever think to pursue any sort of entanglement, it didn’t stop the two of them from falling in to a rather casual and effortless style of intrinsic flirtation with one another. Neither of them seemed to mind, and neither of them seemed likely to let it go anywhere beyond.
“Copy that, duly noted. Now stop your yapping, and pay attention to Janet’s roll call. Your setting a bad example for me.”
Hayden took in the sight of Janet, noticing the senior staffer in somewhat greater detail than she had since her initial hire a few weeks ago. Janet was in her late 30’s, and almost two decades working outdoors, and patrolling the trails, had left her fit and tanned as well. She wore her department issued uniform well, and since she spent more of her day in the office/admin quarters, Janet opted for the long sleeve zip up over top of her t-shirt, and low rise hiking boots that looked more comfortable. The captain’s badge adorned the chest plate of her pull over, and Janet wore it well. She had a natural leader-like way about her, but never led with an ego or any sense of cockiness. Hayden had taken an immediate liking to Janet, and even found herself hoping that she looked as good Janet when she was pushing 40…she should be so lucky.
“Anyway, the most important thing is to try not to be overly obtrusive or obvious on the trails’ says Janet. “We’re here to assist, and be of assistance when needed. But let’s NOT find ourselves being overbearing with our local nature lovers. Most of them will police themselves, and we can just stay ready/ready for those that wander off the beaten path. Have fun, and let’s all just remember to check on the hour. Now get to it.”
With that, the 6 or so rank and file Rangers began to amble out of the room, and Hayden reached down to finish dressing as she eased in to her socks and shoes. Giving her toes a few stretches inside the constricting boots, she donned her backpack before bounding out of the room to join Jake out front.
Jake was prepping their Parks Department issued quads, checking that the tires on both of their patrol vehicles were inflated adequately, and that the fuel was topped off. This had become a bit of a morning ritual, and Hayden was OK to let Jake take the lead on these checklist items. She assumed he was doing it partially because he was the senior officer, but also out of a sense of chivalry as well. Hayden was more than fine with either of these motivations, but was also mindful to be seen as a capable and independent ranger. With that in mind, she grabbed the clip board and pen off of the nearby service stall wall, and began to go through the process of checking out both vehicles in writing.
Jake and Hayden patrolled the most distant sector from the squad hq, so they tended to get two of the three available quads on most days. It saved them the 12-plus mile hike just to get to the other side of the forest, where their designated patrol section was. The Parks Dept’s jurisdiction was made up of about 5000 acres or so of mostly single track trails, and wooded lands. The Mannassas Creek snaked through much of the area, twisting through the more than 150-miles of trails and roads that meandered their way through Trident basin. Hiking the 12-mile stretch first thing out on the day, each day, would put the first 2-3 hours of their shift every day outside of their patrol zone, thus defeating the purpose. With the quads, the pair was typically onsite within 15-20 minutes.
“Looks like we’re good to go, champ” said Jake, grabbing his helmet off of the rear cargo cage of the quad.
“Copy that, signing these two out for patrol then, due back eighteen hundred” offers Hayden, as she checked the return time for approximately 6pm that day. “Let’s get this show on the road.”
The pair secured their helmets and goggles, and shored up the straps of their backpacks, careful to secure their walkie-talkies, water bottles and walking sticks in the cargo hold of the bikes. The duo fired up the vehicles, and headed off for the Northwest sector where they’d spend the day on patrol.
It was only a mere 15-20 minutes in to their shift onsite when Janet hailed them on radio. The pair had pulled off to the side of one of the wider, largely gravel trails, when they fielded the first call of the day from command.
“Patrol 3, this is base,” the walkie sounded. “Jake, Janet here. Over.”
“Base, this is Patrol 3,” replied Jake. “What’cha got for us chief? Over.”
“Just a heads up for you two, we’ve got a vehicle that’s been in the West parking lot since yesterday afternoon. Probably nothing to fret about just yet, but the owners looked to be more the touristy type, just based on the parking lot footage reviewed from yesterday, when it was left. Three females, early twenties, based on the looks of them. No packs or gear, and mostly in street clothes. They don’t strike me as the overnight camping sort. Over.”
“Copy that, Cap’n. We’ll do a sweep of the close trails, from the lot to that section of the Creek. The west lot draws a lot of foot traffic in, since it’s the closest straight shot to Covered Bridge, and Tidewater Falls. We’ll see if anyone partied too hard, and is sleeping one off by Falls Beach. Thanks for the heads up Janet. Over.”
“Great, thanks you two. Happy hunting, HQ out.”
“Sounds like a few hipsters may be out-stayin’ their welcome this morning, eh”, said Hayden, assuming the trio to be a few townies, likely out of their element. “Wanna hike over to Falls from here, on foot?”
“Nah, let’s move the vehicles to the lot, and we can head in on Trail 6,” suggests Jake, in reply. “This way we can get a better look at their vehicle too. Maybe they’ll have driven off by the time we get there.”
“Copy you, boss,” she says, moving back in the direction of her patrol quad. “I’ll lead, you follow.”
With that, she throws back on her helmet and goggles, and starts her vehicle, before pulling a sharp U-turn and heading off in the direction of the west lot. Jake peels around, and takes off in pursuit. Within 10-minutes, the pair is parked near the entrance from the lot to trail 6, as they do a walk-around of the outside of the only other vehicle in the lot. It’s a late model Acura crossover, silver, and three of the windows are down varied amounts, two almost half open.
“Doesn’t look like they were necessarily planning to walk away from the vehicle overnight,” observes Hayden, as she peers in to the backseat through the partially open window. “I mean, at the very least you’d think they’d have battened down the hatches if they were, no?”
“Likely, yeah” Jake offers in confirming fashion. “But this section of the park is always a bit less crowded, especially the lot. Most folks prefer to get in a better hike to Covered Bridge, so most park over at the South East lot. If these girls are regulars, they may have not been as concerned with the vehicle. And the weathers been holding the past week, so no rain forecast. Could be they just got complacent.”
“Well, wherever they were headed, they’re still not back” says Hayden. “Fancy yourself a little hike in…have a little look-see?”
“Yeah, let’s do it. I’ll radio back to Janet that we’re heading in on foot, and echo back the state of the vehicle.”
With that, the two readied for the trek in, grabbing their ball caps, sun glasses, and back packs from the vehicles. They also each grab their tactical belts, with their respective Leatherman multi-tools, Frontiersman repellant sprays, canteens, and various other trail-savvy gadgetry. The belts also holster their walkies, as well as separate pouches for their cell phones. Most cell phones are out of service in more than 60% of the park, but they’re usually kept on hand for good measure. Jake also grabs a hank of fluorescent climbing rope and a dozen Carabiners, just for good measure. There’s no telling what sort of precarious position the trio of missing young ladies may have wandered in to, and Jake would prefer to not have to huff back out to the vehicles later for added supplies. Especially if it ends up that the inexperienced tourists are already panicked and frantic upon discovery.
“Why don’t you take the lead,” suggests Jake, allowing Hayden room to pass as the two head off down trail 6 and in to the forest.
“My pleasure, boss. Let’s find ourselves some wayward lost souls!”
The trail is wide to start, maybe 6-7 feet across. But after about 200 or so yards in, it begins to thin out to a little more than half that. It’s also more jutted, with rocks and roots sticking up in ungroomed fashion, making sure-footing something the two have to work at pretty consistently along the way. The hike from west lot to the beach head at Tidewater is nearly 3-miles in, so Hayden had assumed they’d mostly be making a beeline for that marker. But after the two are barely a mile or so in to the stroll, she notices a few things along the left-hand side of the path and stops to asses. For starters, on the ground, there is what looks to be a wedge heel, like the kind you would find on a designer pair of leather boots. There is also a denim jacket, a pair of designer sunglasses, what looks to be a rather pricey sling purse, and a thick, gold bangle bracelet. The items are strewn about, along the side of the trail, as though they’ve been carelessly discarded. There is a haphazard arrangement to all of it, and nothing is stacked or arranged.
“Hmmm, like, what the hell,” questions Hayden, puzzled by the randomness of the scene. “I mean, these things all look to be high-end enough that a person would take better care not to lose them. I’m no trendsetter, but even I can spot nicer stuff from a knock-off.”
“I concur, you’re definitely NOT a trendsetter,” jokes Jake in return. “But kidding aside, yeah. Not a collection of items you lose without noticing.”
“Especially a heel off of your damn shoe! And definitely not if they’re the shoes on your feet, which it stands to reason they’d be, right?”
“Your guess is as good as mine, Sherlock,” chips Jake, keeping with the jovial banter. “But it does look like there’s a few signs here that things diverted off of the trail in general. Look, the ground has definitely been broken up through here, and you can see that there’s been recent passage through, venturing off in to this section of the woods.”
“Sooooo, I suppose we’re going OFF-roadin’ then, boss?” Hayden’s query is offered rhetorically, and before Jake can respond, she’s already making her way off of the trail, after having quickly gathered up the discovered items and thrown them in to her backpack.
Following the signs of disruption through the surrounding over-growth, the two begin to meander their way in to the thicker brush. There are continued clues that hint towards recent passage through here, most notably along the ground where the earth has clearly been drug up a bit. They’re not more than 20-yards in when Hayden, still in the lead, spots a few more random objects. A woman’s leather boot, though this one still in possession of its wedge heel, as well as a second jacket (a lightweight bomber style this time) and a boho chain metal dress belt, that looks like a close match to the bangle bracelet. Hayden stops to inspect the objects, comparing the heel of the boot to the one from her back pack, as well as the bracelet and the belt. All seem like they could easily be matches, with the boot and the discarded heel an identical match.
“The plot thickens,” offers Hayden, staring up at Jake with a questioning glance. “It looks to me like all of this is from the same person…oorr, people, I guess.”
“Sound logic. Let’s keep going, and see if we can find any actual people.”
“10-4, boss…let’s.”
Hayden gathers the newly found objects, and adds them to her growing backpack collection before the two then push on, further in to the thick of the overgrown woods. Her newest thought is that a person wouldn’t be likely to venture in to woods this dense willingly. Especially not a person in 3” designer heels. So now the question was what in the heck were these townies up to, exactly.
“Hayden, hang tight for a sec,” Jake says. “I’m going to radio in to Janet at HQ, just offer her a quick status check.”
“Cool, that’s probably a good idea,” agrees Hayden. “We’re starting to venture pretty far in to the thicket, might not be a bad idea for someone else to know where we are. And I doubt we have any real service this far in!”
“We don’t have much of any” confirms Jake, staring at his cell phone. “No bars, my friend…no bars.”
“Lovely,” she offers. “Then yeah, all the more reason to radio HQ.”
While Jake moves off to report back to command, Hayden unclips her canteen and takes a nice long swig of water. She’s forgotten how thirsty she was already, having lost herself a bit inside of her own head. She’s still trying to piece a thing or two together when she notices something just up ahead, atop a small pile of fallen leaves, grass and mud. It looks like another leather shoe, or boot. But unlike the designer leather knee-high spotted earlier, this one looks to be more of a combat boot style. Moving closer, she can make out that it is, indeed, a Doc Martin style…with embroidered roses down the one side. Her first thought is that they’re nice boots, and a bit more practical for the trail than the wedged boots. Her second thought, that occurs a second later, is that THIS boot seems to still be attached to a leg. Glancing up, she can make out the denim clad long leg of what looks to be a female body, which is lying on the ground, and mostly hidden in the dense thicket. And as she moves even closer, Hayden is suddenly convinced that her mind is playing tricks on her. As she draws nearer to the boot (and the leg), the body seems as though it’s being drug, very slowly, along the forest floor.
“Uhhh, hey boss,” she shouts back at Jake. “You, uhhh, may wanna get over here.”
Only then does she notice that just as she has stopped moving closer, the body has also stopped being drug. Testing the theory, she takes a few steps forward, only to see the person drug a few feet further away in unison.
“Hey Jake, get your ass over here already,” she insists, with a bit more sense of urgency this time.
“What’s up, doc,” he offers, this time already positioned right behind here.
“Jeez, what the almighty fuck, Jake. You scared the hell out of me,” says Hayden, startled for a moment before stealing herself. “Now look, would you. Up ahead, about 10-15 yards in. Do you see that? Is that, or is that NOT, a pair of denim clad legs?”
Jake eyes past her before confirming. “Holy hell, you’re right. That’s a person alright!”
He starts off in the direction of the legs, but stops suddenly as he, too, notices that the body looks like it’s being slowly drug away from them. In the opposite direction, and further in to the woods.
“WHAT in the………..” he starts, before stopping dead in his tracks along with Hayden.
“RIGHT!?! That’s what I’m sayin’. I mean, unless we’re BOTH crazy, it seems like something is , like, I don’t know? Dragging those legs the other way!”
Jake takes another few steps forward, this time maintaining a bead in the direction of the Doc Martin’s, while Hayden keeps pace just beside him. As Jake unholsters his can of repellant spray from his side, Hayden thinks wise of it and follows suit. The two, repellant at the ready, and slowly closing ground on the legs by gaining a bit of speed, are just about caught up to them. That’s when they glance down to notice what looks like dozens of vines all moving around on the ground as well, almost as though they’re clearing out of the way of the approaching Rangers. It’s a bit disorienting, but the two are full on intent at this point to catch up to the body. Moving in to a slow jog, they finally round a large tree trunk in time to make out the entirety of the form being drug along the ground. It is indeed a female, and she looks to be in her mid-twenties. She also appears to be unconscious, and her long black hair has gathered up a collection of twigs, leaves and various under-brush. Her face, while pretty, is clearly smeared with a fair amount of make-up, mud, and sweat. Her one arm has been drawn taut, above her head, and a thick vine has wrapped itself around her wrist. Despite the insanity of the situation, it seems like the vine is indeed dragging the women by her wrist, just above a second and third bracelet that largely resembles the one now tucked inside of Hayden’s backpack.
As Jake just about breaks even with the woman’s body, it suddenly falls still, and the two Rangers notice as the vine unwinds itself from her wrist before writhing off in the direction of a nearby tree trunk. Now able to fully digest the situation before them, they notice that, aside from a few minor scratches and abrasions, and more than a little filth and mud, she doesn’t seem to show any outward signs of significant trauma. Her chest seems to be rising and falling steady, and, while her one shirt sleeve has been drug down, and the blouse has come fairly far down off of her shoulder, dragging the one strap of her bra with it, she is otherwise fully dressed in jeans, a chiffon blouse, and the still intact Doc Martin’s.
“Hang back for a sec,” instructs Jake, as he bends down to take a knee beside the body. “I just want to check her pulse. But she’s clearly breathing, so that’s a good sign.”
“Copy, and yeah, agreed,” Hayden says, while continuing to glance around to take in the rest of the scene. Her first thought is…if this is one of the missing girls from the parking lot, then where are the other two?
She’s just about to pull out her walkie to radio back to base, when she notices something glinting off of a streak of mid-morning sun, as its peaking through a gap in the overhead canopy, and reflecting off of something at the base of a very large Maple tree. The crown of the tree stretches 75-plus feet in to the forest air, but it’s the object at the base of the tree’s massive trunk that is grabbing her attention. It almost looks like…a head of platinum blonde hair?!? From here, at least, about 20 or so yards off, Hayden does indeed think it looks like someone is actually standing up against the base of the massive tree. As she squints to take it in the form more fully, she can now discern the outline of a second person. For sure. And like the one that Jake is currently attending to, just a short distance behind her, this second body is also stone-still.
With equal parts curiosity and conscientiousness, Hayden starts in towards the second figure. The closer she creeps, the more detail she can start to make out, and within a minutes time she’s close enough to fully gauge the scene. This woman, about the same age roughly as the brunette Jake is tending to, is also apparently unconscious. And like her assumed friend, her breath seems steady. From here, it’s almost as if she’s in a state of peacefully sound slumber. Her attire also matches the brunette’s…more lady’s night out than trail appropriate. And it would appear she’s also the owner of the black leather knee high boots, since she’s still wearing the second boot…albeit, minus one wedge heel, which has clearly been ripped from the sole of the boot on her left foot. Her right foot is clad only in a navy blue trouser sock, with what look to be tiny red hearts evenly spaced across the garment. And the front, toe-half of the sock looks to have been torn clear off, leaving the blonde’s bare toes, polished a high gloss shade of baby blue, on full display. She’s in a pair of black leggings that are stretched and torn in numerous places, and is wearing the remains of a sheer sleeveless blouse, which is also much worse for wear. The apparent owner of one of the discarded jackets they had found, the blouse looks a bit too revealing to have been worn as a solo piece of attire. It’s also been through the ringer, and is torn in numerous spots as it hangs low off the one side of the statuesque blonde, more than revealing the majority of the sheer red bra underneath.
Hayden, momentarily transfixed by the young woman’s predicament, almost misses that it’s a similar (if not identical) sort of vine that is wrapped around the woman, keeping her back pressed squarely to the tree. And, as she looks even closer, she can see that a second vine is actually in the process of wrapping itself lower on the woman’s legs, closer to her ankles.
“Heeeyy, uh, JAKE,” Hayden shouts, hoping for a second set of eyes on the scene. “Umm, I think we’ve got another live one here!”
“Gimme a minute,” he calls back.
While she waits for her partner to make his way over, Hayden watches on as the vines, more than life-like, continue to move around the blonde’s ankles. With a dexterous display, the vine begins to twist its way down the side of the woman’s boot, almost tugging away at the shoe as it goes. Winning the battle over the object, the vine starts to literally pull the second boot from her sock clad foot, leaving the unconscious woman in her stocking feet while lifting her slightly up off of the forest floor. Hayden can see that the blond is now resting several inches above the bottom of the tree’s rooted trunk. But instead of stopping there, the vines seem to have gotten a taste for things, and begin to corkscrew their way in to the unconscious woman’s socks too. Pulling, tearing, and shredding as they go, they’ve soon left the dozing girl’s feet naked, and glistening in the sunlight. Her 10 baby-blue toes, now of full display, begin to spasm instinctively as the vines explore the soles of her slightly damp, sock-marked feet with excruciating precision.
Hayden can feel her own toes begin to curl inside of her stuffy hiking boots, as she watches the vines dance their way across the blonde’s bare feet and toes. She had always been ridiculously ticklish, especially on her feet, so the sight of this woman having her bare wrinkled soles explored by the twisting vines is enough to make Hayden woefully uncomfortable, and more than a bit sympathetic to the barefoot and bound blonde’s plight.
As the vines ‘finger’ their way up the trussed girls legs, they soon make short work of her black tights and before Hayden can even dare to blink, the poor girl has been stripped to a very revealing pair of red thong panties, and what remains (very little, as it were) of her shredded blouse. The vines, now seemingly thrilled with the newly bared flesh, continue the tickle attack on the tops of her feet, behind her knees, on the insides of her upper things, and even in between the poor blonde’s twitching toes. Continuing the trek north, and not content to leave this young lady any form of modesty, they tear at the fabric of her bra and blouse, with the latter losing the fight. Remnants of her distressed garments are soon tossed to the wind, as the vines begin a malicious assault on the dangling damsel’s torso, tummy, and tempting titties. A pair of thinner, threadlike vines begin to spiral themselves around each of the woman’s bared breasts, and begin tugging on her soon achingly erect nipples. Meanwhile, sister vines are continuing their hostile assault of the blonde’s belly button, midriff, upper/inner things, knees, and feet. The victimized female is beginning to show outward signs of distress, as a sheen of perspiration has formed on various parts of her body. She is clearly shivering slightly, her body’s spasmodic reflex to the ticklish onslaught, and her appearance is almost as though she’s caught in the throes of a vivid sexual fantasy.
Hayden can’t seem to tear her eyes away from the bizarre scene that is unfolding in front of them, and it’s for that reason that she has failed to notice a second thatch of vines heading in her direction……..
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Hayden’s first week on official field duty with the Trident County Parks Department had proven to be rather lackluster overall. She had adopted the notion of training to be a Park Ranger, on the bold assumption that it would offer her a thrill-ride of sorts. She had always fancied herself a bit of an adrenaline junky, but didn’t think she had the guts to cut it as a full time Police Officer, or even a Firefighter. So the Parks Dept seemed like a nice happy medium. In hindsight, if she’d known that it would be as ‘thrilling’ as treating the occasional picnicker for indigestion, or administering sunscreen to absent-minded tourists, she might have thought twice before completely foregoing the full-fledged first responder route.
As a consolation prize, her trainer and current lead partner, Jake, was very easy on the eyes. At 24, Hayden had been in her fair share of relationships…most of which ended largely at her own behest. And since she found herself currently single, it was hard not to daydream about Jake. That said, even she knew better than to get mixed up in an awkward work relationship. Especially one that, with her track record, was ultimately destined to be a messy break-up. But that didn’t keep her from window shopping from afar, and entertaining the occasional flight of fancy…even just within the confines of her own wild imagination.
Jake had let on that today could potentially be a bit more hectic than her first handful of days on patrol. It was a weekend, and those had been trending a bit busier than the season prior. Plus, they were inching closer to a warm weather long holiday week, so the foot traffic on the trails was seeing a steady increase in volume overall. Hoping for something to break the doldrums, Hayden finished changing in to her Park’s & Rec issued khaki cargo trousers and short-sleeve camp button down, but opted to carry her bulky wool socks and hiking boots in to the mornings pre-patrol briefing. For starters, she’d always preferred being barefoot, in general…especially in nicer weather. And to add to it, her work issued hiking boots had failed to break in quite right, so they did a number on her feet if she wore them too long. With that, she closed her locker, grabbed her boots, socks, and backpack, and threw on her ball cap, careful to feed her blond ponytail through the hat’s snap back closure.
As she exited the coed locker room, she felt a bit more self-conscious about the exposed feet for some reason…perhaps because she was still sporting naked toes, and had yet to decide on a new polish for these late spring weeks. She’d have to do something about that her next off day, since she was way overdue for a mani/pedi trip. Ignoring the momentary flash of awkward self-awareness over her naked feet, she padded her way in to the meeting room for Wednesday’s AM roll call.
“OK, so that brings us to some newer points of order” she catches her Senior Ranger, Janet, offering mid-sentence. “Let’s all just make sure that we’re keeping our eyes and ears open out there. You know how things start to go off the rails a bit with tourists this time of year.”
“Nice of you to join us, your highness” quips Jake, taking his focus off of Janet and addressing Hayden, on the heels of her mildly tardy entrance.
“Thanks, DAADDD” she says, while offering a flirty wink at Jake to soften the delivery. “I was 10-1, if you insist on knowing. I should have thought to text you from the bathroom stall.”
“Please, NOO! We are NOT at that stage of our…’relationship’ yet!” The last part is offered with exaggerated air quotes, for good measure.
While it was an unwritten rule that neither of them would ever think to pursue any sort of entanglement, it didn’t stop the two of them from falling in to a rather casual and effortless style of intrinsic flirtation with one another. Neither of them seemed to mind, and neither of them seemed likely to let it go anywhere beyond.
“Copy that, duly noted. Now stop your yapping, and pay attention to Janet’s roll call. Your setting a bad example for me.”
Hayden took in the sight of Janet, noticing the senior staffer in somewhat greater detail than she had since her initial hire a few weeks ago. Janet was in her late 30’s, and almost two decades working outdoors, and patrolling the trails, had left her fit and tanned as well. She wore her department issued uniform well, and since she spent more of her day in the office/admin quarters, Janet opted for the long sleeve zip up over top of her t-shirt, and low rise hiking boots that looked more comfortable. The captain’s badge adorned the chest plate of her pull over, and Janet wore it well. She had a natural leader-like way about her, but never led with an ego or any sense of cockiness. Hayden had taken an immediate liking to Janet, and even found herself hoping that she looked as good Janet when she was pushing 40…she should be so lucky.
“Anyway, the most important thing is to try not to be overly obtrusive or obvious on the trails’ says Janet. “We’re here to assist, and be of assistance when needed. But let’s NOT find ourselves being overbearing with our local nature lovers. Most of them will police themselves, and we can just stay ready/ready for those that wander off the beaten path. Have fun, and let’s all just remember to check on the hour. Now get to it.”
With that, the 6 or so rank and file Rangers began to amble out of the room, and Hayden reached down to finish dressing as she eased in to her socks and shoes. Giving her toes a few stretches inside the constricting boots, she donned her backpack before bounding out of the room to join Jake out front.
Jake was prepping their Parks Department issued quads, checking that the tires on both of their patrol vehicles were inflated adequately, and that the fuel was topped off. This had become a bit of a morning ritual, and Hayden was OK to let Jake take the lead on these checklist items. She assumed he was doing it partially because he was the senior officer, but also out of a sense of chivalry as well. Hayden was more than fine with either of these motivations, but was also mindful to be seen as a capable and independent ranger. With that in mind, she grabbed the clip board and pen off of the nearby service stall wall, and began to go through the process of checking out both vehicles in writing.
Jake and Hayden patrolled the most distant sector from the squad hq, so they tended to get two of the three available quads on most days. It saved them the 12-plus mile hike just to get to the other side of the forest, where their designated patrol section was. The Parks Dept’s jurisdiction was made up of about 5000 acres or so of mostly single track trails, and wooded lands. The Mannassas Creek snaked through much of the area, twisting through the more than 150-miles of trails and roads that meandered their way through Trident basin. Hiking the 12-mile stretch first thing out on the day, each day, would put the first 2-3 hours of their shift every day outside of their patrol zone, thus defeating the purpose. With the quads, the pair was typically onsite within 15-20 minutes.
“Looks like we’re good to go, champ” said Jake, grabbing his helmet off of the rear cargo cage of the quad.
“Copy that, signing these two out for patrol then, due back eighteen hundred” offers Hayden, as she checked the return time for approximately 6pm that day. “Let’s get this show on the road.”
The pair secured their helmets and goggles, and shored up the straps of their backpacks, careful to secure their walkie-talkies, water bottles and walking sticks in the cargo hold of the bikes. The duo fired up the vehicles, and headed off for the Northwest sector where they’d spend the day on patrol.
It was only a mere 15-20 minutes in to their shift onsite when Janet hailed them on radio. The pair had pulled off to the side of one of the wider, largely gravel trails, when they fielded the first call of the day from command.
“Patrol 3, this is base,” the walkie sounded. “Jake, Janet here. Over.”
“Base, this is Patrol 3,” replied Jake. “What’cha got for us chief? Over.”
“Just a heads up for you two, we’ve got a vehicle that’s been in the West parking lot since yesterday afternoon. Probably nothing to fret about just yet, but the owners looked to be more the touristy type, just based on the parking lot footage reviewed from yesterday, when it was left. Three females, early twenties, based on the looks of them. No packs or gear, and mostly in street clothes. They don’t strike me as the overnight camping sort. Over.”
“Copy that, Cap’n. We’ll do a sweep of the close trails, from the lot to that section of the Creek. The west lot draws a lot of foot traffic in, since it’s the closest straight shot to Covered Bridge, and Tidewater Falls. We’ll see if anyone partied too hard, and is sleeping one off by Falls Beach. Thanks for the heads up Janet. Over.”
“Great, thanks you two. Happy hunting, HQ out.”
“Sounds like a few hipsters may be out-stayin’ their welcome this morning, eh”, said Hayden, assuming the trio to be a few townies, likely out of their element. “Wanna hike over to Falls from here, on foot?”
“Nah, let’s move the vehicles to the lot, and we can head in on Trail 6,” suggests Jake, in reply. “This way we can get a better look at their vehicle too. Maybe they’ll have driven off by the time we get there.”
“Copy you, boss,” she says, moving back in the direction of her patrol quad. “I’ll lead, you follow.”
With that, she throws back on her helmet and goggles, and starts her vehicle, before pulling a sharp U-turn and heading off in the direction of the west lot. Jake peels around, and takes off in pursuit. Within 10-minutes, the pair is parked near the entrance from the lot to trail 6, as they do a walk-around of the outside of the only other vehicle in the lot. It’s a late model Acura crossover, silver, and three of the windows are down varied amounts, two almost half open.
“Doesn’t look like they were necessarily planning to walk away from the vehicle overnight,” observes Hayden, as she peers in to the backseat through the partially open window. “I mean, at the very least you’d think they’d have battened down the hatches if they were, no?”
“Likely, yeah” Jake offers in confirming fashion. “But this section of the park is always a bit less crowded, especially the lot. Most folks prefer to get in a better hike to Covered Bridge, so most park over at the South East lot. If these girls are regulars, they may have not been as concerned with the vehicle. And the weathers been holding the past week, so no rain forecast. Could be they just got complacent.”
“Well, wherever they were headed, they’re still not back” says Hayden. “Fancy yourself a little hike in…have a little look-see?”
“Yeah, let’s do it. I’ll radio back to Janet that we’re heading in on foot, and echo back the state of the vehicle.”
With that, the two readied for the trek in, grabbing their ball caps, sun glasses, and back packs from the vehicles. They also each grab their tactical belts, with their respective Leatherman multi-tools, Frontiersman repellant sprays, canteens, and various other trail-savvy gadgetry. The belts also holster their walkies, as well as separate pouches for their cell phones. Most cell phones are out of service in more than 60% of the park, but they’re usually kept on hand for good measure. Jake also grabs a hank of fluorescent climbing rope and a dozen Carabiners, just for good measure. There’s no telling what sort of precarious position the trio of missing young ladies may have wandered in to, and Jake would prefer to not have to huff back out to the vehicles later for added supplies. Especially if it ends up that the inexperienced tourists are already panicked and frantic upon discovery.
“Why don’t you take the lead,” suggests Jake, allowing Hayden room to pass as the two head off down trail 6 and in to the forest.
“My pleasure, boss. Let’s find ourselves some wayward lost souls!”
The trail is wide to start, maybe 6-7 feet across. But after about 200 or so yards in, it begins to thin out to a little more than half that. It’s also more jutted, with rocks and roots sticking up in ungroomed fashion, making sure-footing something the two have to work at pretty consistently along the way. The hike from west lot to the beach head at Tidewater is nearly 3-miles in, so Hayden had assumed they’d mostly be making a beeline for that marker. But after the two are barely a mile or so in to the stroll, she notices a few things along the left-hand side of the path and stops to asses. For starters, on the ground, there is what looks to be a wedge heel, like the kind you would find on a designer pair of leather boots. There is also a denim jacket, a pair of designer sunglasses, what looks to be a rather pricey sling purse, and a thick, gold bangle bracelet. The items are strewn about, along the side of the trail, as though they’ve been carelessly discarded. There is a haphazard arrangement to all of it, and nothing is stacked or arranged.
“Hmmm, like, what the hell,” questions Hayden, puzzled by the randomness of the scene. “I mean, these things all look to be high-end enough that a person would take better care not to lose them. I’m no trendsetter, but even I can spot nicer stuff from a knock-off.”
“I concur, you’re definitely NOT a trendsetter,” jokes Jake in return. “But kidding aside, yeah. Not a collection of items you lose without noticing.”
“Especially a heel off of your damn shoe! And definitely not if they’re the shoes on your feet, which it stands to reason they’d be, right?”
“Your guess is as good as mine, Sherlock,” chips Jake, keeping with the jovial banter. “But it does look like there’s a few signs here that things diverted off of the trail in general. Look, the ground has definitely been broken up through here, and you can see that there’s been recent passage through, venturing off in to this section of the woods.”
“Sooooo, I suppose we’re going OFF-roadin’ then, boss?” Hayden’s query is offered rhetorically, and before Jake can respond, she’s already making her way off of the trail, after having quickly gathered up the discovered items and thrown them in to her backpack.
Following the signs of disruption through the surrounding over-growth, the two begin to meander their way in to the thicker brush. There are continued clues that hint towards recent passage through here, most notably along the ground where the earth has clearly been drug up a bit. They’re not more than 20-yards in when Hayden, still in the lead, spots a few more random objects. A woman’s leather boot, though this one still in possession of its wedge heel, as well as a second jacket (a lightweight bomber style this time) and a boho chain metal dress belt, that looks like a close match to the bangle bracelet. Hayden stops to inspect the objects, comparing the heel of the boot to the one from her back pack, as well as the bracelet and the belt. All seem like they could easily be matches, with the boot and the discarded heel an identical match.
“The plot thickens,” offers Hayden, staring up at Jake with a questioning glance. “It looks to me like all of this is from the same person…oorr, people, I guess.”
“Sound logic. Let’s keep going, and see if we can find any actual people.”
“10-4, boss…let’s.”
Hayden gathers the newly found objects, and adds them to her growing backpack collection before the two then push on, further in to the thick of the overgrown woods. Her newest thought is that a person wouldn’t be likely to venture in to woods this dense willingly. Especially not a person in 3” designer heels. So now the question was what in the heck were these townies up to, exactly.
“Hayden, hang tight for a sec,” Jake says. “I’m going to radio in to Janet at HQ, just offer her a quick status check.”
“Cool, that’s probably a good idea,” agrees Hayden. “We’re starting to venture pretty far in to the thicket, might not be a bad idea for someone else to know where we are. And I doubt we have any real service this far in!”
“We don’t have much of any” confirms Jake, staring at his cell phone. “No bars, my friend…no bars.”
“Lovely,” she offers. “Then yeah, all the more reason to radio HQ.”
While Jake moves off to report back to command, Hayden unclips her canteen and takes a nice long swig of water. She’s forgotten how thirsty she was already, having lost herself a bit inside of her own head. She’s still trying to piece a thing or two together when she notices something just up ahead, atop a small pile of fallen leaves, grass and mud. It looks like another leather shoe, or boot. But unlike the designer leather knee-high spotted earlier, this one looks to be more of a combat boot style. Moving closer, she can make out that it is, indeed, a Doc Martin style…with embroidered roses down the one side. Her first thought is that they’re nice boots, and a bit more practical for the trail than the wedged boots. Her second thought, that occurs a second later, is that THIS boot seems to still be attached to a leg. Glancing up, she can make out the denim clad long leg of what looks to be a female body, which is lying on the ground, and mostly hidden in the dense thicket. And as she moves even closer, Hayden is suddenly convinced that her mind is playing tricks on her. As she draws nearer to the boot (and the leg), the body seems as though it’s being drug, very slowly, along the forest floor.
“Uhhh, hey boss,” she shouts back at Jake. “You, uhhh, may wanna get over here.”
Only then does she notice that just as she has stopped moving closer, the body has also stopped being drug. Testing the theory, she takes a few steps forward, only to see the person drug a few feet further away in unison.
“Hey Jake, get your ass over here already,” she insists, with a bit more sense of urgency this time.
“What’s up, doc,” he offers, this time already positioned right behind here.
“Jeez, what the almighty fuck, Jake. You scared the hell out of me,” says Hayden, startled for a moment before stealing herself. “Now look, would you. Up ahead, about 10-15 yards in. Do you see that? Is that, or is that NOT, a pair of denim clad legs?”
Jake eyes past her before confirming. “Holy hell, you’re right. That’s a person alright!”
He starts off in the direction of the legs, but stops suddenly as he, too, notices that the body looks like it’s being slowly drug away from them. In the opposite direction, and further in to the woods.
“WHAT in the………..” he starts, before stopping dead in his tracks along with Hayden.
“RIGHT!?! That’s what I’m sayin’. I mean, unless we’re BOTH crazy, it seems like something is , like, I don’t know? Dragging those legs the other way!”
Jake takes another few steps forward, this time maintaining a bead in the direction of the Doc Martin’s, while Hayden keeps pace just beside him. As Jake unholsters his can of repellant spray from his side, Hayden thinks wise of it and follows suit. The two, repellant at the ready, and slowly closing ground on the legs by gaining a bit of speed, are just about caught up to them. That’s when they glance down to notice what looks like dozens of vines all moving around on the ground as well, almost as though they’re clearing out of the way of the approaching Rangers. It’s a bit disorienting, but the two are full on intent at this point to catch up to the body. Moving in to a slow jog, they finally round a large tree trunk in time to make out the entirety of the form being drug along the ground. It is indeed a female, and she looks to be in her mid-twenties. She also appears to be unconscious, and her long black hair has gathered up a collection of twigs, leaves and various under-brush. Her face, while pretty, is clearly smeared with a fair amount of make-up, mud, and sweat. Her one arm has been drawn taut, above her head, and a thick vine has wrapped itself around her wrist. Despite the insanity of the situation, it seems like the vine is indeed dragging the women by her wrist, just above a second and third bracelet that largely resembles the one now tucked inside of Hayden’s backpack.
As Jake just about breaks even with the woman’s body, it suddenly falls still, and the two Rangers notice as the vine unwinds itself from her wrist before writhing off in the direction of a nearby tree trunk. Now able to fully digest the situation before them, they notice that, aside from a few minor scratches and abrasions, and more than a little filth and mud, she doesn’t seem to show any outward signs of significant trauma. Her chest seems to be rising and falling steady, and, while her one shirt sleeve has been drug down, and the blouse has come fairly far down off of her shoulder, dragging the one strap of her bra with it, she is otherwise fully dressed in jeans, a chiffon blouse, and the still intact Doc Martin’s.
“Hang back for a sec,” instructs Jake, as he bends down to take a knee beside the body. “I just want to check her pulse. But she’s clearly breathing, so that’s a good sign.”
“Copy, and yeah, agreed,” Hayden says, while continuing to glance around to take in the rest of the scene. Her first thought is…if this is one of the missing girls from the parking lot, then where are the other two?
She’s just about to pull out her walkie to radio back to base, when she notices something glinting off of a streak of mid-morning sun, as its peaking through a gap in the overhead canopy, and reflecting off of something at the base of a very large Maple tree. The crown of the tree stretches 75-plus feet in to the forest air, but it’s the object at the base of the tree’s massive trunk that is grabbing her attention. It almost looks like…a head of platinum blonde hair?!? From here, at least, about 20 or so yards off, Hayden does indeed think it looks like someone is actually standing up against the base of the massive tree. As she squints to take it in the form more fully, she can now discern the outline of a second person. For sure. And like the one that Jake is currently attending to, just a short distance behind her, this second body is also stone-still.
With equal parts curiosity and conscientiousness, Hayden starts in towards the second figure. The closer she creeps, the more detail she can start to make out, and within a minutes time she’s close enough to fully gauge the scene. This woman, about the same age roughly as the brunette Jake is tending to, is also apparently unconscious. And like her assumed friend, her breath seems steady. From here, it’s almost as if she’s in a state of peacefully sound slumber. Her attire also matches the brunette’s…more lady’s night out than trail appropriate. And it would appear she’s also the owner of the black leather knee high boots, since she’s still wearing the second boot…albeit, minus one wedge heel, which has clearly been ripped from the sole of the boot on her left foot. Her right foot is clad only in a navy blue trouser sock, with what look to be tiny red hearts evenly spaced across the garment. And the front, toe-half of the sock looks to have been torn clear off, leaving the blonde’s bare toes, polished a high gloss shade of baby blue, on full display. She’s in a pair of black leggings that are stretched and torn in numerous places, and is wearing the remains of a sheer sleeveless blouse, which is also much worse for wear. The apparent owner of one of the discarded jackets they had found, the blouse looks a bit too revealing to have been worn as a solo piece of attire. It’s also been through the ringer, and is torn in numerous spots as it hangs low off the one side of the statuesque blonde, more than revealing the majority of the sheer red bra underneath.
Hayden, momentarily transfixed by the young woman’s predicament, almost misses that it’s a similar (if not identical) sort of vine that is wrapped around the woman, keeping her back pressed squarely to the tree. And, as she looks even closer, she can see that a second vine is actually in the process of wrapping itself lower on the woman’s legs, closer to her ankles.
“Heeeyy, uh, JAKE,” Hayden shouts, hoping for a second set of eyes on the scene. “Umm, I think we’ve got another live one here!”
“Gimme a minute,” he calls back.
While she waits for her partner to make his way over, Hayden watches on as the vines, more than life-like, continue to move around the blonde’s ankles. With a dexterous display, the vine begins to twist its way down the side of the woman’s boot, almost tugging away at the shoe as it goes. Winning the battle over the object, the vine starts to literally pull the second boot from her sock clad foot, leaving the unconscious woman in her stocking feet while lifting her slightly up off of the forest floor. Hayden can see that the blond is now resting several inches above the bottom of the tree’s rooted trunk. But instead of stopping there, the vines seem to have gotten a taste for things, and begin to corkscrew their way in to the unconscious woman’s socks too. Pulling, tearing, and shredding as they go, they’ve soon left the dozing girl’s feet naked, and glistening in the sunlight. Her 10 baby-blue toes, now of full display, begin to spasm instinctively as the vines explore the soles of her slightly damp, sock-marked feet with excruciating precision.
Hayden can feel her own toes begin to curl inside of her stuffy hiking boots, as she watches the vines dance their way across the blonde’s bare feet and toes. She had always been ridiculously ticklish, especially on her feet, so the sight of this woman having her bare wrinkled soles explored by the twisting vines is enough to make Hayden woefully uncomfortable, and more than a bit sympathetic to the barefoot and bound blonde’s plight.
As the vines ‘finger’ their way up the trussed girls legs, they soon make short work of her black tights and before Hayden can even dare to blink, the poor girl has been stripped to a very revealing pair of red thong panties, and what remains (very little, as it were) of her shredded blouse. The vines, now seemingly thrilled with the newly bared flesh, continue the tickle attack on the tops of her feet, behind her knees, on the insides of her upper things, and even in between the poor blonde’s twitching toes. Continuing the trek north, and not content to leave this young lady any form of modesty, they tear at the fabric of her bra and blouse, with the latter losing the fight. Remnants of her distressed garments are soon tossed to the wind, as the vines begin a malicious assault on the dangling damsel’s torso, tummy, and tempting titties. A pair of thinner, threadlike vines begin to spiral themselves around each of the woman’s bared breasts, and begin tugging on her soon achingly erect nipples. Meanwhile, sister vines are continuing their hostile assault of the blonde’s belly button, midriff, upper/inner things, knees, and feet. The victimized female is beginning to show outward signs of distress, as a sheen of perspiration has formed on various parts of her body. She is clearly shivering slightly, her body’s spasmodic reflex to the ticklish onslaught, and her appearance is almost as though she’s caught in the throes of a vivid sexual fantasy.
Hayden can’t seem to tear her eyes away from the bizarre scene that is unfolding in front of them, and it’s for that reason that she has failed to notice a second thatch of vines heading in her direction……..
