Athena arrived home, alone. She waited until the morning to make the call to the police station.

With tears in her voice, if not on her face, Athena asked for the line for missing persons.

A: Hello, I would like to report…a missing person. [sniffle]

???: Alright, let me redirect your call to our head of department, Detective Carrera.

A few moments of silence passed before the detective answered the phone.

M: Detective Matais Carrera speaking.

A: Hello Detective. I’m Athena Craven, and I would like to report someone as…[sniffles] missing.

M: I’m sorry to hear that, Miss Craven. What would you like to report.

A: Mrs, actually. And the person missing is my husband. [voice cracking through the ‘tears’] We went camping in Granite Falls and on a hike we got separated and I haven’t seen him since. It’s been three days, and I don’t know what happened to him. [hysterical] What if he fell off a cliff?! Or was eaten by a bear! There was a warning at the ranger station that there had been bear sightings! What if he’s lying in a ditch somewhere dead!

M: Calm down, Mrs. Craven…look, this isn’t procedure, but if you’ll tell me your address then I’ll come to you and we’ll talk through what happened on your vacation, alright?

A: Thank you Detective. [sniffle]

Athena told the Detective her address and was told to expect him in an hour. She hung up the phone and smiled to herself. Unbeknownst to her, Bethany had walked into the room.

B: Momma? Where Daddy?

Gavin fell into despair at the thought of never seeing Athena or Bethany again. He stopped eating and spent all his time sleeping in the hermit’s bed so he wouldn’t have to live through his sorrow.

He spent many days alone and eventually he grew filthy, but he didn’t care. He was resigned to his fate. He would die here, and he knew it.

???: What are you doing here?!

G: Umm, I wondered in through the bramble patch, and now I can’t seem to find my way back to the park.

???: Idiot! Why would you go through them?!

G: Excuse me, but why are you being so unhelpful? If you live here or something, then surely you know how to get out of here.

???: I don’t know the way out. I’ve been here since I was a child. I wondered away from my parents on a hike and saw the bramble patch and decided to explore it. I’ve been stuck here ever since. There’s no way out. I’m so sorry.

G: What do you mean there’s no way out?! There has to be! If we came in through the brambles, we can just leave through them.

???: I’m afraid not. I’ve been here for nearly 20 years, and I’ve never been able to find the same brambles I came through. It’s nearly supernatural how they just disappear as soon as you come through.

G: But what about my family? I can’t just die here!

???: I’m so sorry. If it means anything, you can stay in my house with me.

G: [animalistic sobbing] But my baby! My wife! I can’t- I can’t…

Gavin had become disoriented in the brambles. What he had thought was a straight forward tunnel turned out to be a maze of sticker bushes and sliding gravel, until he ended up in a beautiful clearing.

He was so struck by the beauty of it that he began to explore the area, taking in the sights and sounds of this secluded forest. He spent hours at the base of the waterfall, just basking in the mist that fell from it. When he finally came back to himself, he realized something…

He had completely lost sight of the entrance to the wood.

They hiked for a few hours before stumbling upon a really odd looking bramble patch. Gavin thought it looked like a tunnel and went to explore it. Athena knew what it was, and she didn’t try to stop him. She told him not to go, to be careful, knowing full well he wouldn’t listen and she watched as he stepped forward and disappeared into the gloom. He followed the path until he tumbled through the brambles into a large clearing…

A: Hey, while I was on my jog I saw the sign post for the National Park. Want to check it out together.

G: Sure, some hiking sounds great.

A: Alright, let’s go.

G: Wait. Athena, I just want to say I’m sorry about what happened with me and Zoe. I can’t really make any excuses for my behavior, but I think this weekend was a really great idea. It’s really been the reminder I needed about why I love you.

A: Awww, and what would that be?

G: You’re this fantastic woman who asked me out to dinner one night and ended up proposing to me. We got married just a few days later in a little ceremony that was perfect. You planned this vacation in record time. I guess what I’m trying to say is that I love your spontaneity, and really just all of you. I am so sorry I ruined us.

A: Gavin…[voice crack] let’s just go on our hike.