The howling wind rustled the leaves on the trees in the forest of Wirromb as the snow made a quiet crunch as it hit the ground. The whole area was glistening white as the sun broke through the clouds and made its way through the trees, reflecting off the layer of snow. All seemed normal for winter as Rachel wandered along the edge of this wintry wonderland on her home from the village. Her house is neatly placed beside the forest. Her parents wait patiently for her return.
Rachel knew that it could be dangerous at that time of year to be out in the cold and wet. Fortunately, it wasn’t raining but the wind was bitterly cold. Her hands were becoming cold even with her gloves on and her nose was a dark shade of red. She wished she was at home. ‘Oh, how wonderful it’d be to be at home relaxing beside the fire. Only a few more minutes.’ As she approached the final turn to her home, she noticed a dark presence close at hand. It was tall, broad and seemed to be staring right at her. She could not put her finger on what it was, but it certainly wasn’t a human and didn’t look like any animal she had seen. She became inquisitive and decided to investigate approaching the deep, dark woods.
After she was gone for two and half hours Rachel’s parents knew there was something wrong. They were overcome with fear. Neither of them knew what to do. Rachel’s father suggested they go out in search of her and that they did. They first ran towards the village and when they arrived asked everyone whether they had seen Rachel, the response was always the same, she left a while ago to return home. Now her parents knew that she must be in the woods somewhere, but where in the huge forest of Wirromb. It would be impossible to search the whole place.
That was when they heard a piercing scream and they instantly knew it was their beloved daughter who was in great distress. They had to help her and at once began running in the direction of the noise. Neither could feel their feet from the cold making it more difficult to run. They tripped many times but then they saw her, standing directly in front of them. Wet and cold but completely unharmed. ‘Darling, how have you ended up here?’ was the question her father asked as her mother embraced her in a massive hug. ‘I’m sorry, I thought I saw something and started walking into the woods. I couldn’t find my way out’. ‘That doesn’t matter now, you’re safe and well, now let’s get you home’, her mother said.
She spent the rest of the evening in front of the fire warming herself up after spending several hours outside. Rachel knew from that day forward she’d never wander off again, especially not in the middle of winter.