Early evening March fifth, 2018, Jean Anderson drives her dark blue Nissan Tucson at a relaxed pace knowing that she has just about missed the rush hour traffic. In the passenger seat of the car is Carol Stevens, a petit woman with short blonde hair, petit indeed especially next to the buxom dark-haired Jean. Jean and Carol have been close friends for over twenty years.

Over the passage of time, as things go, Jean and Carol saw each other less and less and quite substantially so from what they once did, their day to day lives demanding their priority so much so that it did interfere with the two friends getting together to the point that they hardly saw each other at all. It got to the stage that they decided they needed to set aside time to come together and do what they do best.

This particular day had been set aside for shopping, lunch, and whatever else which may catch their fancy. They'd been together since just before ten in the morning of this day and now at a little now beyond half past six, it was time for Jean to drop Carol home. The funny thing is, or perhaps not so funny, that they only live about ten minutes away from each other by car but then again, they town they live in is rather large and of course life does get in the way.

'We really need to do this more than once a month' says Carol, 'get together that is. Doesn't bother me what we do but it was good to let loose today.'

'Yeah, it was, wasn't it? You know you are always welcome to pop in whenever ...'

'Of course, as are you, but how often are we home with little to take our attention away from our friendship.'

'It does suck sometimes ... life is good though, really. It can get weird at times too. Right now, we both have our health, we both have all we need except for time, that is ...'

'Argh watch out ...'

Something is out on the road before them and in their path. Jean swerves and pulls over to the side of the road. The conversation had briefly taken attention away from the road and the speed of travel was such that coming to a halt was no big deal. The shock, however, is a big deal. What it is or was out on the road was something living, human perhaps, maybe a child.

Yeah, both friends can be sure that what it was they saw was a child, a boy no more than ten-years-old, out in the road, crouched down and directly in their path, or had been at least. They surely would have collided with the child if they hadn't slowed and pulled over. Initial shock kept them within the car for a few moments though fairly soon and without discussion both Jean and Carol make an exit.

What it is that they were sure they had seen out on the road was no longer there. First thoughts upon exiting the vehicle were of that boy. They both had begun to make a move towards where the boy had been and with him not being there, Jean and Carol would be left standing still on one side of the road, looking at one another.

'Where is ...?' Jean tried to get the question out.

'I don't know. He was right there ...'

Traffic is almost non-existent though one passing vehicle comes to a halt, pulling over slightly ahead of the ladies. A tall, slim, bearded man in his forties, not all so much older than either lady, exits the vehicle.

'Is everything alright? May I be of assistance?' he asks.

'No, no, everything is fine, thank you' responds Jean.

'Look' speaks Carol pointing across the road and having spoken before either of the other two could say anything else.

What it is Carol is pointing to, is something just beyond a number of trees close to that other side of the road. At first Jean doesn't see it and she could be forgiven for that as it is so dark though once she does see it, she is startled more than a little. That boy ... he is hunched down, in between, and slightly beyond two of the trees.

Jean can't help herself. She has to go investigate and is halfway across the road before anything else can be said.

'Hey ... wait up' is what is said next.

Jean has no intention of waiting up, even if Carol would much rather that they do things from here on in together rather than individually. The bearded man is more than a little confused. Since pulling over, he has yet to see anyone other than the two ladies and the occupants of the odd passing vehicle. Not sure of what to make of things, he decides to follow the two ladies rather than go on about his own business.

'It's alright' says Jean having stopped about ten feet or so in front of the boy, 'you can come out, don't be afraid. We won't hurt you; we can help you find your mum.'

As Carol arrives by her friend's side, the boy makes a move. He darts away quickly and suddenly. Jean and Carol look to one another and are soon joined by the bearded man. The boy at this point cannot be seen by any of the three in this space. Jean would regularly be the strong forward type with Carol being quite the opposite but, on this occasion, it is Carol who begins to move forward first. Jean waits.

Once a little past the first couple of trees Carol has a look around and sees nothing out of the ordinary. She turns a full one-eighty and shakes her head while looking back as if to say there is no sign of the boy.

'What is going on here?' asks the bearded man.

'There was a boy out on the road a little while ago, it is why we pulled over. He had vanished from the road though we had seen him just beyond the trees here a few seconds ago and he seems to be gone again now.'

'That's odd.'

'Tell me something I don't know ... Carol? ... Oh my God, Carol. Where are you?'

The brief conversation with the bearded man took Jean's attention away from Carol and when she looked back, Carol was no longer standing in between and just beyond the trees. In fact, Carol was nowhere within Jean's line of sight. Quickly, Jean moves forwards and beyond those trees, the bearded man follows, and Carol is still nowhere to be seen.

'Carol' Jean calls out and no reply comes back. 'Can you see where my friend has gone?' She asks of her companion.

'No, unfortunately not.'

After about ten minutes of searching, using the light on her mobile phone to guide her as best it can, Jean is left with no option but to call the police, of whom two promptly arrive. Jean can only tell of what she knows, and the bearded man can only back her up the best he can. Questions are asked about Carol's mental health and as to if a boy had really been seen.

There had been no reason to make up an imaginary sighting and Jean points this out and further questioning at a later time confirms that Carol would have no reason to go missing into any kind of wooded area or anywhere else for that matter. When daylight arrives, a search gets underway. Neither Carol nor any boy can be found, either dead or alive.

What the hell has happened? Where did Carol go? Who is, who was that boy? Where did he go? All questions that may never be answered. September sixth comes, a time which is six months and one day after the incident with the ladies, and the bearded man finds himself back on the same stretch of road. His attention managed to stay focused on the road ahead of him. He comes to a point where he has no option but to pull his vehicle over to the side of the road. There had been a boy no more than ten-years-old crouched down and out on the road he travelled.

'What the hell is this?' he asks himself.

If something like this were to happen to you, would you follow a strange boy beyond the trees and into the woods next to a long stretch of road? You would want to know what is going on, right? Wouldn't you want answers? ... Wouldn't you want to go INTO THE WOODS?