Helen's Story

An autopsy revealed that he had died of natural causes, and in due course, he was returned home to Canada.

In the late summer, early one evening, four people came to the base of the tree where the body had been found. Two of them, a man and a woman were in their sixties, whilst the third and fourth were a much younger couple. They had with them an urn containing ashes which they emptied at their feet. Then they stood and said a prayer before turning and walking away.

***

A week later, Park Ranger Jim Wallace, was talking to a colleague.

"It's the damnest thing. Last winter I was up at the Rockefeller Forest Loop Trail. It was a freezing cold day and there was nobody about. Then I saw a young woman walking amongst the trees. She was beautiful with freckles, big brown eyes, and black hair but no way was she dressed for the weather. She wore jeans and a white blouse... No coat or anything. There was no car in the lot, and I couldn't figure out where she'd come from. I tried to talk to her, but she ignored me completely and walked off. I went after her, but she was nowhere to be seen. I Searched for maybe forty minutes but there was no hide or hair of her, and I figured she must be camping somewhere. I hoped she wouldn't turn up dead, but she never did.

Then last week, I saw her again, in the same place I saw her last. This time she was with a young fella. She was wearing the same jeans and blouse. He was wearing a blue Seahawks jersey with a number ten on it. They only had eyes for each other. I tried to talk to them, but they turned their backs on me and walked off. He had "Zorn" on the back of his jersey. Funny thing there was no car in the car park."

"Rockefeller Loop Trail. Wasn't that where that dead guy was found in the spring," said his companion.

"Yes, it was, and if folk insist on walking in the forest improperly dressed and ill-prepared there are going to be more of them."

***