“Where the hell am I? AGGG!” I screamed, my voice cutting through the thick, creeping silence of the woods. The trees towered over me, casting long shadows as the sky turned darker with every passing second. My heart was pounding in my chest, my breath ragged. The sun was setting, and I was lost. I looked down at my wrist, checking the time on my watch. 5:50. Okay, I had time. But for what? To find my way out? To somehow get back to where I started? My phone was useless, no service. Just me and the wild, tangled mess of trees. There was a way out. There had to be. I remembered it clearly; Max and I used to come out here all the time. We’d built a treehouse deep in these woods when we were kids. I knew the way. If I could find the road that led to it, I’d be safe. “Okay, just stay calm,” I whispered to myself. “If I go down this road, I’ll find the treehouse. I know it’s down here.” I took off, running as fast as I could, excitement bubbling in my chest. The thrill of reaching the treehouse, of finding something familiar, pushed me forward. But I wasn’t paying attention to where I was going. I was too focused on the goal, eager to reach it. Before I knew, I had hit something. A sudden stop, my foot caught in something thick roots, maybe. And I tumbled forward, crashing into the ground. “Ow!” I hissed, quickly pushing myself up. As I stood, I looked ahead and froze. A fork in the road. That wasn’t supposed to be there. The path was supposed to go straight. I was sure of it. My stomach dropped, and panic set in. This wasn’t right. I took a few hesitant steps forward, but it didn’t feel familiar. I swallowed hard. “No. No, no, no.” I couldn’t be lost. I was so close. I had to be. I slumped down onto a rock, my head in my hands. This wasn’t how it was supposed to go. The tears were right there, burning my eyes. My body felt heavy, as if the weight of the entire forest was pressing in on me.

Just then, I heard a rustling. I took off running, my legs pumping, my breath loud in my ears. After what felt like forever, there it was, the treehouse. The one that Max and I had spent hours building. It stood in the clearing, just like I remembered, and for the First time in what felt like hours, I could finally breathe. I climbed up the rope ladder quickly, my heart still racing from the fear, but this time, not from panic. My heart leapt in my chest, and before I could even think, I screamed and jumped to my feet, my breath caught in my throat. But then, there was nothing but a small blur darting out from the bushes. “A squirrel.” I stood there, frozen for a second, my hand still on my chest. “Really?” I muttered, shaking my head. “I scream at a squirrel? Pathetic.” I let out a nervous laugh and shook it off. “Okay, calm down. You’re Fine. You’re not going to die here. This is just a forest, and there aren’t even any predators. It’s small. If I just run in any direction, I’ll get out eventually.” I wasn’t sure if I believed that, but it was the only thing I could hold onto at the moment. I glanced down at the two roads in front of me. They both looked the same, both mysterious and unfamiliar. I sighed. “Ini mini mini mo…” I muttered, pointing from one road to the other. As I said, “mo,” I let my finger land on the road to the right. “That one.” I reached the top, breathless and shaky. The treehouse was quiet. I turned on the light. It flickered to life, illuminating the dusty corners and familiar, welcoming space. It felt like a different world up here, separated from everything else, from the woods, from the fear. I sat on the old bean bag we used to use when we were kids, grabbed the flashlight from the corner, and took a long drink of water. I felt the tension start to melt away as I realized—this was it. I knew where I was now. From here, it was a straight shot back home. I stood up, wiped my face, and took one last look around. The trees outside were dark, but I knew the way now. I wasn’t lost anymore. And with that, I walked out of the treehouse and back into the woods, heading toward home.

Moral: When you’re lost, it’s easy to panic and feel like you’ll never find your way. But sometimes, you just have to stop, breathe, and trust that you’ll make it through. Even in the darkest moments, there’s always a way forward, you just have to keep moving.

Alexis Karama, OG