The Lady In The Forest

They were running through the forest, it was cold and dark and they had lost all sense of direction.
“Do you really know where we are going?” asked the one person, a woman in her late twenties with long, brown hair, wearing a leatherjacket and blue jeans.
“Yes of course!” yelled the other person, a man in the same age with short, blonde hair and a beard covering his upper lip and chin. “I know those woods!”
“It doesn’t seem like it!” she answered and stopped for a moment, out of breath. The leatherjacket was sticking to her wet and sweaty skin and she felt the cold running down her back. “How are you holding up?”
He turned around at her and shrugged his shoulders. “I’m cold, that’s for sure.” He pointed at her. “Because I gave you the jacket and I’m standing here with my shirt!”
She made a displeased face. “You can have it back!” But he shook his head and turned around. “Come on now. No time to make a break.” Without waiting for her he continued to run through the forest and she caught up to him with aching legs.
“We can’t run like that for long, Steve!” she yelled at him from behind and could hear him groan annoyed. “I know that! Let’s try and find shelter or something for the night!”

It wasn’t long until they came across a cabin in the woods, almost invisible among all the trees and bushes.
“There!” Steve pointed at the cabin with his chin, but she hesitated.
“I don’t know.” She mumbled and crossed her arms in front of her chest. “You said you know those woods. Whose cabin is this?”
He shrugged his shoulders. “I don’t know. Let’s find out.” He made a step towards the cabin and sighed as he noticed that she wasn’t following. “Come now, Pam! Do you want your father to find us?!”
Pam flinched and shook her head. “Of course not!” She paused. “But what if this cabin belongs to someone who knows us?”
“We don’t know for sure until we find out!” Steve stared at her until she nodded and stepped towards the door of the cabin to knock at it.

The woman knew for sure what would happen. Her body was shaking at the sight of the bloody corpse in front of her. She wasn’t the killer.
Or was she?
The clattering of the typewriter stopped as the knocking was heard.
With knitted eyebrows the woman in front of the typewriter turned around on her chair and straightened her back and neck to listen for voices.
Who would be there in the middle of the night that deep inside a forest?
The woman stood up from her chair, brushing off her black blouse and took a small lantern to guide her way through the dim interior of the cabin. She unlocked the door and opened it slowly and carefully, just to see a couple in front of her.
Her expression changed from wariness into confusion and she opened her mouth a little bit. “What are you two doing in those woods?” She asked while inspecting the two in front of her. They both looked exhausted but they didn’t seem like hikers, more like a couple on the run.
“Excuse us, please”, said the young woman and smiled apologizing. “But we’re lost.”
The lady in the black blouse nodded. “Yes, it seems that way.” She looked at the man who seemed to look through her. “Why don’t you come inside? You seem to be freezing.”
“Thank you so much!” smiled the young woman and stepped in together with the man at her side. “My name is Pamela, by the way – and this is Steve!” The man flinched as he heard his name and nodded. “Thank you for letting us in”, he said and smiled but it looked strange.
The woman nodded. “You’re welcome.” She made an inviting gesture towards the kitchen. “You look like you could use a nice, hot tea.”
Both Pamela and Steve nodded thankful and entered the kitchen together with the woman. “What’s your name, by the way?”
The woman flinched with a smile. “I’m sorry. I’m not used to visitors – I might’ve lost some of my manners!” She laughed. “I’m Miss Lachance.”
“Nice to meet you.” Nodded Pamela. “I’m sorry for disturbing you at such a time.”
But Miss Lachance smiled kindly. “Don’t worry about that.” She replied while putting a kettle with water on a hotplate. “It’s a nice change to have visitors. I’m used to being all alone up here in the woods, so having someone to chat with is really nice.”
Pamela sighed relieved. “That’s good to hear.”
“What are you doing up here all by yourself anyway?” Asked Steve now and Pamela flinched and glared at him. “What’s that question?!”
“It’s okay!” Laughed Miss Lachance. “He’s curious for a reason. You have to know: I’m an author.”
Pamela widened her eyes and stared at Miss Lachance. “Now your name rings a bell! I saw some of your books at the local library! You’re a writer of crime thrillers!”
Miss Lachance smiled widely and seemed to blush a little bit. “Yes.”
“Well that explains the rather strange name.” Pondered Steve. “Is that even your real name?”
“Why, those are quite the questions.” Snickered Miss Lachance, poured the hot water into three cups and put teabags in them. “Do you know that the curious ones always die first in crime stories?”
Steve shrugged his shoulders with a wide grin. “I don’t read that much.”
Miss Lachance nodded and put the cups of tea in front of Steve and Pamela. “To answer your question: It is somewhat my name, yes. But a book with the name Miss Lachance on it has a more … romantic ring to it, has it not?” She sat down and took a sip of tea. “And besides: My publisher insisted on me using a nom de plume.”
“A what?” Asked Steve and Pamela sighed. “A pseudonym, Steve.” She looked apologizing at Miss Lachance. “I’m so sorry for his questions.”
“Don’t worry, dear. I guess it’s not every day that either of you two meet a person like me. Being alone most of the time with only my works as company probably changed my behaviour and how I talk.” She paused. “Now I have some questions.”
Pamela and Steve flinched without even controlling it.
“You two seem like a couple on the run. I read too many of those dramatically romantic stories to not notice that.” Her voice was warm and she smiled. “So, what are you running from?”
Steve opened his mouth to answer with a harsh response but Pamela stopped him from doing so. “My father … he’s not very happy about … us two.”
Miss Lachance nodded and leaned back in her chair. “And you ran from him into these woods, hoping that your relationship will hold and stay together without his interference?” She paused and continued without waiting for a response. “Why the woods, though?” Her eyes locked on to Steve who glared at her.
“Because we wanted to run from her father.” He answered but it sounded like an annoyed question.
“Yes, I understood that part, my dear. But taking a bus or train wasn’t enough?” Now Miss Lachance began to grin and chuckle. “What? Have you killed someone?” She started laughing wholeheartedly and shook her head. “I’m so sorry for that!” She wiped her tears of joy away and took a deep breath. “I had to say that. Otherwise it would’ve been a missed opportunity.”
Pamela smiled amused but Steve only shook his head. “That’s not even funny.” He muttered but Pamela ignored him and smiled at Miss Lachance. “You know, for being alone as much as you said you’re still pretty sociable.”
“I try to take that as a compliment.” She chuckled and raised a hand as Pamela wanted to apologize. “It’s really nice to have you two as company.” Miss Lachance said now and looked at the clock at the wall to her right. “But.” She clapped her hands together. “I want to finish the chapter I started and will head to bed. You two are free to stay here overnight.” She stood up from her chair and smiled at her guests. “If there should be something just ask.”
“Thank you!” Said Pamela happy and Steve smiled as well, even though only to be polite. “But we don’t want to interrupt you writing your book.”
“That is very kind of you.” Miss Lachance bowed down a little bit and left the room.
“What a strange lady.” Murmured Steve and Pamela shrugged her shoulders. “She’s kind and gave us tea to warm up. That’s what matters to me right now. You can sit here and be ungrateful but I will take her offer to stay here overnight.”
“I haven’t said anything else.” Growled Steve and rolled his eyes. “I just don’t want her to rat on us.”
“She doesn’t even know my father.”
“And what makes you think that?” Asked Steve and pointed outside the room. “What if she’s like the chatterbox of the town?”
Pamela crossed her arms in front of her chest and glared at Steve. “Did she seem like that type of person to you?”
“You never know.”

The others would be at the crime scene way too fast and she knew that her fingerprints are all over the place.
No one would believe her.
She didn’t kill anyone.
Her breath went fast and she looked at her shaking hands, dirty with blood.
Or could she just not remember?
As she heard steps coming closer she turned around quickly, her eyes widened with panic.
She would be prime suspect. Not only because of the blood on her hands, her fingerprints all over the body and the weapon.
But because the victim was her father.