Yes, that's right I'm updating again! And I also have good news, if you can believe it—I am just one chapter away from officially finishing Mandie And The Forest Path, which means—you guessed it: regular updates from now until close! As it is with all Mandie books, my story will have twelve chapters, so expect three more updates soon after this one. And for even more good news, I am happy to tell you that I have also already begun work on my next Mandie story, since, as I promised before, I will be continuing to write fanfictions in the style of the series. You will get a /slight/ teaser for my next story in one of the upcoming chapters (probably Chapter 11). If this update happens to have any grammatical errors or mistakes, please just ignore them! I was up pretty late working on it, and I'm sure some things slipped by. Thanks so much for all the reads, and I hope you enjoy this chapter!
Also, if you have any questions about this story or any following stories, or any requests you'd like to make for something you want to see happen, or any questions/comments in general, please feel free leave them in a review or PM me.
Neon-Night-Light: well, here I am posting yet another chapter, so I am fully expecting to get an update from you in the near future ;) (seriously, though, UPDATE! I'M DYING!) Thank you for the great review, and I have to say, I'm very glad you are so interested in seeing what would happen if Joe did have to carry Mandie… but that's all I'm going to say about that… I also have quite the soft spot for T'sani, so I think I can safely tell you that you can expect to see a lot of him in my next story. As for the stranger, I think this blast from the past will be a pretty good surprise. Maybe. Hopefully. We'll see how it goes!
They soon left the cliffs behind them, hiking up deep into the mountains, winding around through huge, steep, jutting rocks and crevices. At first, they came across signs like a slight print in the ground that looked like it could have been left by one of the girls' shoes, or a snapped branch that Jonathan might have bent out of the way. Joe continued to lead the way, occasionally stopping so Mandie could catch up. She knew he must have seen how exhausted she was, but he remained silent and didn't press her, which she was grateful for. She trudged on quietly behind him, wearily pulling herself up each rock, and barely noticing each time her dress got snagged and torn. Her hands were dirty and bruised and her ankle was throbbing worse than ever.
"Here, let me help," Joe said, crouching down to grab her hand, when she looked despairingly up at the next rock he had already scaled. She gripped his hand and allowed him to help pull her up.
"Are you okay?" Joe asked, helping her to her feet and brushing the dirt off of her hands. "Can you keep up?"
She nodded. "I'm fine," she said, smoothing her hair back. "Just tired."
"Well, we have been trekking over a mountain all day," he joked, but his lightheartedness fell flat on Mandie's overwhelmed mind. She shook her head.
"I'm so worried, Joe," she said. "We should have found them by now."
"It's alright," he said, giving her hand a squeeze. "We'll find them, I know we will."
"What if they never came this way at all? These aren't even the cliffs Jonathan wanted to climb anymore. It's just a steep, rocky part of the mountain. There's nothing different about it. Why would they keep going this way?" Mandie pointed out anxiously. "What if they went looking for us and got lost?"
"Mandie," Joe said firmly, stooping so he could look her in the eyes, "don't panic. They'll be okay."
She sighed and rubbed her temples. "You're right, I'm sorry. It just feels like we've been looking for hours and we still haven't found any sign of them. And I can't seem to forget whoever was following us. Everything is just so mixed up."
Joe frowned. "I'm still concerned about the stranger as well," he answered. "Something about it all just didn't sit right. It's almost like…" he stopped.
"What?" Mandie asked, staring at him. "Almost like what?"
He cleared his throat and shrugged. "Nothing, forget I said that," he replied. "It's nothing."
Mandie folded her arms. "Joe Woodard, you explain yourself right this instant!"
He sighed. "Okay, but I'm probably reading too much into it."
"I don't care, tell me," Mandie pressed him.
"It's almost like whoever it was meant for us to follow him, and meant for us all to get separated," he explained, somewhat hesitantly.
Mandie stared at him, suppressing a shudder. "Do you really think so?" she asked, casting a nervous glance over her shoulder. "Remember how that path was more downtrodden as we got farther into the mountains? You and Jonathan thought it was from deer, but maybe Sallie and I were right—there is someone hiding up here."
Joe sighed again and ran his fingers through his hair. "Gee, Mandie, I wish I hadn't told you that. I'm sure it's nothing. I don't want you to be scared."
Mandie planted her hands on her hips and glared at him. "For the last time, I'm not a little girl anymore! I'm not scared!"
He gave her a searching look and then pulled a half grin. "You know something, I think I believe you," he said.
"And why wouldn't you?" Mandie asked, raising her eyebrows.
He chuckled and shook his head. "Never mind, let's keep going, unless you need to rest."
"No, we need to keep looking," Mandie urged him, starting back up the twisting, rocky path. "I just hope we find them before it gets dark."
Joe followed her, casting a worried look at the sky. "I hope so too. It's starting to get late."
"I hope the adults aren't too upset," Mandie said. Her mother would have fit if she could see them now.
"They probably assumed we wouldn't be back until dinner time," Joe reminded her. "Although if we don't make it back until after dinner, I'm sure they'll have a few things to say."
"My mother especially," Mandie agreed, attempting to scramble up on top of a huge, overhanging boulder. Joe grasped her elbow and gave her a boost, climbing up after her.
"My folks won't worry too much," Joe replied. "Ever since I started college, they've given me a lot more leniency. My father agreed that I was old enough to control my own life."
"I wish Mother were more like that," Mandie said. "Uncle John recognizes that I've grown up, but she still treats me like I'm twelve."
"That's probably because she's only had you since you were twelve," Joe reminded her. "I guess she's just hesitant to let you stop being her little girl."
"That's probably it," Mandie admitted. "I was surprised that she was comfortable with Celia and I being on our own at college."
"Careful," Joe warned, pulling her aside a little to avoid some loose stones.
"Thanks," Mandie said. She stopped to look around them, suddenly realizing how imposing the unfamiliar rocks and trees seemed.
"What's wrong?" Joe asked, also stopping.
She shook her head. "I don't know," she said. "It's just… we haven't found any signs of them for a little while now, and we're so far away from that path…" she trailed off, and her eyes widened. Joe frowned at her when she raised a hand to her mouth and met his gaze.
"What is it?" he asked. "Are you hurt?"
She shook her head, dazed.
"What's wrong, Mandie?" Joe demanded, gripping her shoulders.
"I haven't been marking our trail," she whispered, staring at him. His arms fell to his sides. She sat down weakly, dropping her forehead into her hands.
"I did it at first, but I got so tired and distracted that I must have forgotten, and I only just noticed… I don't recognize anything up here!" She groaned and looked up at him despondently. "Oh, Joe, we'll never find our way back! We're completely lost and it's all my fault!"
"It's not your fault," he said firmly, sitting beside her. "I'm just as much to blame. It's not your responsibility to mark the trail, I should have remembered as well."
"That doesn't change anything," she said. "We're still lost, and we're no closer to finding the others."
Joe heaved a sigh and stood, leaning against a tree. "This day just keeps getting worse and worse."
Mandie shook herself and stood up, straightening her shoulders determinedly. "Well, we know they came this way for at least a little while. We found all those prints and everything."
"But who's to say they didn't turn around or veer off somewhere else?" said Joe.
Mandie nodded and pursed her lips. What should they do now? "I guess we should turn around and see if we can find our way back," she suggested. "We won't be any help to them if we stay lost. Maybe the best thing to do now is to find our way back to the path and wait there."
Joe shrugged. "That's sounds okay to me," he answered. "Anything's better than sitting here and doing nothing. I just hope we can find it again."
"Come on," said Mandie, turning around and sliding carefully down the rock they had just scaled. "Keep an eye out for anything that looks familiar."
"It's no use," Joe said, almost half an hour later. "Everything looks the same. I don't recognize a single thing."
"Me neither," Mandie said dejectedly. She sighed in frustration and sat down on a rock. "What are we going to do now?"
Joe laughed bitterly. "There's nothing we can do, except keep going, even though we're probably just going in circles."
Mandie dusted her hands off and stood up, but her sudden movement was too much for her exhausted ankle. It gave a sharp jab of pain and she sat heavily back down, wincing.
"Are you okay?" Joe asked. She grimaced and leaned down to loosen her laces.
"It's my ankle," she said. "I guess I've been putting too much strain on it."
Joe crouched beside her and helped her pull off her boot. "It's starting to swell a little," he said, gently probing it.
"Oh, great," Mandie said dryly.
"Does this hurt?" Joe asked, putting slight pressure on it.
"Yes," she said, flinching.
He frowned. "Can you rotate it?"
She bit her lip and moved it in small circles. "It feels really tight," she said. "It's been sore for a while, but I've just been ignoring it."
"You should have told me," Joe said, shaking his head. "I would have slowed down."
"I'll be fine," Mandie said, trying to stand. Joe grabbed her hand and pulled her back down.
"I'm serious, Mandie, you have to give your ankle a rest," he said, handing her shoe back and standing up. "If you don't, it will give out and we'll be stranded here for sure."
Mandie sighed and slipped her shoe back on. "I can definitely hear the doctor's son coming out right now," she said, smiling.
"Don't tie the laces too tight," Joe instructed, ignoring her joke. "It will only make it swell more." He looked around. "There's a bit of a clearing down there," he said, pointing through the trees. "I'll help you down, and then you can rest while I keep looking."
Mandie looked up at him, her brow creasing. "We're not splitting up."
"It will be fine," he assured her. "I'll make sure I mark my trail, and I won't be gone too long. We have to make use of whatever daylight we have left."
"Alright," she said reluctantly, knowing he was right. He helped her to her feet and gripped her wrist with one hand, placing his other arm around her shoulders.
"Put your weight against me," he said. Mandie obediently leaned against him, noticing gratefully that it relieved the pressure from her ankle. They made their way down to clearing slowly, with Mandie struggling not to put any more weight on her ankle. Joe's support made it possible, and when they reached it, he released her and she limped wearily over to sit down on a rock.
"Will you be okay?" Joe asked, pausing on the edge of the clearing. She nodded, removing her shoe again.
"I'll be back soon," he promised, before turning and heading back off into the surrounding trees. She watched him brush past a small tree, snapping a branch as he went, before closing her eyes tiredly. What were they going to do? They had no idea where they were, or where Jonathan, Celia, and Sallie were, and now here she was, practically useless with this ankle. She crossed her arms over her knees and rested her head against them, wishing she knew whether or not the others were okay. It's no use worrying about them, she realized—they couldn't be any worse off than she and Joe.
Mandie waited for what seemed like hours. She sat on the small rock Joe had left her by, and rubbed her arms nervously. She knew she must look a sight, with her hair falling out, dirt smeared on her face and hands, tears in her dress, and cuts on her fingers. Her mother would have a fit if she could see her.
She brushed the hair out of her eyes and glanced around the clearing, praying Joe would return soon. A squirrel rustled some leaves nearby and she jumped.
"Remember your verse, Mandie," she reminded herself. "'What time I am afraid, I will put my trust in thee.'" She felt a little better and managed a smile.
But the minutes continued to creep by, and still, Joe hadn't returned.
"Where are you, Joe?" she murmured, shivering. Oh, if only they had never decided to explore the path! She glanced up at the sky. It was starting to get dark.
"Mandie!" called a familiar voice suddenly. She looked around the clearing quickly. Joe was pushing through the undergrowth towards her.
"Joe!" she cried, jumping up as he walked over to her. She limped quickly over to him and threw her arms around his neck.
"Are you okay?" he asked, startled. He brushed her mussed hair away from her forehead. She leaned back and tried to smile.
"Oh, Joe, I was so worried! I thought you'd gotten lost or hurt!"
Joe smiled down at her. "I'm fine," he assured her, squeezing her tight. "I still can't find any sign of the others, or the path."
"Oh, no!" Mandie said, pulling away and pacing haltingly around the clearing. "Where could they be?"
Joe shook his head and ran his long fingers through his hair. "I just don't know," he answered. "We should never have split up."
Mandie dropped her face in her hands. Joe sighed and put his arm around her.
"They'll be okay, Mandie," he said. "Jonathan is tough, and Sallie knows what to do when she's stuck in the woods."
Mandie nodded and wiped at her eyes. "Of course," she agreed. "She's a Cherokee." She looked up at him. "But what about us?"
Joe smiled again. "We'll be fine, too. After all, you're one-fourth Cherokee, and both of us have lived in the country for years." He glanced at the darkening sky.
"Let's see if we can find our way back to the path before it gets too dark," he suggested. "Can you walk okay now?"
Mandie frowned. "Yes, my ankle is a little better now, but we'll only have a couple of minutes before dark," she pointed out, as she followed him back into the dense woods.
"I know," he said over his shoulder, "but it's better than just sitting around in that clearing. We'll have more of a chance to find the others if we stick to the path."
"Alright," Mandie said, shivering. She stayed close behind Joe as he pushed through the trees and bushes. Not wanting to make the same mistakes again, Mandie was careful to mark their trail by snapping branches as they walked.
Finally, Joe declared that it was too dark to continue.
"I guess we'll just have to spend the night here," he said. "I would hate to keep going and miss the trail in the dark."
"O-okay," Mandie agreed nervously.
"We're lucky it's not too cold," Joe said. He crouched down and cleared away some undergrowth by a patch of bushes.
Mandie sat down gingerly in the space he had cleared and wrapped her arms around her knees.
"Mother will be awfully worried about us," she said in a small voice.
Joe sighed and sat down next to her. "Everything will be okay, Mandie," he said, putting his arm around her. "What happened to the fearless girl I know that thrives on adventure?"
Mandie laughed a little. "I guess I am being a little silly," she admitted. "I've been through worse than this."
"That's my girl," said Joe gently, tightening his hold.
"Let's say our verse," Mandie suggested.
Together, they repeated, "What time I am afraid, I will put my trust in Thee."
"I'm glad you're here, Joe," Mandie said. "I would be terrified if I was by myself."
They sat together silently for a few moments, before Joe suggested they try to sleep.
Mandie half-heartedly agreed. She doubted she could ever fall asleep out here, worrying about Celia and Jonathan and Sallie, but she laid down anyway, using her arm as a pillow.
"I'm sorry, Mandie, I wish I had a jacket or something you could use," Joe apologized.
"It's okay," Mandie said, offering him a small smile. "I've slept outside before. I'll be fine."
"I'll sit up and keep watch for a little while," Joe offered, moving a few feet away.
It seemed like hours, but she finally fell asleep, a bit comforted by the dark silhouette of Joe keeping watch.
