By Pamela Rea
I decided to go camping on Halloween night on Browning Mountain. It was a beautiful crisp fall evening. I set up my campsite and went for a hike.
It got dark quicker than I had expected with the canopy of trees making it even darker in the woods. It did not take long for me to realize that I was lost.
I tried not to panic, knowing my campsite was near the bottom so it would not be that hard to find. As I walked, I heard rustling leaves all around me.
I laughed at myself thinking of all the scary stories and movies that I loved to indulge in. Suddenly, everything around me changed.
The trees were smaller, and the terrain seemed larger. There was a sweet smell in the air like I was back on my grandfather’s farm.
I heard a giggle from behind me and whirled around to find a little girl standing there. She had a handful of wildflowers and a big smile on her face.
She offered me the flowers and asked if I was lost. I said, “I think I am.” As I took the flowers she said, “Follow me, I will take you to my daddy.”
I followed her down a path that seemed to lead nowhere. Feeling like this was a bad idea, but not wanting to leave the little girl alone, I followed.
We walked for what seemed like an hour. I was in awe of the beautiful surroundings. The terrain was not this lush and full of life when I drove in.
Had I been transported to another time? As if reading my mind, an Indiana bat fluttered in the tree right next to me! I was sufficiently spooked at this point.
We came out of the woods onto a quaint little farmhouse complete with laundry drying in the backyard.
As we stood there taking in the sight, a loud crash broke the silence. We both turned to see a wall of water coming from behind the barn.
I grabbed the little girl by the hand and said, “We have to run!” As we ran, I asked, “What is your name?” she replied, “Petunia. Mommy loves flowers and so do I!” and began to cry.
I scooped her up and said, “My name is Pam, and I love flowers too.” Petunia buried her head in my shoulder and whispered, “Thank you.”
I ran back into the woods carrying Petunia as the water rushed all around us.
Petunia started squirming and shouted, “I know the way — let me down, I will show you!” I put her down and we ran with Petunia in the lead.
She led me to a tree with a ladder and a very sturdy-looking treehouse. We made it up just as the water rushed underneath us.
Safe for now, we both fell asleep from exhaustion.
When I awoke, I was not in the treehouse, but on a path next to a large rock. I had tripped and hit my head on the rock.
I sat up and sighed with relief. It had all been a dream. I collected my thoughts, stood, and saw what looked like it used to be a path going off into the woods.
I turned and saw my campsite directly behind me, so I decided to follow the path.
As I rounded a curve, I stopped dead in my tracks.
There in front of me was a giant oak tree surrounded by wildflowers with an old treehouse sitting between two large branches.
I cautiously climbed the rickety ladder to the top only to find the door padlocked shut. Looking around, I saw something carved into the side of the tree house. It read:
Petunia
Lost in the evacuation.
Found forever among the flowers.
1960-1965
Looking in the window, I saw what looked like a burial shroud with hundreds of dried wildflowers all around a tiny body.
Staggering back to my campsite, I collapsed in my tent, not knowing how to process what I just saw.
I had fallen asleep, or passed out from the head injury, because when I awoke next, the sun was rising.
I stepped out of my tent in time to hear a familiar giggle. I looked all around but saw nothing.
As the sun crested over the horizon, I smelled something sweet, looked to my feet and saw a bundle of wildflowers with “Thank You” scribbled in the dirt.
About the author
Pamela Rea has lived in Brown County since 1999 and is the mother of two adult children who attended Brown County Schools. She is employed as an operations support generalist for nGroup Performance in Franklin and formerly worked for 10 years at Van Buren Elementary School as a substitute teacher, in food service and in other capacities.
She recently earned a master’s degree in legal studies from Purdue University, and she also works weekends at Schwab’s Fudge in Nashville.
Rea said her winning story, “Halloween Wildflowers”, was her first attempt at a published story and she was excited her entry was chosen. “I love all kinds of mysteries,” she said.
For her first-place winning story, Rea will receive a certificate and a $200 prize.
About the contest: The Brown County Democrat asked readers for their scariest, spookiest Halloween stories, and you scared up some real winners! Links to all the winning entries are below and at the end of each of this year’s winning stories.
Read other winning entries
First place: “Halloween Wildflowers”
Third place: “Mr. Scare-No-Crows”
Honorable mention
