Boy And Dad See “Help” Scratched Into Dirt, Gut Tells Them To Investigate

Thought They Were Alone

The kid was sitting beside his father in the vehicle when they nearly missed it by driving over it. They were nearing the forest, which meant they were in the middle of nature when they saw the word “HELP” scratched into the sand. They didn’t think there would be anyone else around them. They thought only animals were around.

When they realized they might have unexpected company, they couldn’t help the chill that overcame them. They could never have thought they would encounter something that would change their lives forever.

Scouting Their Surroundings

Their minds spun, eventually deciding it was safer to scout their surroundings inside the car. They could hear nothing besides the odd chirping bird. They were nowhere near any houses, cars, or farms. There were no signs of humans around them.

They stirred when they heard voices and followed the direction they were coming from. It meant walking through overgrown vegetation, but they needed to know what was happening. It wasn’t long before they discovered something that made the father’s stomach queasy.

A Role Model

Many fathers out there wish to have a close bond with their sons, which meant Chris Gordon was one of the lucky ones. Ever since his son Ryan was a toddler, his dad was serious about being present in his son’s life.

Chris wanted to be someone his son could admire and be proud of. This was his biggest mission in life, which meant that he and his son did everything together. They had the same hobbies, and he encouraged plenty of conversation with Ryan.

Someone To Look Up To

He knew that life had its ups and downs and wanted to show his son that he could make it through. He believed that being a father meant that he had to teach his son how to be a good and reliable man.

It wasn’t always easy, but he tried his best to see his son as an equal with thoughts and desires of his own. He wanted to share as much as possible, including the knowledge and experience he had collected through the years. But there was a reason behind all of his actions.

His Father

While growing up, Chris, unfortunately, went without a father figure. His father, Dominic, didn’t have the best of habits and didn’t engage much with his family, leading to his parent’s divorce.

His father’s absence significantly influenced his life as he grew older, and he still struggled with its impact on him. It affected his personality and the way he thought about everything. He hadn’t spoken to his father in years.

Bettering Himself

As he made his way into adulthood, Chris felt as though his life had no direction. It meant that he made the wrong decisions regarding who he surrounded himself with and the types of situations he got involved in. Although he doesn’t like to talk about it, he has been involved in certain events that nearly got him arrested.

But then he met Alice, and his life changed for the better. He had become better after meeting her and making her his wife. He had done pretty well until then but didn’t know that something would test him years later.

Their Favorite Hobby

Although they shared many hobbies, hunting was one of the special ones Chris and Ryan had. The sense of adventure they got out of it, along with the calm of the nature while they searched for animals, meant that they enjoyed it the most.

They were on their way to a spot they loved most when it happened. They had been speculating about the animals they would find that day when Chris fell silent while he pulled his car to a dead stop.

Eyes On The Road

Ryan looked at his dad, confused. Why had he stopped? He saw the bewildered expression on Chris’ face while he stared at the road ahead.

He asked his dad what was wrong but got no reply. He watched as his dad pointed to the road, and Ryan tried figuring out what had caused his dad to act this way. Had he spotted an animal nearby? But then his eyes finally landed on it, too.

Word In The Dirt

It was not something they could have easily spotted, considering it had been roughly scratched into the dirt. It seemed like someone had written the sign in an urgent rush like they were trying to escape something.

The two of them squinted to try and make out what was said. They eventually made out the word “HELP” in the middle of the road. Then they rushed out of the car to investigate and see if there was anything they could do.

Questions

Chris got even closer and realized that the markings looked like they had been scratched into the dirt recently. They hadn’t been covered by tire tracks, paw prints, or footprints, which meant only one thing.

They were the first to read the message. Questions flooded Chris’s mind. Who had written it, and how much trouble were they really in? The questions halted when they suddenly heard something that sounded very human.

Screams

The two of them heard something sounding like human screams coming from the forest. A chill went down her spine. Things were getting scarier by the minute.

“Maybe it’s a fox?” the kid asked his dad, trying to hide the fear in his voice. He knew that foxes in heat could shriek in a manner that is uncannily remindful of human screams, but he also wanted to get out of there as soon as possible. After a few seconds, his father replied.

Gordon’s Decision

“Maybe, but maybe not. We have to go there and make sure,” Chris sentenced. The pair started walking towards the depths of the forest, where the chilling sound came from.

They did their best to make their way through the bushes, watching out for any hidden animal that may give them a nasty surprise. Ryan had never been more scared in his life, yet he followed his dad. What would they find in the heart of the forest?

Discovery

The kid didn’t know it, but Gordon was scared as well. However, he felt it was his duty to do the right thing and ensure whoever was in trouble could get some help. 

After walking for a while, they finally saw it: a woman was sitting deep in a small ravine in the middle of the woods. There was no way to reach her, as the terrain was too sloppy. She probably had fallen in there. What could they do now?

She Couldn’t Get Out

The woman couldn’t get out, so they wouldn’t be able to do so by themselves either. Quickly, Chris took out his phone and called a rescue team.

In a matter of minutes, they were there. With the help of ropes, they managed to get the woman out of the hollow. But when he could look at her from a closer distance, Chris realized something: he recognized that woman.

Amanda Ogle

Her name was Amanda Ogle, and Chris had seen her face before. It was in the news and the papers. Apparently, the woman, who was mentally challenged, had gone missing just a few days ago.

Luckily enough, she was in a decent physical state. However, there was still one question in the air: how did she end up in the middle of the forest? What was her story?

Police Steps In

Right after Amanda was rescued by the team, one of the members called the police. The most obvious explanation was that she had escaped from the care center where she usually stayed, located on the town outskirts.

However, a startling fact was revealed after a police car appeared on the scene and four officers got out.

The Care Center Didn’t Report It

The care center hadn’t reported Amanda Ogle’s disappearance to the press or the police. It was her family who did it. The care center, which should have been responsible for ensuring that Amanda was under the care of professionals and safe at all times, hadn’t said a peep about it.

Naturally, Amanda’s family was outraged when they went to visit her one day and found that she wasn’t there, while the care center’s administration played dumb about the whole issue. What was going on?

Baffled

Every rescue team member was baffled when they heard this from one of the officers. Clearly, there was something fishy in that story. Chris, particularly, was left wondering what could be going on. 

He approached one of the officers and offered to help them in whatever way he could to solve the mystery. However, there was still much to be done to uncover Amanda’s true story. And at that moment, only one thing could be done.

Questioning Her

They had to question Amanda and try to see if she could tell them something useful for the investigation. So quickly, after the rescue team made sure that the girl was in proper physical condition, the police officers went to her and introduced themselves.

Knowing that Amanda would probably be feeling disoriented and confused, they tried their best to make her feel at ease before asking her any questions. But soon, they realized something unnerving.

Mute

Amanda seemed incapable of uttering a single word. No matter what the officers asked her or what they said to her, she just remained silent. She seemed to hear their words and react to sounds, but it was like she had become mute.

And that wasn’t all. Another unsettling detail made the situation an enigma, as these officers had never encountered before.

Her Expression

Amanda’s expression wasn’t that of a distressed or scared person. She looked absolutely calm and peaceful like she had gotten over her accident in a matter of minutes.

If that were so, why was she unable to speak? What could possibly be the issue if it wasn’t because of the trauma and shock she had undoubtedly gone through? The police officers and the rescue team were immersed in these questions when, suddenly, a car parked near the scene.

Her Family

It was Amanda’s family. The rescue team had phoned them the minute after they made sure Amanda was alright. Naturally, they had been worried to no end for the previous days and absolutely furious at what seemed, at least, like outrageous negligence by the care center.

Little did they know that, when the truth unfolded, it would turn out to be even darker than they could have ever imagined.

“Stay Out Of It”

However, there wasn’t much that could be done for the time being. Amanda seemed unable to say a word about what had happened to her, how she got out of the care center’s facilities, or how she ended up in that forest.

Chris talked to the police officers. They thanked him for his willingness to help but advised him to leave things to law enforcement professionals and stay out of it. As he saw the police car leaving the scene, Chris had a gut feeling.

Something Wrong

He knew there was something fishy. He talked to Amanda’s family; they were furious and outraged about the care center’s negligence and hoped the police would clear the matter in the following days.

But as he drove back home with Ryan, Chris couldn’t stop thinking about how strange everything looked. That’s when he made a decision.

Chris’ Decision

When father and son finally got home, Chris told his wife about everything that had happened. “I don’t know what’s going on, but it all sounds really fishy to me,” he told her. “I’m gonna try to find out what’s happening here.”

Chris’ wife stayed silent for a few minutes, pondering whether she should say what was really on her mind. Then, she spoke.

“Be Safe”

“Do what you feel like you have to do. I trust you. But please, for Ryan’s sake and mine: be safe.” Chris promised that he would resort to the authorities if he felt like he was getting into a dangerous situation.

They both went to bed, and it took them a while to fall asleep. Their minds were filled with thoughts about what could be the truth behind Amanda Ogle’s disappearance and what Chris could be getting into.

Investigating

The next morning, Chris began his investigation. He started off by searching for the people involved on the Internet. He looked up the care center in question and tried to find all the upper management staff.

As he was going through the names of all the members of the care center’s direction, he read something that rang a bell. When he realized why that was, a chill went down his spine.

Salkeld

The care center director’s surname, Salkeld, sounded strangely familiar to Chris despite it being an odd one. He thought about it for a while. “Where have I heard that surname before?” he wondered. Suddenly, he realized.

The local police chief had the same surname. He had been involved in numerous scandals for the last few years related to alleged connivance between the higher ranks of the local police department and certain organized crime groups. And that wasn’t all.

It Was Serious

Allegedly, some of these groups were involved in matters as serious as human trafficking. However, none of the allegations against the police chief had seemed to stick, and the man hadn’t been indicted. But could he be related to the care center’s director?

He looked up both of their names on the Internet. He saw an online post of an obituary for someone who also bore the surname of Salkeld. His heart jumped when he realized something: the care center director and the police chief were brothers.

Calling The FBI

Now that was starting to get really creepy. It might be something way bigger than Chris could handle by himself. So. after thinking for a while, he decided to do what his wife had advised.

He dialed the FBI number, told them about all he had witnessed in the past days, and offered to help with whatever they could. The man on the line listened to everything he said, asked him a few more questions, thanked him for the information, and guaranteed that two agents would be in town by the end of the week. Chris sat back, overwhelmed by how his life had changed in just two days. He didn’t know what was ahead for him, but there was something he knew: he had done the right thing.

In order to protect the privacy of those depicted, some names, locations, and identifying characteristics have been changed and are products of the author’s imagination. Any resemblances to actual events or places or persons, living or dead, are entirely coincidental.