She walked along the trail leading to the old quarry, inhaling the scent of the pine trees and the enjoying the colorful show of wildflowers. She contemplated climbing the unmarked trail that led to the top of the 1,000 foot high bluff . She had climbed it once; the view of the river was magnificent. She decided not to push her luck as the trail was steep and not maintained. She turned around and started to retrace her steps as everything went black.

She opened her eyes. The scent of rotting leaves overwhelmed her as she tried to remember where she was. She felt damp and realized she was lying on the ground. How did I get here, she thought. She looked around but everything was dark. She struggled to sit up but something was weighing down on her. She drew in a sharp breath as she realized she was tied up and covered in something heavy. Turning her head, she strained to distinguish what that sound was. Everything was quiet except the sound of heavy breathing and the thump, thump of a shovel hitting the ground.

She felt her legs being lifted and began struggling. Her unseen kidnapper ignored her weak attempts to escape, as she was dragged over the rocky ground. She felt herself roll into a shallow depression. She screamed as she realized her kidnapper had been digging her grave.

Learn more about this author, Candice Kelley.
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