Curious Regret
“James?”, Pedro said. James turned around to see that Pedro had joined him in surveying the campsite. “What’s that?”, he asked as he pointed to the abandoned, ragged tent.
James looked at the tent and immediately saw what Pedro did. Something appeared to be moving inside. Cautiously, he walked over and pulled back the cover. Suddenly, they were running for their lives.
James Mondoloni
It was just another weekend of adventure for James Mondoloni. Working in an office as an accountant during the week, he lived for his weekend trips out in nature.
This time he was exploring the beautiful woodlands of Maremma in Tuscany, Italy with his friend, Pedro. They were walking side by side as they ventured into the unknown.
Adventure Begins
The region of woodland they were in was also very well known for its abundance of wild, edible mushrooms. So the pair decided to also make it a mission to pick some mushrooms on their way.
They were about two hours into their hike when James decided they should veer off the beaten track to find some mushrooms. But what he’d actually find would be so much more.
Closer
His heart was pounding. He raced out of there as fast as he could, occasionally looking behind him to make sure Pedro was still running behind him. He couldn’t remember the last time he felt so scared.
“Hey!” Pedro shouted, “I found some!”. James walked over to see four mushrooms clustered together. It was a welcome sight but there wasn’t enough. He continued his search upwards.
Surprising Discovery
James walked further and further into the heart of the forest, which was why he was surprised when he began to see empty bottles and trash. Curious, he followed the trail of trash and stumbled into an abandoned campsite hidden deep within the forest.
As he looked around, it was obvious that whoever lived here, did so for a long time.
Experienced Camper
Bottles still hung from trees to collect rainwater. Umbrellas, shoes and buckets lay scattered on the ground. It was clear that this was an experienced camper who knew what he needed to survive.
“James?”, Pedro said. He had joined James in surveying the campsite. “What’s that?”, he asked as he pointed to the old and ragged tent.
Strange Motion
James looked to see a very makeshift-looking tent. At first, nothing seemed amiss other than its appearance but when he looked closer, he saw something move inside the tent.
Cautiously, he walked over to it and pulled back one of its loose sides. However, as he reached his hand in, a face appeared. James jumped back, screaming.
Fright
The man looked like he came straight out of a horror film. His eyes and cheeks were hollow. His hair and beard were overgrown and dishevelled. Their initial thought was that he was dangerous. However, with the shock, they both ran before they realized what was happening.
After they were far enough away and had calmed down, they decided they should call the authorities and go back. They had no idea what they were getting themselves into.
Kind But Difficult
James guided the officer back to the man’s campsite. This time, the strange man seemed less intimidating and more vulnerable. How long had he been living out here, and why?
James wondered who he was as the officer asked him the same thing. The strange man seemed nice. He apologized to James and Pedro for giving them a fright but refused to answer any questions.
Tensions Rise
Tensions were rising as he refused to provide identification. The officer threatened him with an arrest while James was busy looking at something else; a telescope.
Thinking it was odd that this would be in the man’s possession, he walked over to it. That’s when he saw the occupational name tag poking out of a trash bag beside it. His jaw dropped.
Realization
He looked at the dishevelled, unkempt man, and back to his name tag that stated his name, professional as well as a picture of him. He looked much younger. Handsome and smart.
He couldn't believe this was the man the world had been searching for all this time. It’s been 20 years. Everyone thought he was dead. But what was he doing here? And more importantly why?
Missing Doctor
James found a man named Carlos Sanchez. Carlos was a very successful and beloved doctor who also had a degree in psychology and could speak several languages but he vanished from the face of the earth 20 years ago.
It was later revealed that although he appeared to be taking life by storm, something else was happening on the inside.
Had It All
Carlos was only 26 years old when he first went missing. Living in Spain, he was known for his determination and likable personality. However, what they didn’t know was that he also suffered from acute depression.
Once his troubles escalated, he stopped showing up for work. People searched his apartment and the entire city, but he was nowhere to be found.
Family Reunion
No one knew what happened to him and his poor family experienced the tremendous loss of losing a loved one. But that was soon to come to an end, or so he thought.
With the help of a missing person’s agency, James found Carlos' family. They flew out to the forest immediately but there was a problem.
Long Gone
Carlos told James and the officer when they left that day that he was annoyed they found him. He told them he’d be gone once they returned. He kept his word.
James later returned with Carlos’ family to find the campsite, trash and bottles had completely disappeared. They searched the forest for days but Carlos was nowhere to be found, disappearing into earth’s dark corners once again.