No one has a real excuse to be in Los Perdidos. Farmland, small businesses, neighborhoods, and two schools make the entirety of the town. Socioeconomic hierarchies don’t exist in this town. Everyone is a hard worker but real success is not found here. It is a town caught in a cycle of work, disappointment, and failure. 

There is an eyesore of a cabin about a mile south of town hall. If there are any visitors in town, they likely come to visit the Sierra cabin. The house isn’t pretty, it’s just old. The wood of the cabin is rotting and green, although the place is a tourist attraction, no money is invested into keeping it intact. About 45 years ago, a tall iron fence, now burnt orange and oxidized, were placed along the perimeter of the small property. A small sign with details and information about the house was also installed. 

The sign reads:

Sierra cabin. It was built during the mid-19th century by Mexican settlers during the Mexican- American war. The cabin belonged to the disappeared Sierra family. Residents at the time of the disappearance claimed the Sierra family came from a long history of satanism and cults. Rumors claim the family cursed the town of Los Perdidos with misfortune and dread before they escaped into the underworld. The town of Los Perdidos got its name from the family’s legacy. 

Every resident scoffed at the “history” and wrote it off as a fable. Of course, this excluded Silas’ great-grandmother Edith. She was old, but not old enough to have witnessed the chaos that ensued after the disappearance of the Sierra family. The conspiracies she shared were those passed down by her father. After constant ridicule by other residents, including her own family, she stopped communicating with anyone about the matter. She only spoke when spoken to, and she spent her days sitting alone in the living room. However, Edith made an exception for Silas, because Silas was Edith’s primary caretaker. 

“Mama Edith,” Silas began, “Why is it that I never hear you speak about the cabin anymore?”  

Edith turned away attempting to avoid eye contact with the boy. “I just don’t see the point anymore.” She said coldly. “My father wasn’t a liar, he knew what he saw that day the family went missing. He spent nights and days, burdened by his consciousness. He was full of regret-”

“Regret? For what?” 

“He was the last one to see them. They were gathering timber when one of the Sierra boys fell into a pit. My father stayed back as the rest went to help the boy. The pit expanded beneath their feet, and they fell in too. My father was panicking, he wrapped a rope around a tree and tied it around his waist. He got closer to the pit and realized he was in trouble. He was staring into a deceptive and hypnotizing realm of beauty. He told me he was climbing down the pit when his rope snapped. Free falling to his death, he closed his eyes; when he opened them, he was spread out on the dirt.”

“Realm of beauty?”

“Yes, like another world, like a portal, like a dimension- my father couldn’t explain it.” 

“So he fell into that world?”

“No, he was back in the woods; the pit disappeared like it never existed. He reported this to the village and no one believed him. He tried going back to the pit with the authorities but he couldn't remember where it was.” 

“So what happened?”

“They accused him of murder, of course, he never got convicted but people shamed him. Out of nowhere, people stopped and they accused the family of being Satanists.”

Edith passed. Silas kept a small notebook in his bedroom drawer. Inside, there were sketches, details, and information his great-grandmother shared with him. Silas kept these notes in the very back of his mind and didn’t care enough to pursue any further investigation. 

Aurora and Silas lived two houses down from each other. They had been the perfect pair since elementary days. The pressures of high school and the death of Silas' great-grandmother caught up to him; he distanced himself from anyone he knew. He would see Aurora in the hallways, but he would be too anxious to even mumble a ‘hello.’

Silas' cell phone buzzed in his pocket, he reached for his phone, read the name, and answered the call. The sweet, soft voice of Aurora greeted him on the other end of the line. 

“Hey Silas,” Aurora said happily, “meet me tomorrow morning at the park next to the school. You better be there,” she now said demanding, “no excuses.” She hung up the phone before he had the chance to say hello. He put his phone down and sighed. 

Silas was seated on a bench the next morning with his faded red bicycle leaning on him. The atmosphere of the park was refreshing. The breeze of the wind blew the hair out of his face as he watched Aurora arrive on her bright yellow bicycle. 

“Let's race!” she said, wasting no time. 

Silas immediately sprung off the bench and onto the seat of the bicycle. He slapped his feet onto the pedals and tightly grasped the bike's grips. Aurora was roughly fifty yards ahead of him. He pumped his legs until the bike reached maximum velocity. He rapidly caught up to Aurora and passed her. Silas’ sad face was turned to a grin. 

“Yes!” he said with a cheer. He slowed down and waited for Aurora to catch up to him. “Where are we going?” 

“That very trail right there, sir” she responded. 

“I forgot that even existed” 

“Just like you forgot I existed” 

She then sped up and entered the trail. The gravel and hill did not make for a comfortable ride but the trees, ivy, and vines were nothing short of magnificent. The vibrant green and purple leaves brought peace. The air exhibited by these trees replenished the exhausted lungs of Silas. Aurora was now ahead of him, but this was no longer a race. She came to a stop and so did he. He joined her, taking a seat on a log that overlooked the valley below. There was a small river at the bottom of the hill. From eye level, the water was muddy and gross, but from up here, the river was beautiful. 

They left their bikes parked by the log and explored the forest around them on foot. About a couple hundred feet to the right of the log were large chunks of limestone. Aurora and Silas climbed and jumped from stone to stone. 

“Thank you for caring so much about me,” Silas said “I honestly wouldn’t know what to do without you so I do appreciate you.”

“That's just what I’m here for. I know you would take care of me if I were down, so honestly don’t even mention it.” 

They both smiled at each other. 

He turned away for a moment to admire the environment around him. The intricate detail of the tree branches. The trees that reached heights so far above him, made him feel so small. All the issues, all his thoughts, all his emotions, were so small compared to this tree. Why be so down when there are years of good health and life ahead of him?

 Silas turned around to find Aurora missing. 

“Aurora?” he called out, “where are you? Where did you go?” He received no response. He walked around the trees, but nothing. He walked around the limestone chunks, but nothing. “Come on Aurora, seriously, where are you?” still no response. 

Silas returned to the bikes. Both the yellow and red bikes were exactly where they were placed. A flash reflected off the metal frame, and sounds of static buzzed behind him. He turned around to see blue light coming from behind the vines, He stepped closer and pulled them to the side. The sight of the pit brought him back to the conversations he would have with Edith about her father. 

“Aurora,” he hesitated. 

He ignored the voices telling him he would never see her again. He thought about Edith’s father and the Sierra family. Taking a deep breath, he braced himself to jump in. The hole above him began to close. He landed and rolled back onto his feet. He got up and immediately saw Aurora rapidly moving her eyes underneath her eyelids. She foamed from her mouth and had two large gashes, one on the side of her cheek and another on the side of her abdomen. Silas hooked his arms underneath hers and began to drag her. Almost immediately, he felt an odd sensation through his body, he blinked his eyes and was back in the woods with Aurora in his hands. He shook her body but she wouldn’t wake up; he put two fingers on the side of her neck and felt her pulse. 

Silas tore his shirt off and wrapped it around the bunch of vines so he knew where to come back. He took Aurora, threw her on his shoulders, and ran down the trail, leaving the bikes behind. When he reached the entrance of the trail, he pulled out his phone and called the authorities. A few bystanders attempted to help the distressed boy as they waited for the paramedics to arrive. 

When the police and ambulance arrived, Silas and Aurora were separated from each other. Aurora was taken to the hospital and Silas was taken to the station for questioning. 

“Silas,” He said, looking the boy up and down, “ my name is Mike Jones. First things first, I want you to know that if you respect me, then I’ll respect you. Comply with me and state your sentences clearly. Are you aware that you will be penalized for lying under oath today?”

“Yes sir” 

“Good.” He said sternly “What were you doing with this girl in the first place?”

“Well, we were at the park and decided to bike up the trail and that's when-”

“So you went to the woods alone? You made sure no one was around to see you two? What did you want to do to this girl?” 

“No,” Silas got angry, “Aurora is my friend, we were just biking and she fell and got hurt!” 

“She had two very deep cuts, yes? Do you see me as a fool? There is absolutely no way she would have those cuts, bruises, AND BE IN COMA, from falling off her bike!” 

“She didn’t fall off her bike.”

“Okay so now you’re just being inconsistent, can you admit that you’re lying to me right now?” 

“No, I-”

“So you’re lying, you just don’t want to admit it.” he raised his voice, “Alright I have had enough, someone get this child out of this room,” he called out to the officers in the hallway. 

Two men in uniform came inside the room, grabbed Silas by each arm, and forced him out of the room. Silas stumbled on his feet as he was dragged to the back of the station. An officer unlocked a large metal door revealing three small cells behind it. They opened a cell and threw him in there. His back slammed against the cell’s concrete wall and the cell door was shut directly in his face. 

Back at the hospital, Aurora must have had ten nurses and doctors trying to help her. She was hooked onto an IV and was under anesthesia while her gashes were being stitched closed. Hours passed and she was yet to wake up. Her family was now at her side, patiently waiting for her to wake up.

“Darling, Aurora, please, speak to me, wake up, I am here.” Aurora’s mother said desperately. “I love you. For the love of god, who did this to you?”

The two officers from the station entered the room. 

“I’m sure you’re familiar with Silas.” one of them said. 

“Uh, um yes yes.”  she stuttered. 

“Very well, we need to ask you a series of questions regarding the boy’s relationship with your daughter,” the other cop said, “he is a person of interest in the assault, or tempted murder, of your daughter.” 

Back at the station, an officer opened Silas’ cell door. “Come out now.” 

“Huh,” Silas responded. 

The officer gripped his arm and pulled him out “get the hell up!” The officer dragged him back into the interrogation room. “We’ve spoken to the family of your ‘friend’, they have decided to press charges against you.” 

“Charges for what?” 

“Are you going to keep acting dumb with me? For the assault, we will decide later if we charge you for murder or manslaughter, I don’t know. The girl isn’t waking up anytime soon. The family said they don't trust you, they told me your behavior is weird, and they believe you had something to do with this.”
“I don’t believe you!”

“Believe me.”

“Well can I at least tell you what happened? Why aren’t you believing anything I say?”

The cop chuckled, “you’re a funny kid. Maybe we can all talk about this in court.”

Silas was taken back to his cell. Many months went on. During that time, Silas, Aurora’s family, and the police force have been in and out of court. Still, after all this time, Aurora has yet to wake up. Silas has stayed true to his innocence. 

Time went on and Aurora woke up from her coma. 

“Mom, where am I right now?” 

“My baby you’re awake, darling, you’re alright!” The woman said excitedly. 

“Why am I here, I was just sleeping, what happened?”

“You haven’t been awake for months darling.”

“Where is Silas? He was just with me,” she asked. 

“We are working on putting him behind bars darling, trust me, he won’t be able to hurt you anymore.” 

“No, no, no, no, no, you guys have it all wrong, he didn’t hurt me. He helped me. Mom, you might not believe me but I wasn’t even on this planet. I fell behind a curtain of vines, and next thing I know I'm free falling into another dimension?”

“He must have drugged you.” 

Aurora was checked out at the hospital. A few weeks later, she was testifying against Silas in the courthouse of Los Perdidos. She told the judge and jury about what happened. She told them about their time in the park, the rocks, and how she fell into the pit, she told them everything. Everyone believed her, she was the only witness after all. Silas and Aurora had no previous communication, so her testimony was 100% authentic. As weird as the story was, everyone had to accept that Silas was innocent in this case. 

Aurora thanked Silas for saving her. She thanked him for being so strong and enduring months of humiliation. She apologized because she felt as if she ruined Silas' life. The Horrors he witnessed in jail and in the courtroom were traumatic. Silas was glad to finally put everything to rest and go home. He didn’t see aurora much after this. The family hated him but he couldn’t blame them. 

On a cold winter night, Silas walked back up the trail. He smiled at the sight of the two bikes leaning on a log covered in snow. He found his T-shirt wrapped around a bunch of dead vines. He took the shirt and wrapped his hands around the bunch; the portal opened. He took a deep breath and jumped in.