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“Olli?” Mirko shouted, sounding near tears. “Olli, can you hear me?!”
“Huh?” Olli blinked. “Yeah, I can hear you just fine. What’s wrong?”
He hadn’t expected to get a call from the bassist of Lost Society, on a random Sunday night. The last time they’d seen each other had been months ago, at a summer festival.
“Oh, thank god,” Mirko sighed, relieved. “I’ve been walking in fucking circles for half a hour, trying to get a signal. My phone’s almost dead.”
“You should probably charge it then?” Olli suggested, still confused.
“I can’t,” Mirko explained. “I’m in the middle of the forest.”
“What forest?” Olli asked.
“I’m on Makkaraniemi Trail, ” Mirko replied.
“Wait, you’re near Oulu?!” Olli gasped.
He had been on that hiking trail a hundred times. It was on Manamansalo Island, at the center of Lake Oulujärvi.
“Yeah,” Mirko sighed, making the speaker crackle. “I was supposed to meet my friend out here, and go boating. But, he texted me this morning, and said he was sick, and couldn’t make it. I didn’t see the text, until I was already on the train, halfway from Helsinki to Oulu. So, I decided to just go hiking by myself.”
“If you were in the area, you should’ve invited me,” Olli frowned. “It would’ve been nice to see you again.”
“I wish I had invited you,” Mirko said, sounding panicked. “I’m such an idiot. I went off the marked trail, and I got lost. I have no idea where I am right now.”
“Shit,” Olli swore. “Okay. I’ll come get you. Can you give me any hints as to where you might be?”
“I don’t know!,” Mirko said agitatedly. “I can see the sun setting. So, I must be facing west. I’m sorry. I…I just didn’t know who else to call…”
Olli had never heard Mirko sound so rattled. When they’d toured together, he’d seemed super chill and quiet. He must be terrified.
“It’s okay,” Olli assured him. “Just let me get my coat and a flashlight, and I’ll be on my way. I live about an hour and a half from the lake, but I’ll drive as fast as I can.”
“Please hurry,” Mirko begged. “It’s getting dark, and it’s so fucking cold…”
“Try and find some shelter,” Olli advised him. “Under a tree, or in a cave, or something. I promise you - I won’t give up until I find you.”