Girl Finds Shelter in a Tree Cave When a Voice From Behind Says, ‘This Is My Cave’ – Story of the Day

Donna got lost while hiking in a forest with her parents when it started raining. She sought shelter in a cave and was surprised to hear a thundering voice from behind, asking what she was doing in there.

At 13 years old, Donna was very kind, well-mannered, and adventurous. She would often accompany her parents to visit her grandmother who lived in a small rural town. Near that small town was a huge forest just 30 kilometers away, where they decided to hike.

While exploring the forest, Donna started to wander without realizing she was walking too far away from her parents. By the time she realized she was lost, the rain had started to pour. She jogged under the trees before discovering a cave where she decided to rest under.

Right after she entered, a man's voice said, "Who are you? This is my cave."

Donna jumped, startled by the sudden voice. She turned around and saw a man in his 30s staring right at her. She started to walk back towards the exit until the voice said again, "Don't worry, you don't have to be scared. I won't hurt you. I was just surprised somebody suddenly entered my cave," he said.

Donna used her phone's flashlight to get a better look at the cave. It had a makeshift wooden bed and a couple of other things. She then realized the man meant it was his cave, as he lived in it.

"I picked some berries today. Here, eat them," he said, handing the berries to her. Without hesitation, Donna took the berries as she was hungry and hadn't eaten since the morning.

The man then started to light a fire by putting a couple of tree branches together. At that moment, Donna was able to see him more clearly.

"What's your name? Why do you live in a cave?" Donna asked curiously.

"I don't know my name..." the man said. "I woke up in the forest one day, with my things scattered around me. I couldn't remember what happened, and I couldn't remember my name as my wallet was missing, and I didn't have any form of identification with me," he explained.

Realizing the man had been surviving in the forest for a while now, she wanted to help him out. After a couple more minutes of eating and talking, she suddenly heard footsteps coming.

"Greg, it's me, Lucy. You don't remember me at all, sweetheart?" Lucy cried as she held her husband's hand.

"Donna?" someone called out. She immediately realized it was her parents looking for her.

"Dad! Over here!" she said from inside the cave.

Donna's parents immediately rushed over. Their eyes went wide when they saw the man with their daughter in a dark cave. Her father almost lunged at the man before she stopped him.

"Dad, stop! He fed me and lit me a fire. He doesn't remember who he is. He's been living here for some time now. We need to help him!" she explained. Immediately, her dad was relieved.

"Sweetheart, do you know how scared your mother and I were? You suddenly disappeared from behind us, and we couldn't find you! We've been searching for about an hour now," he said, pulling his daughter in for a hug.

After making sure their daughter was okay, Donna's parents then proceeded to talk to the man. "Do you need help? Do you want us to take you out of the forest?" Donna's father asked.

"Yes, please. It's just... I don't know where to go. I tried getting out of here many times, but I just ended up getting even more lost. All I have in this small bag is a photo of this woman. I don't know who she was in my life, but the signature at the bottom reads 'Lucy Watkins.'" he explained.

The group got out of the forest and took the man to their home. There, they gave him a fresh set of clothes and a place to shower and sleep comfortably.

While the man was in the bathroom, Donna's parents searched for a woman named Lucy Watkins on the internet. Luckily, they found a woman on Facebook with the same name and who looked exactly like the woman in the photo.

They immediately decided to message her, saying:

Hi Lucy,

I am Peter James from Connecticut. My family and I were on a hike when we came across a man who looked to be in his thirties. He has a photo of you in his bag but no other form of identification. If you know this man, please do contact us. We have taken him to our home so he can rest comfortably as we try to search for his family.

Peter attached a photo to his message and waited for a reply. It wasn't until after they had a nice dinner with the man that they received multiple calls from the woman through Facebook Messenger.

"Hello?" Peter answered.

"Oh my god," the woman on the other end of the line cried out. "Hello, sir, thank you for taking my call. It's just... the man you found, that's my husband. He's been missing for a couple of months now. I thought he was dead, but praise God, he's alive!" she said, overwhelmed with emotions. "Where is he?" she cried.

"He is here. He doesn't seem to remember anything. We think he was robbed and left in the forest. We're just not sure if he suffered any trauma, which is why he can't remember who he was," Peter explained. "Let us know where you live, and we'll take him to you," he added.

Immediately, Lucy responded with her address, which was just a 30-minute drive from where they lived. Donna and her parents took the man home, where he had an emotional reunion with his family.

His wife and kids were in tears, hugging him one by one. He could not remember them, but he realized they were his family after he went inside the house and saw photos of them together through the years.

"Greg, it's me, Lucy. You don't remember me at all, sweetheart?" Lucy cried as she held her husband's hand.

"I'm sorry, Lucy. I wish I could remember you and our children; I really do. It's just... I don't know what happened to me in that forest. I lost my memory and my things, and I don't know if I'll ever be able to regain my memory," he said sadly.

Lucy and her children tried to fill the man in on his life for the rest of the night. They informed him of his name, birthday, family members, and even school and work achievements.

Meanwhile, Donna and her parents gave the family some privacy by returning home. Before leaving, however, Lucy asked them to leave their address so that they could all meet again one day once Greg was more settled down.

Lucy took her husband to the best neurologists and psychiatrists in the state, hoping they could help restore his memory. Gradually, he started to remember pieces of his life until his memory began to return fully.

While at the doctor's office, Greg realized he was robbed at a gas station, brought deep into the forest, and was beaten up until he agreed to let go of his things. "They wanted to take my wedding ring, and when I refused, they started to hit me. I suffered a large blow to the head, and I ended up unconscious," he recalled of the traumatic experience.

When Greg woke up, he only had an empty bag with a water jug and a photo of Lucy that must have fallen out of his wallet which ended up being his only form of identification. He also had the small golden amulet he wore inside his shirt that the robbers did not notice. He was completely lost and ended up surviving in the forest for months.

In the end, Greg was grateful to Donna and her parents. He and Lucy traveled to their home, hoping to thank them for their kindness.

After treating them to dinner, Greg took out the golden amulet he had been wearing and hung it around Donna's neck.

"Because of you, I am home with my family. I got this from my great-grandmother. It brings good luck when you need it most. I believe its luck brought you to find me. Now, I want you to have it so when you need help, someone can help you, too."

What can we learn from this story?

• We should not always think badly of strangers just because of how they look. Donna's dad, Peter, immediately thought poorly of Greg after seeing him in a dark cave with his daughter, only to realize he had fed her and kept her warm while she was lost.
• Kindness costs nothing. Donna and her parents made sure to bring Greg back to his family without expecting anything in return. In the end, Greg decided to repay their kindness by giving Donna his prized possession.

Share this story with your loved ones. It might inspire them and make their day.

If you liked this story, you might like this one about a boy who found an abandoned car with an old locked box inside while lost in the forest.

This account is inspired by our reader's story and written by a professional writer. Any resemblance to actual names or locations is purely coincidental. All images are for illustration purposes only. Share your story with us; maybe it will change someone's life. If you would like to share your story, please send it to info@amomama.com.