At one time in my childhood, my family and I lived in a house with a huge backyard that bordered the woods. My brother and sisters and I were super stoked to discover that along with a beautiful forrest we also inherited a treehouse where we pretty much lived in during warm summer days.

Entering through the trees was like stepping right into Narnia. It was another world. Patches of Maple trees sloped along a mile-wide hill to a creek, a runners trail, and Cardboard Hill,  one of the best places for an easy thrill. It was so simple, you just took a big piece of cardboard, placed it carefully on the matted dry grass and held on to dear life as the friction from the cardboard and grass made for a very fast ride.

So, why am I telling you this story? After watching The Lovely Bones recently I was haunted by the memory of the day we suddenly had to stop going into the woods, to Cardboard Hill, all of it.

If you’re familiar with the plot of the book/film you may already have a chill. The story, based on Alice Sebold’s fictional book I read years ago, is narrated by a young girl whose murder left her stuck in the in-between as she watched the people in her life following her death. The movie itself has been criticized for its fantasized play land where little Susie Salmon watches over and even interacts with her old world. There’s no question the acting, especially that of Stanley Tucci, should be praised. However, this post is not a review rather more me getting out the personal flashbacks I experienced while watching the film.

I was only nine years old, but I vividly remember a specific evening my parents put a hold on our playtime outside in the backyard and anywhere in the woods. As crazy as it sounds to say out loud, or to even write, I lived in a town that at one point was terrorized by a child serial killer and pedophile. I was just at the age to know what was going on and I was terrified. The first victims were two young brothers, one a year older than I, who lived on the other side of town. Then, another boy, just four years old was found dead about a mile from my house. I remembered the panic. Schools were on red alert, our parents were not letting us out of their sight and I, who happened to be deep into a Nancy Drew phase found myself somewhat obsessed with the headlines and following the news. This was something that just didn’t happen in Vancouver. I can’t recall how soon after, but in attempt to kidnap another boy at a local movie theater, the sick man was caught as the little boy struggled and managed to get away. Following his capture, the news continued to reveal bits and pieces of this deeply disturbed man’s life.

The Lovely Bones really reminded me of that moment. Something I hadn’t thought about in quite some time. I wonder now about the kid who got away and if, or how often he thinks about it.