William Hollister of Emerson Valley was found this morning in the southern part of Blackwood Forest by a group of hikers. His wife, Amanda Hollister, had filed a missing persons report with the Sheriff’s Office on November 19th when he failed to come home from work the previous day.

According to Mrs. Hollister, her husband liked to go to the forest and birdwatch sometimes, and had recently told her about a rare species of the white-winged dove that had been spotted there the day before. She believed he might have gone into the woods after work in an attempt to find it and possibly gotten lost.

Sheriff Oliver Price formed a large search party and scoured the forest over a three-day hunt for Mr. Hollister, but they were unable to find any evidence that he had been there. With no other leads, the case went cold, and it seemed like Mr. Hollister had met an unfortunate end. However, when he miraculously turned up alive in the woods, he couldn’t explain what had happened or where he had been for the last month.

“I don’t know how I got there,” he told the Gazette. “The last thing I remember, I was walking through Blackwood Forest and found a bird nest up in the trees. This was unusual for this time of year, but every so often, certain birds will delay migration for one reason or another. I never saw any of them, though.

“I was just looking up at the nest, and next thing I knew, I was on the ground near the roots of a half-upturned tree, covered in mud and peat. There were some hikers who’d found me, and they were trying to rouse me. My throat felt so dry that I could barely speak, and they gave me some water. But when they told me the date, I was stunned—I couldn’t believe I’d been missing for a month!”

Doctors attending to Mr. Hollister have said that besides a few scrapes and bruises, he was in perfect health. There was no discernable head trauma, but speculated that his amnesia may have been brought on by some kind of psychological issue. At present, Mr. Hollister will remain in the hospital as they examine him further. Until his memory returns, we may never get an answer as to where he’s been since November 17th.

Sheriff Price has encouraged any citizens who have any information regarding Mr. Hollister’s whereabouts over the last month to contact his office. You can also contact the Gazette at emersonvalleygazette@gmail.com with any questions or info as well.

-Sarah Donovan, Editor & Local News, Emerson Gazette