Free One Good Reason by Nicole Salmond Page B

how far away the closest town was. She could be
running in circles for all she knew. She had to find higher ground and see if
she would be able to see any sign of civilisation from there. Until then, she
had to keep going. If she couldn’t run anymore, she would walk and not stop
until she felt it was safe.
       She got back up from the ground,
and dusted herself off. She looked at the rifle in her hand. She’d never held a
weapon like this before, she didn’t even know what it was. It didn’t matter
though. She would use it to protect herself even if it meant shooting someone.
She had to get her life back; there was no question about it.
    She
set off through the forest, walking as fast as she could, again ignoring the
pain her feet felt. Instead, she focused on the landmarks around her, trying to
see if any of it gave her clues on if she was getting close to higher ground,
water, or a town.
    She
walked for hours until the sun had set and it was too dark for her to go any
further. She found shelter against some large rocks. It wasn’t the shelter she
had hoped for, but having the huge objects behind her made her feel a little
safer in the dark. She’d lived in darkness for nearly two weeks, but this was
different. The noises of the forest frightened her more than being in that
room. She didn’t know what was out there. Who was out there?
    She
sat holding the rifle against her chest, her back against the rock, looking out
into the darkness, the only light from the stars shining through the tall
trees. She didn’t want to close her eyes, fear of what might happen if she fell
asleep. But her attempts at keeping her eyelids open failed her. The physical
and emotional exhaustion too much as she drifted off to sleep.
     
    ***
     
    Ava
woke the next morning at sunrise, the birds waking her from her sleep with
their morning songs.
    She
was still hugging the rifle against her chest as she stretched her legs out in
front of her. Sharp pains ran through her calves and thighs. She pulled her
feet up to her waist to inspect them. They were cut and bruised, but not as bad
as she’d thought they’d be. Her waist and legs though, had sharp cuts along
them. Thankfully, they weren’t deep enough to worry her too much, but she knew
she needed to get them cleaned up. She needed to find water.
    With
all the strength she had, she pulled herself up until she was standing. What
she would give for a pair of shoes right now…
    She
looked around at her surroundings, and then set off once again, careful not to
step on any sharp objects or scrape herself up against any twigs.
    She
walked and walked. Each step she took gave her confidence she was where she
needed to be, and that she would find safety soon. The sun was shining down
through the trees, giving her an idea it must have been midday, meaning she’d
probably been walking for six hours or more. Time meant nothing to her until
she heard something she couldn’t ignore: the sound of running water. She
stopped instantly at the sound. She looked around the forest trying to track
down the sound, and then took off in a brisk walk, following the sound.
    Minutes
later, she found a small stream. She fell to the ground, cupping the water in
her hands and drinking the water.
    Finally,
after so long, she felt like she was getting somewhere.
    She
took her time drinking the fresh water, and then washed her scrapes and cuts.
She sat by the stream for a good hour, using the time to rest and regain her
strength. She watched the water trickle down the rocks, the peaceful sound
giving her a sense of calm.  
    Now
that she had found water, she couldn’t leave it in fear she wouldn’t find
another water source again. So instead, she stayed with the stream as she
walked alongside it upstream, hoping it would lead her to a hill of some kind.
    While
she walked, she thought about all the things she would do when she got home.
How she would wrap her arms around Olivia and promise her that nothing like
that