Free Redemption by Kaye Draper

her.  He didn't comment or tell her everything was
going to be okay.  He just listened, like she had for him.  But when
she was done, he wasn't satisfied. 
     "Tell
me more," he said after a few more minutes of walking over rough
terrain.  "I want to know about you.  Not just the stuff that
happened to you.  What's your favorite color?  Do you like winter? 
What do you like on your pizza?”
    Even
with that sadness behind his eyes, his smile was the most beautiful thing she’d
seen in a long time.  They continued talking until the sun began to set and
they were forced to once again call a halt. 
    It
felt natural that they should fall asleep next to their little fire, holding
hands as if they had always known each other.  As Rebecca drifted off to sleep
to the sounds of strange night creatures in the woods around them, she reminded
herself that this was all a dream.  She would likely wake up the next day and
her handsome companion would be nothing more than a figment of her imagination.

Chapter 5
Nothing to Fear But Fear
Itself
    T he next morning,
Isaac was still there.  Rebecca woke near daybreak to find her head cushioned
in his lap as he gazed at the path.  There was a deep furrow between his dark
brows, as if he were thinking furiously.  He absently stroked the tangled hair
back from her eyes, not seeming to realize that she was awake.  The gesture was
comforting and tender, and it caused a rush of panic in Rebecca’s chest.  She took
a deep breath, stretched dramatically, and sat up, pretending that she was
completely unfazed by his familiarity with her.  The frown left his face at
once, and he greeted her with his usual soft smile. 
    The path became
more rocky and uneven as they went.  Every now and then, they glimpsed a
far-off mountain, blue and hazy though a thinning in the trees.  It seemed that
the path was leading them toward it.  What better place for the target of your
mythical dream quest than the top of a lonely mountain.  Rebecca groaned
inside.
    They still had
the benefit of occasional clearings and meadows, but Rebecca thought it
wouldn’t be long before the landscape became less pleasant and accommodating. 
Therefore, when they next came to a flowery little meadow, she insisted that
they take the time to rest.  Hunger wasn’t a regular kind of thing like it was
in the real world, but she was beginning to feel it, and she’d noticed that
Isaac’s stomach had rumbled a time or too as well.
    “Maybe we can
find some berries or something?”  She glanced at Isaac.  “You know, maybe if we
think about it really hard, some raspberry bushes will just happen to be there
waiting for us- just like the lighter you found in your pocket.”  She still
didn’t know how that had happened.  She had tried several times to wish for
things, but so far, nothing had happened. 
    Isaac agreed
with her plan, but with one caveat.  “We don’t split up.  Bad things seem to
happen when we’re apart.”
    Rebecca sighed,
knowing he was right.  “Fine, but it would be faster…”
    Isaac scowled at
her, and she retreated before the strength of that blue gaze.  “Okay, okay. 
Let’s just stay in the meadow.  It’s not very big, and if we get into trouble
we’ll be within shouting distance of each other.”
    Isaac still
didn’t look happy, and she imagined that if he had his way, they’d be tied
together.  “Fine, but don’t wander too far.  I don’t like these convenient
little areas.” 
    They gradually
wandered away from each other, searching for something that was edible. 
Rebecca was surprised when she actually did find raspberry bushes scattered
here and there among the tall grass.  She popped a few of the dark, juicy
berries into her mouth and found them to be perfect.  She rolled up the bottom
of her t-shirt and used it as a kind of basket, filling it with the plump
purple fruit.   
    She had been
wandering for some time, and was starting to think they should get