APOV

I shot through the bleak darkness, fists clenched, teeth gritted together. It was night, the sky was pitch black, leaving an eerie glow against the outskirts, somber and ominous. The midnight's air clung to my clothes, shivers running down my spine, limbs numb with exhaustion.
Panting, I jolted to a stiffened halt, dropping to the coniferous floor. It was wet, earthy, the scents clouding my brain. The distinct whirr overhead told me they were close, but to far away to use infrared. The hovercar was meters away, scanning the trees for unnecessary movement.
I rose to a crouch, brushing the sticky leaves to the ground. It wasn't safe to rise, unable to tell which way they'd decide to travel. The hovercar had come from the east, blocking my path to where I had planned to go, a large model, the lifter fans producing an obvious ammount of noise.
All I needed was to wait, remain motionless until they secured the area and moved on.
Fifteen seconds.
Thirty seconds.
One minute.
The whirr grew distant, leaving the forest and heading for the mountains, far from where I was heading. I gave a long side, frozen for a few more seconds, then lept up, breaking into a sharp sprint.
As soon as I was out of this foliage I'd be safe, stopping to get some much needed rest. I tried to remember the last time I had gotten a good night's sleep, nothing coming to mind.
Trees blurred past, sweat accumulating on my forehead. My hands whipped at the prickly branches, clearing the way, painful scratches gathering on my skin. Feet threatening to fail, I pushed myself farther, head pounding. A dull weight spread over my body, muscles aching with overexcertion, warning, fighting.
I felt myself slow, eyelids fluttering repeatedly, aware that I was close. I could make out a solemn clearing, bright compared to the shadows, grass rustling in the cool autumn's wind. Here I could recharge my hoverboard, a method much more sensible then walking.
Stumbling into the open grounds, I dropped my gear on the edge, taking the board in my arms. With a few flicks of my fingers, it was fully opened, ready to absorb the solar energy. I carefully placed it on the ground, sure to keep it well hidden from any hovercars.
Morning would come in a few hours, basking everything in a bright light, revealing any hidden strangers. It was better to travel at night and sleep during the day, but tonight wasn't optional.
I rummaged through my backpack, drowsy, searching for my self heated jacket. Finding it in seconds, I stripped off my damp t shirt, pulling the warm clothing over my body. Cooled sweat would have created more of a chill. I slid into my dark colored sleeping bag, welcoming the haziness that tugged at the corners of my vision, and drifted off into unconciousness.

I woke up to the utter silence of the land, something that I had grown used to over the past few days. Isolation was one thing, but being alone was another. It gave you time to think about things, thoughts coming and going, passing through your head. The only sounds were those of nature, sometimes relaxing, sometimes aggravating, which didn't help you block out those things you desperately wanted to ignore. Emotions could splay out on your face, meaning nothing but what you were feeling at the moment.
You could feel yourself changing.
I wiped my face with the palm of my hand, wiping away the dirt that was plastered against my cheeks. The sun was luminous, white clouds drifting across the blue sky. It was probably around mid afternoon, my sense of time pretty good.
Climbing onto my feet, I changed clothing in an instant, the weather much to hot for a jacket. Luckily my clothes had dried, lifting a little of that grimy feeling that spread over my skin. I packed up my belongings, swiftly gathering my hoverboard and tapping my crash bracelets. There was a metal rail that ran through the brush, something built by the Rusties years ago.
They had used the rails as a form of transportation, riding in large, unstable vehicles that resembled trains. They hadn't known that later on these trails would serve as hoverpaths for civilians from all around the world. Out of the many things that they had done wrong, they had done this thing right.
I reached into my knapsack and found my water purifier, producing a large cup of steaming hot water. Pouring the package of SwedeBalls into the cup, I found myself gazing up at the luscious colors overhead. They were soft, gentle, nothing like what my past few weeks had been like. My time here had been more of a thunderstorm, a race against the gloomy skies, my actions being the only things that prevented me from getting struck by lightning.
Of course, if I hadn't thrown myself into this thunderstorm, then I wouldn't be taking any risks.
I slowly gripped the cup in my hands, chewing on the swedish meatballs and the pasta. These meals didn't taste nearly as good as those back at home, but it was better then nothing.
Soon the sun lowered in the sky, sending brilliant splashes of fall colors to warm the horizon.
It was time to get a move on. I swung my backpack over my shoulders, carrying my hoverboard across the field and into the familiar looking forest. I'd soon meet up with the rails, and be sailing the rest of the way.