Her feet splashed in the cold water of the forest. She couldn't look back—wouldn't look back. He was chasing her, wanting her for all she had and what she wouldn't give to him. Her lungs were burning from her miles of running, and she could feel her body becoming weak. The joints of her knees grinded against each other, her booted feet in pain. If he caught her now, after all those months she spent running from him, all of her parents' efforts to keep this… this object from him would be wasted. She just had to keep going.
"Get back here!" he shouted at her.
She growled and quickened her pace, changing her route left to throw him off her trail. It was difficult to see in the dim light the trees gave her, and she stumbled over a tree root, going down hard into the mud. She squeaked in surprise and pain, pulling herself up again only to have him yank her back. "You can't escape me."
"I sure as hell can try." She spat in his eye, giving herself a distraction as he released her to wipe it away and took off for the edge of the woods.
Her ankle groaned in protest as her feet hit the rocky earth of the Massachusetts shoreline. She had busted through the trees in a matter of minutes, hearing him screaming her name with insults after it. The breeze felt great against her feverish skin, and when she came to the first gas station, she hurried inside and stopped to catch her breath.
"Are you okay, Miss?" the store clerk asked, lifting his red hat off of his blond head to get a better look at her.
She regarded him carefully before deciding to speak. "I'm fine. My car broke down miles back, and I had to run to get help."
"Well, I can call a tow truck company if you want."
"No, that won't be necessary. It was a piece of crap anyway." she said, standing up and holding her side. "How far is the nearest town?"
"About five miles."
"Would you mind taking me there?"
"Sure, Miss."
She thanked him and before beginning her search of a worthy snack, hoping she had enough money to pay the guy. Sitting her items on the counter, she reached for the wad of cash she has shoved into her pocket before leaving the basement of her own house where he had held her hostage. The clerk held up a hand, signaling for her to stop, and passed the stuff back to her. "No charge."
"Really, it's no trouble. I can pay."
"Nah, that's alright. Come on before the storm rides in."
After he closed up shop, he motioned her to the back where his truck sat underneath the shelter of an old shed. She hopped in, rubbing her arms for extra warmth from the cold that had seeped its way into her body. It grumbled to life when he cranked it up, stalling a couple seconds as he tried to shift the gears. Soon, they were on the road, rolling to the town the store guy had called Ipswich. Many times he tried to carry on a conversation with her, but she shut him out, staying in silence until they reached the small city. Apartment houses and buildings passed before her, all appearing small in the faint light that came off from the light posts. Just as they passed a dollar store, she threw her hand out, causing the old truck to jerk to a stop. "Can we stop at that store there?"
"I don't see why not." He started the engine again and made a U-turn, sliding into a parking spot close to the front. "Do you need me to wait on you?"
"No, I'll call some friends to come and get me." She said as she jumped out the passenger seat.
"You sure?"
"Yeah, I'll find somewhere to stay until then. Thanks for the ride."
"Any time, Miss."
The yellow headlights faded from the window, leaving her in the half dark of the cold. She shuffled inside, crossing her arms over her sides to keep warm. Inside the store was like heaven, it was so warm. Its bright lights hurt her eyes a bit, but they quickly adjusted. She staggered around the place, not really knowing what to look for, while at the same, time earning stares from the shoppers. Finally, she gave up trying to find what she thought she had needed when she passed by a glasses display, catching her reflection in the mirror. No wonder that guy had let her have the food and given her a free ride; she looked like someone who had been living in the woods for a while. Her deep brown hair was caked with dirt, bits of leaves stuck in there from when she was running through short branches. Dirt was smudged across her cheekbones and nose. She shuddered and moved to let a customer pass her.
"Do you need help, dear?" an old lady asked her.
"No ma'am, I'm just looking." A thought bombarded her mind, pulling the chain on the light bulb. "Actually, I need some glasses for reading. Can you tell me what number this is?"
She jogged to the police station, her bags slapping her thighs as she did. It was a small station, and few officers were there. Some people sat on the benches in the far corner. She strode to the desk where the police secretary sat. "May I help you?"
"Do you mind if I call someone to come pick me up?" she questioned, hoping her little session in the bathroom of the store had gotten most of the dirt and bramble from her hair and face.
"Ma'am, this is a police station, not the local telephone."
"I know that, but my friends dropped me off at the store and didn't come back." She held up the yellow plastic bags her supplies were in. "And I left my phone at home."
The secretary sighed but nodded her head. She smiled at the woman and sat her stuff down, reaching for the phone and dialing a barely familiar number. It rang twice before it was picked up. "Hello?"
"Hey, can you do me a favour?"
The person on the other line gasped. "Ingrid Pope? I can't believe it's you! You had me worried sick!"
"Yeah, yeah, nice to hear from you, too. Look, are you going to do this favour or not?"