A/N: Here is the second chapter... hope you like it!
"This is just great Tonto, I thought I knew these woods enough to know where I was going." The bleeding from the gash in his head had receded enough that I didn't have to hold the jacket on it any longer. So, now that I had nothing to do, I started pacing. I know, Liz is supposed to be the pacer, but, what else can I do? I'm stuck in a cave with an injured horse with no way home. And there is someone out there in that storm. "Again, great. Well it's no use just standing here, or pacing here. I'm going to step outside and look for a trail that leads back home. And try not to get struck by lightning."
I stuck my head out of the cave just as a huge flash of lightning lit up the sky. There. In the woods. I saw something. Someone. Dear Lord, not again. Please tell me that wasn't the guy from earlier. I don't think he saw me. Should I go out and look for a trail, and risk running into that person, or do I stay here in the cave, and wait for that person to run into me? I'll go look for a trail. Tonto isn't going anywhere any time soon.
I pressed myself against the cave wall as another flash of lightning lit the sky. There's a trail just across the stream. If I can get there, then maybe there will be a marker as to where it goes. I sure hope so.
As I stepped out of the cave, I looked around for something that I could use just in case I did run into that guy. The only thing I could find in the rain was an old axe handle. This thing would be more useful if it still had the head on it. But, Pap always told me to make due with what I have, so this is better that nothing. Although, I really don't need it, come to think of it, I could kill just about anyone with the water bottle I had in my backpack.
But just to be on the safe side, I kept the piece of wood with me anyway. I slowly made my way across the stream that was rising at a fairly fast rate, and I had just made it to the tree line when lightning lit up the sky. I scanned the area for the person I had seen earlier, and I spotted him, making his way towards the cave. But I only had an instant to look, before the world became dark again. As the thunder shook, I felt my way through the trees, trying to be as quiet as possible.
I came to the trail that I had seen from the cave and was searching for a sign when I heard Tonto start panicking. As if on cue the sky was lit by lightning again and I was able to see inside the cave. The man was there. With my horse. And then it was black again. This was really starting to get annoying. I had a flashlight, in my pocket, but if I used it, the man would see where I was, since he obviously found out I wasn't in the cave.
Wait, there was a light coming from the cave now, the beam from a flashlight. The man must have thought I was gone because he started moving around, searching for something.
I moved back into the trees and sat down, watching this person move around my horse with the stealth of a spy. I hoped I was deep enough in the trees so that he wouldn't see me if lightning struck again.
I glanced around after my eyes had adjusted to the darkness and saw a sign. It said "Trail Marker 22." Amazing! This is great! I know how to get home from here! I remember this trail because the last time I was here, my grandpa had made a comment on how it wouldn't be too long before I was 22.
Relieved, I glanced back at the cave. The man had sat down on one of the logs. He pulled off his mask. And glanced up, just as a bolt of lightning lit up the sky. Oh my goodness. It was Zach. Here. In the cave. In Nebraska. I must have been far enough back in the trees, because he looked around and didn't seem to notice me.
As the thunder shook, I stood up, eager to talk to him. I made my way back through the trees, towards the cave. As I was about to cross the stream, Zach saw me. The look in his eyes scared me. I had never seen that kind of emotion before. It varied from shock, to anger, to happiness, and finally settled on fear.
The storm was starting to pass, and the sky was beginning to clear. "Zach, what are you doing here? Are you the guy I saw in the woods?" My words were coming out in a rush.
"Cammie, you need to get in here. Stay out of sight." Zach grabbed my arm and pulled me inside the cave. It was barely raining now.
"Zach, what is it? What's wrong? Why are you here?" But instead of answering me, Zach looked around, glancing everywhere, like he was expecting someone.
"Cammie, I'm not the person you saw earlier. There is someone else out there. Someone else is searching for you." Of course Zach wasn't the person I saw earlier, he would never step on a twig, let alone two.
"Then who is out there?" I was starting to get worried now. The fear that had finally moved to the back of my head was right there in the front again. "Zach, what's going on?"
But before Zach could answer, Tonto was on his feet, walking toward us. "I looked at your horse, he seems to be fine, and now that the storm has passed, you need to move on. It's only six miles to the house." Zach reached over and picked up my backpack. "You'll be needing this. As soon as you are in range, radio you grandpa and tell him you are alright, and that you are on your way home."
"Zach, what's wrong? I don't understand. First you told me that I need to stay out of sight, and now I need to go home?" I was starting to get confused.
"Cammie, the best thing you can do now, is to go home and stay there until I find this guy. I just don't want you to get hurt." He walked with me and Tonto outside the cave and gave me a leg up onto the saddle. "You'll hear from me. But don't come looking, cuz you wont find me." And with that he disappeared into the woods, becoming nothing more than a shadow.
"Come on Tonto. Lets go home."
A/N: So, you know the drill, did you like it? ps. I love reviews... :)