The bright radiant sun started to rise signalling a new morning, the rays light up the forest as the birds started to sing and the squirrels began looking for food. Jenny started to stir as she lifted her head up from her knees and looked out, blurry eyed, into the forest. She moved her right arm and pain shot through it. She closed her eyes tightly till the pain subsided, remembering the events of what had occurred yesterday. Jenny sighed. She still felt exhausted; she was hungry and thirsty and didn't know if she had enough energy to get up, but she knew she would have to eventually.
The forest looked really muddy, dirty, wet, swamp like and beautiful all at the same time too Jenny. The rain which had poured down in bucket loads throughout the night gave it the texture Jenny had noticed. The smell and taste of the fresh morning air filled her lungs as Jenny got to her feet and stepped out of her mini tree shelter. She surveyed the area around her, stepping softly so she wouldn't disturb the muddy ground as thoughts wondered through her mind.
'I wonder how long I was out running for, Emma came over at about 1pm to study we were at it for at least a little over three hours as Sophie rang me at about 4:15pm. Shit, Sophie. I totally forgot to go help her. I need to ring Emma and apologise for being a cow too. Jenny, get back on topic. Wow I'm chastising myself, okay so Emma left at around 4:20, I danced some ballet for half an hour or so and got changed for a run which means I left home at around 5pm. When I stopped running and fell and broke my arm, which is absolutely killing me right now it was dark maybe between 7-8pm. I really shouldn't have skipped lunch yesterday, so hungry, thirsty and tired but I need to get back home. I notice nothing around here though, will I be able to make it home, I wonder if there is anything dangerous here. Okay Jenny not a good trail of thought you're starting to scare yourself. I already feel scared and alone but I know I need to start moving and get out of here.'
A look of determination spread over Jenny's beautiful face, she turned to the way she entered into the forest and as she took slow cautious steps she started to make her way back. The muddy ground was slippery as she walked. She walked along the tree line holding onto the trees with her left hand making sure she wouldn't fall. Her right arm she held close to her chest, it was hurting her a lot, but she knew she had to push the pain out of her mind and continue on. Twigs snapped under her feet, leaves got stuck to the bare skin around her ankles, her shoes caught on grass knots, and she stepped on small rocks causing her to roll forward a bit almost losing her balance as she breathed in and held her breath in suspense at the outcome. She was still standing.
The sun had risen high in the sky, the rays light up the whole forest in a rich glow which reflected off of the water droplets sitting on the tips of the leaves making almost a serene scene, Jenny leaned against a tree, resting her forehead against the coolness of the bark, cradling her arm close to her, holding it tightly as the pain was getting even worse. Her throat was sore; it felt like sandpaper every time she breathed in. Her stomach was grumbling, knotting up as she walked from the lack of food and water she desperately needed. She lifted her head up and looked at the forest ahead of her. It was trees, trees, fallen logs, rocks and more trees.
Jenny took a deep breath in, as she wiped the sweat from her head with her left arm and moved the hair which was stuck to her forehead behind her ears and carried on trying to make her way out of the forest. The look of determination on her face had slowly starting to fade but was not completely lost. She walked over the muddy terrain, her shoes occasionally getting stuck in the mud; she stepped over the logs, walked around the big rocks and the wet muddy patches of ground filled with water which had leaves and mould floating on the tops of them. The rate at which Jenny was walking had slowed down considerably from when she first started. She had been walking for almost four hours. The mud has been the most noticeable thing which had slowed her down. She could feel her energy draining out of her body with every step she took. Her head was starting to hurt and her arm had started to go slightly numb as pins and needles shot through it.
The further she walked the more the ground started to even out, she could hear the soft sounds of leaves rustling, birds singing and of water running in the distance. Jenny thought she was going crazy, her face was bright red and dripping with sweat and she grimaced in pain as she moved her arm. She picked up her pace with renewed vigour as she followed the sounds of the birds and water. She pushed branches out of her way carefully and looked up. She had found the cause of the rustling leaves and birds singing. A family of small Hoopoe's were building a nest high in the top of the tree. Their beautifully coloured yellow heads and body with black and white stripped wings made Jenny just stop in her tracks and admire them. Their wings reminded her of Emma's striped/plaid t-shirt collection which brought a graceful smile to her lips.
The sound of water running brought Jenny back into the moment, she continued forward in search of the water she could hear. Back when she was living in New York she was always told that if she ever got lost to always follow the river or stream if she came across one. They would always lead back to civilisation sooner or later and that is what Jenny planned on doing. She was trying not to get her hopes up but the prospect of their being a stream or river was just too exciting for her. The trees around her had started to thin out, she could easily walk in between them with room on either side of her. The more steps she took forward the more her hopes lifted as the ground was becoming clearer and clearer. The grass, weeds and small flowers had started to disappear and that is when she saw it. About fifteen meters ahead of her there was a small bank no bigger than one meter wide on each side with a small river flowing through the middle of it splashing softly against some small mouldy rocks which lined the side of it.
The ground around the small river was almost dry as the sun shone brightly down around it. Jenny walked over to the river and sat down on the ground resting against the side of a warm flat rock. She closed her eyes and took even breaths in and out. She was physically exhausted; she had a headache, broken arm and was so hungry and thirsty. Her whole body ached in agony. Her legs where now feeling like dead weights. She had been walking now for half a day. Her body was screaming at her to stop and rest and it had finally won. She sat propped against the rock for forty five minutes before she got up again and followed the river. Jenny looked at the river water closely, she was tempted to drink it but it was all dirty and had things floating in it. Jenny didn't want to risk getting sick from it, she was already spent and getting sick from dirty water was something she didn't think she would be able to handle as well.
Jenny followed the stream as she was determined to get back home by night fall which would probably set in, in about four to five hours. She walked over hills and through the long wet grass which was sticking to her legs. She followed it up and through trees, around boulders and walked over ants nests. She had been following the river for what felt like forever. The river had started to get wider and wider the longer she followed it. The distant sounds of trucks invaded her hearing as it renewed her hope of getting out of the forest. Jenny started to pick up her pace, her leg muscles were burning and protesting but she pushed as hard as she could. Her arm was still aching, shooting pain out everywhere but not as strongly as before. The river started to flow downhill but the trees in front of her were thinning out into a clearing. She had to make a decision on what way to go. The sounds of the trucks were coming from the distance beyond the trees in front of her whereas the river flowed down into a denser and thicker part of the forest. She chose to follow the sounds of the trucks in the distance.
She walked almost dragging herself along through the trees and into the clearing. In front of her was just a vast expanse of grass. She could see some small wooden pillars along the edges of the grass with massive trees encircling the clearing. She walked forward. Jenny was starting to see double but she kept on moving, as she got closer to the gap in the trees where the pillars where she could see the faint glow of signs from the town. There was also a small alleyway. Jenny followed it, her left arm now supporting her right one as the pain was getting unbearable. Her head started to spin as she leaned up again the wooden fence boarding the alleyway. She had finally made it out of the forest and not a moment too soon she had thought to herself. As Jenny moved forward once again, she crossed an old back street into another grassy back alley. Her head was spinning and her vision had blurred worse than before. She tried to prop herself up against the wall of the closed down building bordering her but it was too late, her vision blacked out and she felt herself crumble onto the grass as her body gave in to the feeling of exhaustion.