Chapter 3

I still couldn't be seen out in public. So I huddled next to trees and tried to relax. I had a feeling that someone was following me. My gaping at nature and civilization had disappeared. I was more worried about survival by now; but I also knew I just wasn't worth it.

I would head west. Maybe I could jump and drown in the Pacific Ocean. Yeah, that would work.

I stood up and started running northwest. Suddenly brightened by this plan, I looked around me and marveled.

But spontaneous cramps suddenly stopped me. I lay down and wrapped my hands around my stomach and groaned. After a few minutes, it stopped. I was left gasping and cringing.

I stood up again and ran faster this time. I ran along the border of a dreary-looking town with the weirdest name: Forks. What would make people name a town after an eating utensil?

I had no idea. But I was heading toward the water; I could smell the salt. And at that moment, that's all that mattered.

But I smelled something else… it was like dogs…. Somehow, the scent was disturbing to me. And even more disturbing, it was only hours old. I stopped and concentrated on the scent more. It was a dog! But I could tell from its footprints it extremely big… too big for a normal dog. A wolf? No, wolves are normally small. This was not a normal dog.

A little freaked, I ran away as far away as I could from the beach and still return to forks. Okay, don't try drowning in the Pacific Ocean again, I told myself. This time I ran north.

But after a while my stomach became hungry again. I had to stop and stakeout somewhere for food.

I hid behind a little dinner that advertised mostly steaks. I waited for someone to come out with a binful of garbage and toss it into the dumpster. When there was no sign of anybody else I dug into it. I ate every usable food in there until my stomach was uncomfortably full. I tugged everything else into my hands, hoping I could keep it until later.

It was about eight o'clock pm. I wasn't hungry anymore, and frankly, I was exhausted. (Mentally. Always mentally.) So I settled beneath another completely green tree, in the roots, and tried to doze off for the night. But one thing kept on tugging at my mind. What was that weird smell I had met on the way over here? It was like a dog, but it smelled too… tame. It wasn't completely wild because I could smell traces of human in it. But who would want an animal that was its size?

But "who cares" would come in and answer that question. No reason for thinking stupid things I would never find out about. Tomorrow I would commit the deed that has to be done.