Charlotte crashed down against a tree, trying to hear something other than her pounding heart and heavy breathing. She'd made it off the beach but not without the men spotting her. The angry shouts behind her had pumped adrenaline through her legs. She'd taken off like a deer, sprinting wildly for the cover of the trees and then running blindly for as far as her legs would carry her.
Holding her breath, she listened carefully. Silence, save for the faintest sounds of the ocean. She breathed a short sigh of relief, relishing the sense of freedom coursing through her veins. She owed it all to the fiery Antiguan girl. Truth be told, she was a little bit in awe of the girl. She was a reflection of everything Charlotte had been at that age. Ferociously kind and independent to a fault. English society had suppressed some of that spirit in her.
Ironically, she didn't feel suppressed around Sidney. All the fights and arguments were proof of that. He knew who she was and she wasn't afraid to speak out to him. It was a happy realization. He loved her, fierce independence and all. She knew it in her heart. She had to tell him she felt the same.
The realization propelled her from the ground. If she wanted to tell him anything, she had to keep moving. The men would be searching for her and it was likely they had a number of angry villagers they could call on to help them. She checked back in the direction she had come. Still no sign of them. Squinting through the trees, she tried to make out any landmarks she recognized on the coastline. There was little to go on. The only thing for it was to keep moving.
Charlotte pushed her way through the dense tropical vegetation. She paid little heed to the branches scratching her skin. She had to get back to Sidney. Then they could make things right with the villagers. And hopefully take their sunrise walk on the beach. Her heart sped up at the thought. She was so focused on her destination that she almost stumbled straight across a clearing in the trees and into someone's vegetable garden. She caught herself quickly and took shelter behind a tree.
Her options warred in her thoughts. On the one hand, the people in this clearing would probably be able to give her directions. On the other, they could be disgruntled locals who would just tie her up again. Glancing down at her hands, still bound together, she made her decision. It was too risky. She couldn't run properly or defend herself with her hands tied together like this. She'd have to try to edge her way around the huts in the clearing without being spotted. Glancing about furtively, she readied herself for a dash across a section of clearing and into the opposite treeline. The huts stood quietly in the afternoon sun. Perhaps everyone was in the fields or out fishing. She ventured out of the cover of the trees cautiously. No angry shouts or footsteps met her ears. She mustered her resolve and channeled the bravery of the Antiguan girl. Today she had to save herself. And it started right here. She dashed across the clearing, heart pounding in her ears. Her footsteps didn't slow as she made it into a treeline and crashed through the dense vegetation. It was a racket of thudding footsteps and snapping branches.
Another noise cut through the racket. Voices. Men's voices. Charlotte dove instinctively into the leaves of a nearby bush. She curled up, her eyes squeezed shut and praying the men had not heard her running through the brush. She waited for what seemed like a lifetime as the men's voices passed by and then slowly disappeared. With her eyes still shut, her body slowly relaxed into the dirt as the adrenaline dissolved and she drifted off into a deep sleep under the bush.
Hours later, she opened groggy eyes in the dimly-lit forest. Panicking for a few seconds, she scanned about her frantically. She was still alone. She stood slowly, stiff from the hours cramped up on the ground. Slightly disoriented, she started picking her way through the trees again, trying to get closer to the beach. The dim evening light lifted her spirits. At least the darkness meant less chance of detection as she made her way across the island.
She swallowed uncomfortably as she walked. Oh, what she would give for a glass of water. She was still trying to moisten her lips and mouth as she crossed from the treeline and onto the cool sand of the beach. Thankfully, no forms darted towards her or shouts chased her as she walked on the sand beside the treeline. She settled back into wishing she had a drink, watching the sand spray before her as she trudged along.
Suddenly a figure darted before her. "Charlotte."
Without thinking, she swung her bound hands frantically into the face of the figure before wriggling past and taking off running. She was several feet away when she heard the strangled voice call her name again.
"Charlotte! Wait!"