A/N: Sorry this is so short! Please review, and thanks to all the people who have already! You guys rock!
Chapter Four
As the weeks crept by and I moved farther and farther east, I began to notice differences around me. For one thing, at night cold air was beginning to find its way through my old sweatshirt. At night I would lay shivering, and all I dreamed about anymore was drowning in an icy lake. And as I trekked across the terrain day after day, I felt the air thinning, and the ground under my feet began to slop upwards. About a month after I'd left Mae and Billy, I woke to find a dusting of snow on the ground. It was around then that I decided I needed a sleeping bag.
When I crept out of the cover of the woods and into the town, I felt extremely exposed. As I walked down the streets, I felt as if people were staring at me. It was like everyone knew I didn't belong there. I tried to ignore that feeling as I ducked into the first camping store I saw.
As I walked in, a small bell rung above me. Adults were milling around, closely examining the latest camping merchandise. I walked over to the counter.
"Excuse me?" I said, my voice sounding strange in my ears after weeks of disuse. When the man didn't look up, I tried again. "Excuse me?" I said louder.
The man started, and turned to me. He was old, with glasses that made his eyes look too large for his face. When he saw me, a smile spread across his face.
"Why, hello dear," he said. "You would like a sleeping bag?"
I nodded. "Yes please."
He smiled again. "Well, isn't that cute. The sleeping bags with the puppies and kitties on them are in aisle four. Would you like me to take you there?"
I scowled at his condescending tone. He was treating me like a child! I crossed my arms, all traces of my earlier politeness vanishing.
"No thank you, sir. I will not be seen in any sleeping bag with a baby animal on it. The fact that you would even consider the possibility that I would be perfectly content being seen in public in such a degrading piece of merchandise is appalling. I think I will find what I am looking for by myself," I spat. Bewilderment danced across the man's face as I turned on my heel and stormed off.
After several minutes of searching, I finally did find the camping sleeping bags. I looked at them all, trying to decide which ones to pick. My eyes rested on a black one. I read the label.
Outdoor camping sleeping bag will keep you warm in temperatures as low as
-40°F!
I grinned. This was the one I wanted. I picked it up off the shelf and was prepared to go pay for it when suddenly the price caught my eyes. It was six hundred dollars!
I frowned. I didn't have that type of money, but I desperately needed this sleeping bag or I would freeze to death. I sat down in the aisle, the sleeping bag spread across my legs, and thought. I could beg for the money… no, that would never work…
Suddenly a conversation from the next aisle over interrupted my train of thought. Two men were arguing.
"No! We need to get this fire starter or we will freeze to death at night!"
"Don't be ridiculous," the other man argued. "We are going camping. We can build it ourselves."
"Not with wet wood!" the other one shot back.
Suddenly I was struck with an idea. Fire. It was crazy, and dangerous, and absolutely brilliant. Grinning like a madman, I scooped up my sleeping bag and ran to the back of the store.
When I got there, I scanned the wall for what I was looking for. My eyes rested upon it. A fire alarm. Still grinning, I broke the glass protecting it. With a quick glance around me, I reached to pull the alarm. Suddenly, a wave of guilt washed over me. I was breaking the law, setting off a fire alarm, and stealing. This was wrong.
But then I thought again of all the cold nights, and my resolve hardened. My hand darted out and pulled the alarm.
Immediately, the store was alive with sound. The alarm was blaring, and people started yelling in confusion. The shopkeepers voice rose above the rest.
"Stay calm, everybody! Evacuate the store, and the fire department will be here soon!"
I felt a trill of victory run through me. I quickly stuffed the sleeping bag into my backpack. Then, struck by an idea, I also grabbed the fire starter, a warm pair of flannel pajamas, a huge box of energy bars, a large jug of water, and a bag of candy. I then stuffed it all in my bag and slipped out of the store in the commotion, the fire truck's alarms already blaring in the distance.
That night was one of the best night's I'd had since I'd ran away, second only to the night I'd spent at Mae's. I ate several energy bars by my warm fire I'd built, then climbed into my sleeping bag and immediately fell asleep. I was warm the entire night and dreamed of home before my stepmother came. I didn't wake up until the sun was well clear of the horizon.