Mountain River Girl

Chapter 14: A Lost Soul

A LOST SOUL

Perhaps I didn’t think my plan through, I concluded when, once again, I jumped at the sound of a twig as it snapped under my weight. The ground was so difficult to see in the dark and the smallest sound made me jump in fear. Somehow, but not exactly incomprehensible, I had lost the feeling of safety that used to wash over me when surrounded by the trees. Even in the woods, I no longer felt like I belonged, but since it was the one place I had felt best over the years, it was unquestionably the only place I could run to. Ever since my encounter with those wolves at Don’s place, and then especially that bone-chilling howl that came from the woods, I feared what other creatures lured in the deepest parts of the woods. Sure, I had always felt safe, but to be honest, I never truly strayed that far from the town of Mountain River. Perhaps staying close to town was the reason why I hadn’t encountered any wolves in the past. Yet, now in this unknown territory, I had to be extra careful. I was absolutely positive that more wolves were in the surrounding area and I didn’t want to run into any of them. If only I could cross the woods to the other side, to the parts of the woods I was familiar with, then I could try to catch the bus to Eastfield Valley.

Clueless as to how long the walk would take me, I was somewhat relieved about the fact that I had taken off in the middle of the night. This way, no one would notice I was gone until the morning, and hopefully, by the time the bus left, it would still be early enough for me not to be spotted in town. To be dragged to The Hall and be handed to some stranger was the last thing I wanted to happen, but in order to get away from Mountain River and all that haunted me, I would have to take the risk of setting foot in town.

At the break of dawn, I feared I was lost because I still hadn’t made it to the familiar part of Mountain River. Trees still surrounded me, for as far as I could see, and I had been walking for hours by then. Not knowing for a full hundred percent where Kieran’s house was located, had probably been my downfall. After shutting the Whytes’ front door behind me, I had entered the woods as soon as possible. I set off in the direction Kieran had loosely pointed the previous day, at the mention of the town centre of Mountain River, and when he talked about the woods that formed the barrier between the place he lived and the one I used to call home.

For several hours, I continued in that specific direction but as nature came to live all around me, I really began to doubt my sense of direction. The darkness gave way to the pink glow that came with the early morning hours. The birds whistled their tunes, and it had been a while since an owl’s call startled me. Yet, I still couldn’t hear the sound of the river I was most familiar with. I really thought I should have come across that stream by then, however, it was still nowhere in sight. After long hours of wandering the woods like a lost soul, my river wasn’t even within hearing distance.

“Why can’t anything ever go right?” I whimpered to the universe when I decided that I was utterly lost. In need of a break, I sat down on a nearby log, resting my elbows on my knees. Close to tears, I buried my face in my hands. How was it that everything, and then I really meant every single thing, had to go wrong in my life? Who had I ever upset so badly in a previous life that I deserved this much misery as punishment?

Absently, I reached in the pocket of my jeans for my silver bracelet. It was the only real thing I still had left, the only personal object I had at Kieran’s place. I didn’t even have my cell phone anymore after losing it during the car accident. I didn’t even have any money on me…

“Argh!” I screamed out at the top of my lungs. How could I even think of catching that bus when I didn’t have the money to pay for a ticket? Even if I hadn’t gotten lost, I still wouldn’t have made it out of town! Nothing could ever go right for me! It was like running up an escalator that moved down; no matter how much you try to get to the top, the escalator keeps carrying you down.