Never Again.

Chapter Two

It took me a day to reach the main road, judging by the sun. And after that it took me three more to reach the town I am currently in. I had stayed away from the main road in the trees, ignoring temptation and passing a couple towns before easing into this one. I found a small diner and walked in. Immediately an older lady was asking me questions. I sat in a booth, trying to be as small as possible.

I just wanted to dry off and warm up. It had heavily rained for the last few hours or so, and I was drenched. The older lady came back with a cup of coffee, but I shook my head.

"Drink up, you look like you need some." she said.

"I can't pay. But thank you," I told her trying to be polite, but I just wanted her to leave me alone. I was tired and exhausted and just wanted to rest before I continued down the road.

"Would you like some pie? I made cherry and apple this morning."

"I really do appreciate it, but I don't even have a nickel," I looked up with a small smile and realized she was just putting pie down, a big piece of each! That was more food than I had seen in years.

I didn't want to be rude, but I also didn't have a penny to my name, had no idea which town I was in, or even the year for that matter.

"Honey, just eat the pie and drink up, or I'll feed you myself. I don't want your money, but I also don't want a starving young lady in my diner. Trust me, the pie is delicious," she said in a very truthful voice, that said she was not taking no for an answer. A bit more haggling and she raised an eyebrow at me, pointed at the pie and walked off.

"Thanks," I mumbled and ate a piece. It was delicious! I hadn't eaten pie since before... him... and didn't really remember just how good a piece of homemade pie was. It made me feel safe, in a weird way.

I didn't realize how quickly I ate it, but realized it was all gone rather quickly, and when I looked up, just about everyone in the diner was looking at me. My stomach was more full than I ever remember being.

"Mind your own damn business, the lady doesn't need all your eyes on her! Back to your own conversations!" the lady said. Most of them laughed and she winked at them.

"Thanks," I mumbled.

"No problem. They're all just nosy, not used to outsiders coming in here. The diner is usually just regulars with a couple passersby on occasion. Speaking of which, how did you get here?"

"I walked." I said, barely above a whisper. I didn't want to talk to anyone, just wanted to keep walking until things became familiar to me. But she had been so kind giving me pie, knowing I wasn't paying when she put it down.

"You walked! That must have been some walk, for you to wind up in this little town. Not many people mean to come here," she said with a bit of sadness in her voice before continuing, "What's your name, anyway?"

I paused. I couldn't get my name off my tongue, the thought of it rolling off of his could make me puke, especially after all this food. My stomach hadn't settled. "Dani."

"Well, Dani, your coffee's getting cold." Dani. I liked that. It sounded strong, capable. 

"Oh, right, thanks."

"Mind if I join you? I've been walking all day, a break would be nice," although I wanted to tell her I should get going, I felt I owed her for the food, so I nodded my head.

She hollered, "Kat, I'm going to take a break, cover me for a couple minutes!"

I heard a muffled, "Sure, no problem!" and assumed it was the girl she called Kat.

We sat there drinking our coffee's and I was starting to relax as the warmth seeped into me. I looked around the diner to find it was very comfortable, and open. I could see people were regulars, in the way that people were talking across the room to each other. The place just had a safe, homey feel, and I couldn't remember the last time I felt so at home. Mind you the tree I slept under felt more comfortable than my accommodations recently.

"So how did you end up here?"

"I told you, I walked." I said hesitantly.

"Yeah, but where from?" 

I didn't know where. Hell was the only appropriate thing I could think of, "Down the road, I don't know how far."

"How long have you been walking, if you don't mind me asking?" I did mind. But the pie was better than any memory from the last couple years. 

The sun had set four times, I had left the house just before sun set and sun set was coming back around, so math told me it had been four days, almost exactly. "Four days."

"Four days! You must be running from something to just walk for four days!"

I didn't reply. Just held the warm cup of black liquid, letting my fingers warm up. They were shriveled from the rain.

"Well, are you planning on going home? I've had kids here before, running from home, but they've usually only been driving a half hour or so."

Home. The thought was foreign. I was hoping she would leave me alone, or in the very least, stop asking questions! I felt guilt not answering.

"How old are you?"

"What year is it?" I was taken at sixteen, in May 2011, but after the first year, each day went by as if it was a week by itself. Needless to say, I didn't even know what month it was. Somewhere near the start of winter. 

"It's 2016, why?"

I'm sure my face showed my shock. Was she kidding? This was a cruel joke if so. "Pardon?"

"I said it's 2016..."

"No... no... it can't be..." I froze. I had no idea if she was playing a trick on me or not. It could not have been five years! I would've lived so much of my life by now. Family, friends, parties, graduation, university...

She brought me out of my haze, and I looked up. She must have been talking to me, but I hadn't heard a thing.

"Honey, are you alright? What year did you think it was?"

I just sat there dazed, I couldn't believe it. Finally, the lady shook my arm, and I jerked back, looking up. Folding them in my lap.

"I'm sorry, I have to go. Where are we?"

"Honey, you can't go now, there's a storm coming, and you are definitely not dressed properly. Just sit here, I'll grab you some dinner."

Five years... I missed out on almost a quarter of my life. 

Before I knew it, she was back with a huge plate of food. I had never seen that much food in my life.

"No, I already owe you. It's fine really, I already had plenty of f-" but she cut me off.

"You don't look like you weigh more than eighty pounds! Dani, you need to eat. Please, just eat something, I don't know what you like but choose whatever, I brought some different choices."

"I'm not picky, anything would've been fine. Thank you. You don't know how much this means to me." I looked directly at her, hoping she understood everything I couldn't say in that one look. 

"Eat up, I have to go back to work, but I'll be back in about thirty minutes, okay? You can stay as long as you like."

"Thank you." But I do had to keep going. I picked up my fork.