That won't happen to you

Chapter 64

So she sat on the edge of the river, wet to the bones and shivering, her arms wrapped around her knees.

Now that this person was gone, she felt even emptier than before.

As if her appearance had reminded her of something she had lost.

An old wound that was now torn open again, bleeding just like all the others on her body.

She was already covered with them anyway.

A quiet sob escaped her.

Why had it come to this?

Why hadn't she been stronger?

Why had she trusted?

Why had she let herself be taken by surprise?

Why had she let herself be beaten.

She should have fought back, but she had been too weak.

Why? Why?

Tears dripped from her eyes. Not many though, as she was still completely dehydrated.

Oh great. She needed water, and fell right into a river. What an irony.

She sobbed slightly before crawling to the water on her knees and hands, forming her hands into a bowl, scooping up water with them, and drinking it.

It was pleasant and cool as it trickled down her throat. Only now that she was drinking water did she actually realize how infinitely thirsty she had been.

But drinking it did not stop her tears. They continued to stream down her cheeks, mixing with her blood and dripping to the floor.

After her thirst was satisfied, she pulled her knees to her chest and sat there.

What else could she do?

She had no chance out here.

She was blind, weak, injured and alone.

How was she going to survive here?

'Well...' her thoughts said to herself....

'sitting around is not the best solution either'.

She sighed softly, and thought about how she could avoid falling into a river again.

The ground around rivers was wetter than the ground elsewhere, wasn't it?

Slowly the girl took off her shoes.

Maybe she could just feel when she was walking near a river?

It was definitely worth a try.

She hissed softly as she jerked her foot free of the boot. She had torn off a good bit of scab from her cut feet along with it, but she didn't care much.

She freed her second foot as well, and threw the boots away.

Then, for no real reason, she let her feet slide into the water.

It was pleasant.

The water played around her ankles, cooling them.

It was like a miracle cure that washed away the pain. Or a large part of it at least.

She slid closer to the water until her entire shins were dangled in it.

The cold, working its relaxing way through her body, woke her mind.

It became more lively, and her thoughts began to circle.

She had solved another problem.

Maybe she could survive this way after all?

One problem at a time.

One solution after the next.

Step by step.

Without a thought of the after, or the before.

Without a past.

Without future.

Only in the now.