Darkness carved in bone

Chapter 6

After what had to be at least two hours she could hear Ten breathing heavily from his spot on the other side of the fire. She took that as a signal that it was safe for her to begin her escape attempt. She began very slowly to remove herself from the sleeping roll. As her attempt to escape began, she felt her heart beating harder than usual in her chest, and everything inside her felt like it tensed up. But what would be the worst thing that could happen if she got caught? She would rather die trying to escape, than die at his chosen time.

She made sure to not make any sounds as she stood, even the thin snow under her feet stayed silent for her. The flames from the fire had died out, making their snow hut almost completely dark, only the small embers cast an eerie glow of gold over her kidnapper. Her last obstacles were to get past the tree trunk and then get past him without alerting him. Helen held her breath as she tried to get as close to the tree without touching it and making any sounds. She nearly stumbled over one of his bags that she couldn't see in the darkness but managed to keep her balance in the last possible moment. She let out a small sigh but Ten mercifully didn't react to the sound. Now her heart was beating like a mad winter storm in her chest. She put a hand over her heart, as if she were afraid it was beating so loud that it could wake Ten.

She took a light step forward, and the trampled snow made no sound, and then she took the fateful step, stepping over his body and pushing her body as soundlessly as she could through the tight and small entrance. Snow trickled down her neck, melting immediately as it hit her flustered and hot skin. But as soon as she stepped outside, she was immersed in dark freedom.

Her instincts took over her immediately as she bolted away from the pine and into the darkness beyond her. She heard the horse breathe as she passed it, but kept on running, not thinking about anything, only the fact that she was free, and that she had to get as much distance between herself and her kidnapper as possible.

Her thighs started burning from the strain after some minutes, but she did not dare to pant, almost afraid he would hear her, and her sounds would lead him to her.

She was completely blind in the darkness. She held her hands out in front of her to keep herself from bumping into trees. But her skills as a navigator in darkness was poor at best, which made her bump into hard and frozen wood at almost every step she took. Her shoulders were crying out in pain each time she hit yet another tree. She tried to navigate through the deep snow through the forest, to a faint light she could see, at what she hoped would be the edge of the forest. She couldn't run any longer, as the forest became too dense, but tried to move as fast as her legs allowed. Her thighs were burning from the strain, and her muscles were already starting to protest the treatment she was giving them. But she had to get away from him. She had to get herself into safety.

Suddenly she realized she had left her backpack behind with the horse. How could she have done such a reckless thing, just run away with nothing? She had been so focused on getting away from him that she had lost her ability to think clearly for a moment. A stab of anger and disappointment burned inside her. After a moment, panic started to bubble up inside her, because if she didn't find any shelter or path that led her to civilization, she would freeze to death.

The faint pale silver light in the horizon became her beacon in the night, her guiding star, and all she could focus on. Where there was light, there could be life, Helen thought and prayed, as she moved towards the light. If Ten followed her and was gaining on her, she would not know it, because all she could hear was her own beating heart, and the only thing she could see was the increasing light in the horizon.

And to her surprise and delight, the light started bathing the thinning forest in pale silver light. And Helen could see the trees dark silhouettes around her, and suddenly she was no longer blind. The feeling of being gifted with sight again made her heart leap inside her chest. Light would also give you the gift of sight, and she did not want to part with that ever again.