THE MORNING LIGHT peaked through the cracks in the abandoned cabin Melanie had been crashing in for a few weeks. She never usually stayed somewhere more than a few days but she was tired of running. Melanie had been running for months, trying to make sure that Joe would never find her again. She knew that if he found her that she would be put through even worse than she had already gone through and she knew, she probably wouldn't make it out alive.
Melanie slowly opened up her eyes, the light shining on her face. Melanie shut her eyes again, the light burning her eyes. She turned over on the old mattress that she found in the cabin. It had a thick layer of dust on it and a musty scent but it beat sleeping on hardwood floors and the ground with the broken branches and rocks. Melanie groaned and pushed herself up, leaning on her elbow. She rubbed the sleep out of her eyes before grabbing the water bottle that was sitting next to her. She was starting to run out of water, so she was planning on trying to find some that day.
Melanie took a few small sips of water, enough to quench her thirst before laying back down on the mattress. Melanie took a deep breath before pushing herself up and getting out of bed. She unzipped her backpack and pulled out a black bra, a dark green and brown flannel, and a pair of black jeans. Melanie stood up and put on her jeans. Usually, she slept with them on but since she had been sleeping under a roof that she felt safe under for months, she started to sleep without pants. Melanie took off her tank top and threw on her bra before putting her tank top back on again. As Melanie started to walk to the kitchen, she put her flannel on, buttoning it up.
The kitchen was covered in dust and grime but when Melanie arrived, it still had some food that hadn't been taken by anybody, which was surprising. Most places at this point had been cleaned out. Every scrap of food was taken off the shelves, which was one of the reasons why Melanie was so skinny. Not only had she been starved when she was held captive by the Claimers but even on her own, she struggled to find food.
Melanie grabbed a dusty bowl and wiped off the dust with a towel. There was some stale cereal on the counter that she poured into the bowl. Melanie grabbed a dirty spoon and attempted to eat the cereal. It tasted awful but it soothed her growling stomach and prevented her from feeling like she was going to pass out from the hunger. As Melanie ate, she decided that she was going to venture off. The cabin was safe but she had been staying there for a few months and struggling to find food. Plus, she had a constant lingering fear that the Claimers would find her again.
