The Wood

Part 2, Entry 2

Day Six, Fourth Moon, Hunting Year Five Hundred and Four

That first night was a whirlwind. I don't remember much besides the tears and the terror I had. Every flicker of moonlight and rustle of leaves convinced me that someone or something would burst through the trees, pin me to the ground, and tear out my throat. That a real witch -- not a Cursed girl like me -- would wave a hand in front of my face and magically take out my tongue or stop my heart with a harsh word. None of those things happened though.

Instead, I sat there sobbing in the darkness, feeling the cold breeze sting my face until dawn broke and I was covered in Dew. I must have fallen asleep at some point because I thought I was dry, but the next time I was aware, I was  covered in droplets of water. I tried lapping them up like a pup from my arms and low hanging leaves, but it just made me feel the pain of thirst more acutely.

The rising sun confirmed what I already knew -- I had no idea where I was. Deep in the woods, I couldn't hear any sounds of the village -- no whinnies or the clop of a horse's hooves, no sounds of the children playing or people conducting their business on the Common -- just the sounds of wind and leaves and squirrels.

I suppose I could have sat there and waited -- for a bear to eat me or for thirst to take me and gift me to the vultures, I don't know -- but I didn't. I used my teeth to loosen the rope around my wrist and slipped out of my bonds. It took a long time, hours even. The sun was well in the sky by the time I worked myself free, and I earned rope burn on my wrist and cheeks before I was done. But I did it. At first, once I was free, it crossed my mind how silly an exercise it was -- because where would I go? How would I get there?

In the end, I reasoned that I shouldn't go the way I had come from. The uncles would only send me back, or if they were feeling less kind, they might choose to end me another way. I moved myself forward, away from the direction of the Village on my knees and elbows since they were sturdier than the rest of my extremities. Despite the numbness, I knew that twigs and branches and stones grazed my exposed skin, but there wasn't  much I could do about that, so I kept moving.

Eventually, I found a stream -- clean and clear -- and drank by dunking my face in and letting the water run into my mouth since I couldn't cup my hands. It had the added benefit of being refreshing as I had worked up a sweat. I spent that night by the water because I was afraid that if I left it, I may not find another source.