Chapter one:
19 April 2013
The clouds were rolling in, now thicker and faster than before. From my rucksack; I pulled my grey raincoat that mother had bought for me just a couple of days before. The sleeves were slightly soggy- from the last rain shower. Yawning, I pulled the raincoat over my arms and fastened it tightly above my aching body. I had been walking for so long, it seemed years since I had felt the warmth of a fire or the clean embrace of bath water! As the rain splattered down and onto the muddy floor, my eyes began to sting. Holding my hand above my bushy eyebrows I saw that the sun was peering through the huge clouds. I thought to myself, as I found cover under the canopy of a large oak tree, perhaps tomorrow morning there will be a rainbow- but the thought soon past as my stomach growled for food. I rummaged in my rucksack trying desperately to find the sandwich that I had packed for my journey, only to find that I had already eaten half. As I sucked on the moist bread my face screwed up. The lettuce was now sour and the ham tasted like mouldy cardboard. Even so, my stomach was happy to be fed. I wiped the corner of my dried mouth with the rough edge of my sleeve, making sure I didn't miss any crumbs. Water. I needed water. My stomach launched into my throat as I saw that my water bottle was still half full! Quicker than lightning, I gulped the warm water down my sore throat. The pain made me screw up my eyes, but I was thankful for the warm liquid. My exhausted body was fed and watered, all that was left now was sleep. Sleep. I hadn't slept in a cosy bed for days...
I drifted in and out of sleep holding my rucksack tightly, as if it was my trusty teddy bear. Eventually I decided that I didn't really need sleep and what I REALLY needed to do was find 'real' shelter- rather than a couple of branches and leaves. My rucksack was now attached to my back- in it was my water bottle and a torch (just incase it got darker earlier). It wasn't enough to last the amount of time I needed it to- I needed more supplies. I pulled my hood over my head, protecting my face and hair from rain and sunburn, and trudged on into the murky forest.
*
'Maybe drinking all of my water was a bad idea', I thought to myself as I sat down on a rock in a clearing of the forest. The sun shone down on my sweaty forehead. My head was banging with terrible pains and my muscles in my limbs were stretched to the max; if I wasn't so tired I could have screamed in agony. I decided that I hadn't any time for resting, so I hitched my rucksack higher onto my shoulders and wiped the perspiration from my head. The forest seemed much darker than just a few moments ago- my torch seemed like a good idea.
The light was bright, but trustworthy. I knew my battery would last for as long as I needed it. Moving a few branches away from my face I spotted an even brighter light just ahead. As I moved closer to the light my eyes adjusted to the brightness- revealing a small shack. The light was coming from a large lamp hooked onto the roof of the abandoned shack. I knocked on the door, incase anybody was inside, but it swung open as soon my skin met the cold, mossy wooden door. I peered my head around the door; in one corner of the small shack was what seemed to be a make-do kitchen. On the the other side was a battered sofa and a couple of tattered newspapers. I made my way over to the kitchen- hoping that the tap worked. Luckily for me it did, clear liquid raced out of the tap and filled up my water bottle. I ducked my head underneath the flow of water letting it gush over my warm, sunburnt head.
After I had filled my water bottle, I tucked it back into my rucksack and made my way over to the small fridge next to the door- which seemed to be a small cupboard. As I opened the fridge I hoped that I would be greeted by delicious fruits and chocolate bars, but unfortunately the fridge was stripped bare of all it goods. Sighing I walked up to the cupboard door- maybe I would find some batteries for my torch (just in case). My fingers wrapped around the cold brass door handle and pulled the wooden door open. A scream followed- I was shocked to find out that it was my own.
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I promise my chapters will be longer next time :)
