Twenty-Nine Dolls [H.S. AU]

12. Callie - 2012

"Are we out of the woods?"

2012

Sometimes the beating heart isn't enough to drive you forwards. You need that extra push, that extra jump, that extra step forwards. For me, I was pulling at the bricks like my life depended on it. The moonlight aided my attempt of escaping and it was certainly a poor one. Cuts and scraps formed on my fingertips but they were far from bad in my eyes. I needed to get out and if that required a leg, an arm and my soul in the process - so be it. 

Guilt corrupted my mind, I'd never deny that. Harry had been so good to me that the thought of hurting him in this way made me slightly sick. But there was no use of wasting my years here. I was doing well at school despite my social life being non-existent. I had a brilliant chance of going to university and improving in life but, for the time being, I was being held back by him. Despite his good intentions, they were selfish none the less. 

His tearful eyes haunted me as I took away the last brick, forming a hole big enough for me to squeeze through. Those evergreen irises criticised my conceited behaviour. However, being selfish was all I could do to benefit my health. One leg at a time, the cold air bit at my bare skin. The existence of the holey tights made me chuckle, they defied their purpose enough to make me remember my own. Where was I going to go? What was I going to do? Bare in mind, I'm still squeezing through. My torso was free and also felt the bitter winter wind grasp it. All that was left was my head. Slowly but surely, I twisted it to prevent any collisions... And it was done. I fell to the floor with a gentle thump, enough to get the ravens going. Cringing at their noise, I got to my feet and heard the snow crunch under my feet. This time, there was no stopping me. 

Running wild was mental, I had never felt such adrenaline in my veins since the last attempt but this time was different. I was truly gone. There was no stopping me. I knew Harry was virtually nocturnal but there was no way he could have thought I was gone by now. A hysterical laugh tumbled out of my mouth as I continued to tumble forwards towards the woods I aimed for last time. It became closer and closer with every cold and painful step. This was it. I was gone. I kept looking back, wanting to apologise but there was no point. I was gone.

Long gone.

I finally greeted the trees with great content. My hands raked over the smooth bark as I moved forwards. The unknown didn't scare me here. It was comforting if anything. Even though the cold was going to eventually kill me at this point, that didn't scare me either. I managed to do something I tried to plan for weeks, something that was my main motive, and there I was - at one with the elements.

Laying down and staring at the black sky, I let the snowflakes settle on my skin. My eyes threatened to close as my body continued to shake against the cold but I was at peace. I enjoyed this freedom of breathing in fresh air. There were no four walls around me, all there was, was space. No matter where I was to go next, which seemed to be the last thing on my mind, I was safe now. I was away from all the problems in the world. The only thing I had to do now was to find my sanctuary: home. Even though I had no idea where I was, I knew home would come to me and I was on my way.

"Callie!" A cry came from my right, it was an echoed voice but being able to recognise the pain in the tone he had made a tear tumble out of my eye. Hurriedly, I got to my feet again and continued to run. I allowed the heat made from running, how ever cold and numb I felt, to keep me going. The distance became less and less per moment and I was on my way. There was not much left but I needed somewhere to stay. He was on my heels, I could hear his pants echo off the trees. I couldn't let him catch me, this was my chance.

A light dragged me towards itself as I came out of the woods. The bare landscape revealed me, I wasn't liking that. My worried eyes scampered across the land, looking for somewhere, anywhere. A hooded area came to my attention, it could have been anything but it was concealing. One swift foot at a time, I moved forward. "Callie! Stop!" He screamed. His voice jumped around, off the walls of my mind. My mind was corridors and everything lead away from him. I had to get away. It was my only option.

The hooded area was clearer now - a tunnel. There was a passage behind it through the trees which I decided to take. It'd take him a few minutes to catch up so I'd hide. I scampered, looking for the easiest tree to climb and within moments, I was crouching between the twigs, looking down at my disappearing tracks. Breathing heavily, I calmed myself down, staying as still as possible and watching my own skin becoming covered by a blanket of the cold snow. That's when he appeared.

"Callie, please. This is immature now!" He shouted at the top of his lungs. Cringing at his disappointment, I closed my eyes and blocked everything. All I had to do was stay still. He couldn't find me up here. The snow crunched under his heavy feet, its volume increased by the second. A sigh was audible as he stopped, "So this is it? You rather stay in the cold..." Was all he could say. I knew he was looking up but he wasn't underneath me. I knew he was here. I knew he was going to go in a moment or so. A teardrop fell from my eye but that wasn't a problem. It left straight to hit the floor in front of me. His breath hitched, moving closer and closer to me. Opening my eyes, I watched him place his hand on the trunk, shaking his head. Looking up at me, his eyes replicated what was constantly playing in my mind, "Fine. But don't you dare come back."