breakout✗d.d

Chapter 24 - Uncle Cal

Flashback - Layla, 11 years old

"See you in a bit hun," Callum smiled kissing his wife on the head who was cradling his two, one year old daughters. He kissed them each lightly on the head then got his backpack and headed into the woods with me trailing after him. I had my boring black backpack on my back because that's the only one Chloe could find for me. I hated it. I wanted one like Chloe's. It was all purple with orange stitch work in it. I asked my mum for it but she said the black one is pretty. At least mine had a golden button on though, Callum's was just plain navy green. Typical adults.

"Come on, Layla! Don't dawdle we've got loads to do!" My uncle jeered excitedly.

"Where are we going?" I asked, picking up my pace to keep up with him but it was hard. He was really tall and had really long legs so walked rally fast. I had to practically jog to keep up with him.

"You'll see." He gave a wide grin and walked faster toward our destination, easily stepping over logs and roots that I had to almost jump over. Why do I have to be so little? I wish I was as tall as Callum.

"Uncle Cal! Wait up!" I called now actually jogging to keep up with his astounding pace, him giving no consideration for my age and height. He was a few meters ahead of me when suddenly I got my foot stuck under a root that was sticking up from the ground and fell forward into the mud, rocks and twigs. My hands were in my pockets, giving me nothing to catch myself with. "Cal!" I shouted as tears began to spill from my eyes. I hauled myself up with great difficulty and yelled for my uncle a few more times but he just carried on walking away. When I got up I wiped my muddy hands on my jeans and my muddy face with the sleeves of my lime green jacket then began running as fast as I could to catch up with him. Still crying, I couldn't help it. I was in pain. Isn't that what people do when they are hurt? Cry? Callum never seemed to get hurt. Callum never cried. Mum said that when you cry, it makes you feel better though so she has never told me off. Unlike Callum.

"Layla, what the fuck are you doing? Come on!" My uncle stopped for a second to back at me before he continued to hike though the darkening woods. Mum also told me not to say anything Uncle Cal says because he says bad words. Before I said the word 'fuck' after hearing him say it and I got grounded for a month with no TV so that must be a really bad word. I ignored it though.

"Uncle Cal! Please wait!" I sniffed as I almost fell over again, stumbling over stones as the terrain got rockier. "Cal! I can't keep up!" I struggled to say as my throat hurt from shouting and crying. My legs ached from running but if I stopped, I would be left in the woods to the bears. Dad told me there are no bears in England but I think he's just saying it to make me not scared.

Luckily, he stopped at a large pine tree surrounded by a few smaller ones giving me a chance to catch up.