Running Scared

Saving Grace

I hiked upwards afraid they would be waiting for me to come down.

I kept thinking over and over that safety and caution was my number one priority. Every 5 minutes I would uneasily look behind me and stop to hear voices of any human being. My lungs tighten as I climb up in higher altitudes but I smiled, at least mother nature is on my side. letting me hide my tracks in the rain and stopping the rain as soon as I escaped.  I shook my head from that thankful thought and continued on towards the top. 

I turned my direction towards the left going northwest. 

"Or at least hoping that direction is NW." I said to myself. 

The sun was setting behind the mountains making the forest floor cold and wet. I walked through the slippery grounds and looked around for a tree with a sturdy branch high up.  Going up a bit more, I stepped on a soft mossy ground. Good there should be no problem jumping off the tree. Now, for a comfy tree to sleep on. I looked around the trees surrounding the mossy ground. I picked a big tree with a sturdy trunk with some branches hanging down, I immediately climbed up the branch and grabbed the trunk for safety. I looked at the only branch sturdy enough for my weight, gingerly sat down slowly still holding the trunk. Good, I knew watching Hunger Games would do me some good. Lifting my legs I placed it on the thick branch and un-clicked my bag from my hips and tied it around my left ankle. I sighed and looked at my amazing survival skills. 

I smiled at least I've gotten away from those evil men. I hope they rot in hell or something. Sheesh, my perfect week away in the woods is turning out to be a more closer contact with mother nature than I thought. I smiled as I looked around the forest. I hope Alex is looking for me now...I promised to call her..."Shit!!" I yelled quickly covering my face as I froze to listen to any humanity. Nope, none. I quickly took out my phone,

Please Please Please just one call, just one call.

I turned on my phone in hopes that the battery and the signal is there. Low battery, and one tiny block of heaven sent signal. I yelped in happiness as I pressed one and called my best friend. Alex

Please pick up! I swear I'll give more to charity be honest kind and all the sweet things please let Alex pick up the phon--

"Where the freakin hell are you? Why the hell didn't you call back-like what, 5 hours ago! It's close to 11o'clock for heavensakes. Emma! You hear me Emma?!"

I laughed as all my fear and distress left, hearing my best friend worried voice sent a tired wave crashing down on my body leaving me tired and fearful again. 

I took a deep breathe and spoke hastily.

"Alex, you have to listen to me, I was going up the trail this morning when it rained. The guide told me we had to stay in his cabin. Then I overheard him speaking to his friend or something about me being a toy and the friend said he will come in an hour so I jumped through the window and ran upwards and turned northwest and now I'm up in a tree in hiding..." I took a deep breathe again as I waited for Alex to speak--yell.

"I TOLD YOU!!! I FUCKING TOLD YOU TO BRING ME WITH YOU AND NOOO~~ YOU HAD TO GO ALONE? WHAT? PRIVATE TIME WITH MOTHER FREAKING NATURE? YOU ARE AN IDIOT!! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU GOING TO DO WITH THAT EMPTY HEAD OF YOURS!!!!!!!!!!!" Alex screamed at the phone waking up the birds from their beauty sleep. 

"Alex, listen to me, please quiet down the mountains can hear you." I whispered on the phone.

"No, fuck the mountains, Emma you listen to me, the moment the sun is up, immediately leave the tree and run and I MEAN RUN towards northwest. Try to stay away from riverbanks for at least 24 hours more, so they think you're up in the mountains and maybe even dead. When you go northwest and find a trail and from there find a sign that names the trail and then call me.. and do not go up to any man, no matter how cute he looks like, alright?"

I rolled my eyes,overprotective again. "Fine, I only have 7% of battery left so I can't call you or anything but I'll will leave the tree when I can clearly see the forest woods and walk towards northwest."

"RUN! I SAID RUN!!" Alex yelled at me. I could hear her pacing around her room. 

"Okay don't get your panties in a bunch. Goodbye." I felt oddly calm and safe. Alex always has this effect on me. Since the day we met she was oddly protective of me. 

16 years ago

Alex and I became best friends 16 years ago.

16 years ago, I was barely 6 when my father lost all his money to a gambling addiction, that fateful day, my father came home drunk and lashed against my mother, blindly punching her as if she was a punching bag, leaving her half dead on the kitchen floor. That man soon fell asleep on the couch and my mother and I ran away to our grandmother's house, we were all horrified and fearful that one day my father would come and hurt us. Of course, my grandmother took us to another house of hers. Months passed by and we gradually overcame our fear of that man. My mother took a job at the nearest bookshop and I went to school, however, my father tracked us down and killed my mother.  He was caught and sentenced to life in prison, as it turns out, not only did he kill his own wife, he killed a man in a bar fight, and he had thousands of debts he couldn't pay. 

The death of my mother gave me depression and sickness all the time. After a month of me not leaving my room. My grandmother, a few days later, brought home a girl with her. 

"Emma please come out I want you to meet a friend." 

I opened the door and gazed upon a young Asian girl about my age. 

"Emma this is your new friend, from now on she will be living with us and she will also be home schooling with you,okay?" 

"Emma, this is Alex." Grandmother pushed me toward the tall (way shorter than me now) girl with a pale face. 

"Alex, this is Emma." Alex looked at me straight in the eyes and with a grand smile "I hope we get along just fine, Emma." I didn't have any time to react as Alex hugged me tightly "It's going to be okay, nobody is going to hurt you anymore."

That very fateful day, I realized for sure that Alex was truly my own little saving grace.