Her

Chapter II

Her

I walked, and walked, and walked. A straight line going nowhere. Nothing but snow all around me, and all over me. Hypothermia should have killed me within the first hour, but it had been nearly six when I stumbled across an old, grey stone path that lead to a small cottage. Smoke was wafting out of the small chimney that just poked it's head out of the snow sitting on the tiled roof. I couldn't see any movement inside the small building, but for there to be smoke, someone must have been home at some point.

All or nothing.

My course of direction changed and I found myself striding towards the home. I gave two knocks at the door when I reached it and waited for a minute. No one came. I knocked again twice. Still no one came. Cocking my head to the side I shrugged my shoulders and entered at my own will. The warmth from the fire place wrapped around my cold body like a heated blanket. Cosy. But time could not be wasted.

The first thing I did was walk to a pile of clothes that sat unfolded in a plastic basket. Most of them were long sleeve cotton shirts and woolen sweaters. I managed to crumb out a pair of skinny jeans and a womens fleece trench coat. So I put those on with one of the white cotton long sleeve shirts and a grey woolen sweater underneath the coat. Next I made my way over to the one bedroom in the house and searched for any wardrobes or drawers. I needed shoes and a belt. Lucky for me, I found a belt hanging on the end of the double bed and a pair of womens black knee high boots in the wardrobe. I also found a wad of money stashed away in a tin box at the back of the wardrobe so I stuffed that in my pocket and headed for the door.

Seventeen...

I shook my head free of a random word that made its way into my mind as I graped the door handle. But I halted suddenly. There was something else that I needed before I left.

Weapons.

Yes, weapons. A gun would be nice but after looking at all the china collectables and very old stuffed toy bears around the place, I concluded that a simple knife would do. So I took a few steps back and headed to the kitchen, raiding the utensil drawers. At first I found nothing of use but when I opened the last drawer I spotted pocket knife of some sort.

That will do.

I grabbed it and stuffed it in the same pocket as the money, headind back to the door and exiting the house. Outside, the wind had completely dropped and small white fluff fell slowly from the sky to the ground. Looking at the direction in which I had come, I could clearly see my own tracks that lead straight into the house. Knowing that someone could easily follow me where ever I went, I had to think of another mode of transportation. But what? Everything I use would make tracks in that soft snow. I had to figure out a way to move without being on the ground...

"The trees," I whispered to myself.

My voice was cold and raspy from the amount of disuse it had had, making me sound like something out of a terrible dream. I began thinking that maybe I was something out of a terrible dream. I certaintly didn't know who I was or where I came from or even what I had been through. Heck, I found myself strapped to a metal chair inside a glass tube with next to no clothes on! That in itself was a nightmare.

My thoughts were interruped by the sound of some sort of vehicle heading in my direction. The barking of dogs followed it. Time to move. Looking up at the tree nearest to me, I decided that that was the way I had to go; in the trees. So I ran to that particular tree and jumped to the lowest branch, hoisting myself up onto it. I continued to climb upwards until I was in the middle of the entire canopy that was made by that tree and the surrounding trees. That way I could move from tree to tree to where I wanted to go without having to step foot on the ground and risk being tracked and followed. Especially by someone who I had just stolen money and clothes off of. It was my only option.