The Forest and the Savior--Tate Langdon (AHS) Fan-Fiction

Prologue

  Once upon a December, in the pale moonlight of the Angeles National Forest, I find myself in the middle of the deep woods. Filled with tall pine trees and wild flowers, covering the ground, joining with the green grass. Leaves and sticks cover the ground, the feeling of each prickling branch gliding against my bare cold, dirty, bloody feet. The rocky earth shaking beneath me, as sweat and tears, pour down my face, the chilling wind brushing me, and pure fear washing over me. No direction is visible for me to go, to feel safe. Escaping away from a nightmare isn't the easiest thing in the world. In fact, it was one of the hardest things, that I have ever, had to do. But, once I escaped the white walled room of my parent's old cottage house, I never turned back.

The countless years of abandonment, had to end. All I was wearing was old, filthy clothes, pressing closely to my sticky, sickly skin. The scratchy earth pricked against my bare feet, with no availability to shoes. My ragged hair was filled with grease, thick knots covering my head, colonies of lice inhabiting it. Endless sickness crawled all over me, feeling it itch as more cold air glided against my skin. The cool air felt nice, the feeling of freedom blinding me. I was still trapped in an endless circle, nonetheless. One tree after another, no matter what direction I go, I always end up being in the same spot I was when I started. Finally, after what felt like a lifetime of darkness, I see a dim shade of light, that leads me, to a new place. A new chance, to actually know what living was actually like, and not just in a room with only white walls, a black floor, and a plate of food every 5 days, 6 hours, and 27 minutes.
The lights of a small fire and campers had created a visual that my eyes could interpret. I have not seen people so clean, so put together. In harmony, even. I was definitely not used to that.

They can't see you. You're just a filthy girl compared to that...

Sneakily, and quietly, I step through thorns and bushes close enough to the fire, to feel the warm heat rising from it. The waves sunk into my skin, in a way that it crawled through my body. Then, I hear a branch snap beneath my ripped foot...

They are going to see you. Run.

"Hello..? Is anyone there?" a deep, male voice asks, almost worriedly. I stand up, in his sight, shaking, and scurry away. Afraid of the look in his eyes, and the stature of his body. I run, and race, and dash as far as I can away from the odd man who has seen me. Until suddenly, I fall. My face, falling into the ground, filled of dead leaves and broken off branches, my body slamming into rocks and pebbles, getting into all the scratches. The feeling of hurt and terror wash over me, feeling a hand, turn me around, forcefully.

"Please don't hit me! I'll obey, I'm sorry!" I plead, desperately, frozen in a protective position, covering my chest, neck, and face. His hand removes my arms, carefully, to see my face, his soft face falling, the lines from his forehead to under his dark circled eyes smoothing, with a seemingly pitying look, trying to touch my hand, in a strange, non-violent way, which I had no recollection of why.

"Miss? Hey, let me help you up. I'm not going to hurt you. I just want to help." Hearing the soft tone in his voice, goes through me, with disbelief of its existence. My heart starts to race, and my lungs fill with the cold breath of the dark night. Once I see his hand, reach out for mine, I grab it, gently, but yearning to it, and stand wobbly in front of him, in this man's presence, feeling a strange sense, that I was safe.