Run

Chapter 7

I'm not entirely sure how long I've been walking or in what general direction. Although I waited for myself to calm down, I was still crying and I couldn't shake the feeling of fear and loneliness. I trudge on but I can feel the pain building up in me.

I find myself in a somewhat wooded area. A light catches my eye and I find myself start to walk toward it. It's coming from a familiar looking house. The ground seems to slip away underneath me and I let out a scream as I fall. I'm immediately greeted by a splash of cold water. It's not deep but it is very cold.

"Great." I say pitifully.

I hear a twig snap and look up to see a shadowy figure.

"Kit?"

I squint to see the familiar outline of Cedric.

"Ced?" I ask hesitantly.

"What are you doing here?" He begins to climb down the ravine. This must be the one adjacent to his house. I remember him showing me the area the first day I met him. We had come back to his house and he had showed me where his animal friends always came to greet him. That's also when I met his mom and his dad briefly.

Cedric easily pulled me out of the muddy water, but he still looked extremely confused.

"I'm sorry," I shake my head. I hadn't even meant to walk toward his house.

"Are you going somewhere?" He asks as he eyes my bag.

"Um," I feel helpless as I stand in front of him, caked in mud and face soaked in tears.

"Do you need a place to stay?" He asks gently.

I nod solemnly as I stare up at him.

He leads me up into his house. We were quiet but I wasn't sure if it was so as to not wake his parents or because neither of us had anything to say.

"Do you need clothes?" He asks as he guides me to his bathroom.

I nod my head quietly.

"Okay." He nods and quickly goes to retrieve several articles of clothing.

"Thank you," I mutter before retreating into the shower.

I take extra long under the hot water. I slip on his button up night shirt and pants. It fits pretty loosely but it isn't falling off. I exit the bathroom to see him sitting patiently on his bed. His face lights up when he sees me again, which I'm glad for. He doesn't seem annoyed by me.

"I'll stick these in the wash." He offers, taking my muddy clothes.

I take the time I have alone in his room to look around. It's fairly messy but in an oddly organized way. He has several piles of book stacked along the floor and his desk all of which pertain to the care of animals. He also has a few pictures framed on his wall. They're of him with his family. His mom looks just like him. They both have slim, freckly faces and dark red hair. His dad's hair is a bit more auburn and his face is much rounder. I notice another guy in their pictures that looks clearly like his brother. That must be Felix.

A throat clearing brings my attention away from the photos. Cedric is standing next to me looking at the pictures as well.

"We were in New Zealand when we took that," He smiles.

He was so kind to me. He hadn't even questioned my unexpected arrival. I found myself wrapping my arms around him before I knew it. I had my face buried against his chest as I began to cry softly. It had been such a long day. I needed to let my emotions out. He didn't say anything and just let me cry for a long while. Finally I felt like I was beginning to calm down from everything so I pulled away.