Bastian's Heart

Chapter One Part Seven Bastian and Annie

Annie slowed the car, then stopped on the gravelly side of the road. Switching off the ignition, she took her the limited view with troubled eyes.
There was no one here except dense woodland and fields littered with boulders and wildflowers.
Just a few miles down the road would lie the hidden entrance to the Forest, her home.

I'm home, she whispered silently to the woods ahead, grief chasing all other emotion to the backseat of her mind.
After another unsteady breath, Annie gathered her thoughts and tried to focus on the immediate task.

I will have to get rid of this stolen car first, knowing the only thing to do was dump it in a ditch, then take him by another route through the forest.

We should take the path closest to Mister Connelly's house though, she calculated, walking the familiar routes edged in her memories.
It will take about twenty minutes down the hills, maybe longer if he is too injured, and another half a mile before we reach the creek. From there onwards it's just a matter of cutting through the forest to my place.
Annie shuddered with apprehension.
As long as we stayed under the canopy of trees, we might just pass through unseen.

She rubbed over her eyes, knowing full well that stalling the inevitable was just going to prolong the agony, and yet, she cannot suppress how much she dreaded meeting her people under these circumstances.

Im am a coward, it echoed through her mind.

Stiff fingers tapped nervously on the wheel as she briefly considered giving in to the desperate urge to abandon the vampire and this stupid, dangerous situation, and just run.

Argh.!

Shaking her head in quiet defeat, Annie unlatches the seatbelt, thinking she had already exhausted herself trying to find possible ways to get safely out of this mess.
Staying, or running, it all ends the same. The vampire and his ilk will get us sooner or later.

Squaring her shoulders, she gritted her teeth against her instincts, then threw her head back against the seat in frustration, banging it softly when she caught herself watching the sky like a helpless puppet, waiting for the light to die.

The sun still lingered on the horizon giving her false hope, for the forest was already painted in dim colors and overcome with deepening shadows. In a few minutes, dusk would settle like a thin veil.
Fear spiked instantly, but she closed her eyes to shut out the change, the consequence, and the guilt.

A short while later, the familiar songs of the night critters alerted Annie to act.
Without further thought, she lowered the handbrake and shifted into neutral, and got out of the car. With her foot on the brakes, she gave a strong push and steered the car away from the side of the road and through the overgrown bushes.
Panting heavily, Annie stopped pushing to catch her breath. She can hardly see the treeline anymore.
"Too heavy," And started forward with the little strength she had left. As she pushed the car over what looked like a rock, it immediately started rolling forwards on its own.
Oh hell!
The landscape must be sloped downwards, she thought, and quickly jumped back inside the car to press her foot hard on the brakes. It was fortunate the slope was only a few meters down when the ground flattened, and she could once again steer the car quietly out of sight.

Her muscles quivered with exertion, but Annie heaved herself out of the car. She had neared the treeline and started pushing toward that huge mass of towering shadows.