à la folie (To Insanity)

Chapter 12- Raven

I follow Jackson out of the compound, hours before we are supposed to leave. The air is much colder than it was the last time we were out here. Neither one of us could sit still in the room, not after I woke up. He leads me out to the forest surrounding the towering walls. The difficult part is sneaking across the twenty five yard bare space between the wall and the tree line. He sprints across first, melting into the evening shadows of the trees when he reaches the other side. I try to sprint across when he motions for me to go, my body still in pain. I'm breathing heavily when I reach him, gratefully accepting the moment of rest he allows before setting off into the denser trees. He helps me over he more thick parts of brush and uneven terrain. My vision starts to blur as we get further away from the compound, causing me to stumble more than once.

    We finally stop by the shores of a small lake after about thirty minutes of walking. My pace has slowed considerably, and my eyesight has done nothing but worsen as the shadows grow longer. I stumble and fall into Jackson, he helps me regain my balance, but then makes me sit on a fallen log. He looks concerned, his hand feels cold against my forehead.

    “You have a fever Raven, it's gotten worse. Are you okay? I don't think it's from your injuries, the medication has worked to prevent infection.”

    “I don't know what it is. I can't see very well either.”

    He sits beside me, handing me a water canteen. I drink, and he stands again. He's going to get firewood, returning my jacket to me before he leaves. I smile as I check the sheaths, almost every blade accounted for. All but one. In its place, a single bullet. I realize with a shudder which is missing, and who has it. Pain tears through my head suddenly, coming without warning.

I open my eyes, finding myself on the ground. My head is still pounding, with frequent bursts of more intense pain. I try to look around, but find I’m not able to see the trees above me, much less my surroundings. Jackson is calling my name, sounding far away. I feel someone's hand on my face, than my neck. Jackson must have found me. He pulls me to sit against one of the moss covered boulders that surround the water. I try to move my head, sending another wave of pain through my body.

Jackson is gone, I see this as my vision clears slightly. Instead, I find a girl sitting by my side. She looks familiar, her deep brown eyes reminding me of Jackson's. I try to move away from her, my years of captivity causing me to trust few. She reaches out to me, pressing her hand against my neck. The pressure feels gentle, her hands cold against my feverish skin. Jackson calls out again and the girl stands quickly, cautiously eyeing the safety of the shadows pooled beneath the trees.

When Jackson doesn't emerge, she crouches back down again. She cocks her head to one side, almost as if listening to something. A smile creeps slowly onto her face, bearing an eerie resemblance to Evan and Jackson. She stands and sprints off into the golden hued forest, moments before Jackson breaks through the trees. He runs to me, breathing heavily.

“When did you move over here? I told you not to move.”

I wince as more pain crashes over me. His expression softens, he moves closer to check on me. Someone materializes from the trees behind Jackson, my eyes must widen in surprise because he turns around. A small group emerges and jogs over to the fireside. It's Angie, Dan, and Will. They sit across from us, everyone looking at me. Jackson asks if anyone was followed, no one says yes. Everyone has their bags with them, Will drops one at my feet. It's my old bag, still holding splattered blood stains from when we were taken by Evan. I suppress the urge to kick it away, not wanting to remember anything.

We decide to sleep out here, away from the bustle of the compound. Jackson leads us to the edge of the trees, revealing how the thick vines form small rooms of cover from the rest of the forest. Everyone picks space on the ground, Angie choosing to climb one of the trees and set up her bed there. The boys stay on the ground, Dan lying down below Angie's tree. Jackson leads me back to the fire, leaving the others to rest. I look around, wondering where the girl I saw earlier went. Jackson notices my unease and makes me sit down. He pulls me into his arms, trying to calm me. Something snaps nearby, causing us both to jump in surprise. A figure steps out of the shadows and stands in the edge of the circle cast by the fire light.