THE LIST

chapter 1

i had to keep going, i knew i couldn't stop, at least not now. My legs were trembling, my kneels so weak, my shirt was dripping wet from all the sweat. It had been hours and my back was killing me my eyes burnt from the strain of the little light that came through the darkness, my throat was so dry my breath barely made it. The dehydration was over powering my sense of reason as well as my will to pull through, finally i rolled off, my back hitting the cold ground and my eyes searching the dark night sky.

I allowed myself a moment to breath, i needed it, a break was what i needed the most, i had been running for almost seven hours in counting. I could feel the night breeze refresh my face. Cold, it was so cold but it felt so good and relaxing. It made me want to stay at that road side forever but i knew i wasn't alone, they were coming for me, they were coming and soon at that.

I lifted my upper body with my elbows as i made out where i was. My vision seemed blur but i had no time to wish i hadn't left my glasses behind, the situation called for it. Apart from the abandoned high way, only trees surrounded my poor soul.

"I might as well just die here" i told myself, "they are going to find me anyway." but my body had a mind of its own cause that every moment i struggled to my feet, my ears were as sharp as those of a rabbit cause i could hear the trucks approaching from a mile away.

Running into the bushes was my first option, the highway would be the perfect place to find me, i had been using it for the past fourty five minutes and if they were out of the woods its because they knew exactly where i was.

Jumping the first tree trunk that was laying right behind me i disappeared in the woods, my legs carrying me as fast i they could. For the hundredth time in a day i thanked my sprinting skills which i acquired only in my late teen days when i was subjected to a lose weight programme. I thanked that too, otherwise i wouldn't have been able to carry my eight four kilograms this far.

I stopped a minute to hear anything my ears could pick up but nothing came through. I waited, a minute or two, just to be sure no one was in the woods with me, still, silence was all i heard. Not even crickets dared to speck.

Figuring out my direction would be the best thing to do.

"why wont it rain atleast?" i whispered as i pushed my kneel length rough curly hair back wards. Not that it would lay back without a band but right now its the least i could do.

A crack came from my left and sent me flying through the woods again, without a second to even look back. It sounded like a dry stick crushing under someone's feet. My preditors i presumed but what was running in my head was the thought of them seen me.

By now i probably lost all ideas of where i was headed, i didn't have a high way to guide me through, or an idea how i could get back to it. I looked down at my wrist. It was 3:28 am, atleast i had time to look at. If the preditors had seen me, they would have caught up to me, that i was sure of before slowing down on my pace. First it was just a jog before i began to walk.

I needed water. I could feel every bit of liquid squeeze out of me, how did my life reach this far? If only i had an idea what i was signing up for i wouldn't have started all this, but it wasn't like i had a choice, i life was at stake and i....

My thoughts came to a halt at the image infront of me. House, cottage? I wasn't sure, i wasn't so good at telling these apart but my refuge might just be right before my eye. My first instinct was run to the door and knock but just at the first movement of my leg i stopped.

"think.." i spoke out loud to myself. It had been my habbit since childhood, talking aloud, to no one in particular. "you need to think. This might be a trap." I said as i stood there, at a distance, observing the cottage.

Observe, thats exactly what i needed to do, observe before i make a move. I took my position behind a tree and carefully watched the cottage.

It was nothing big really, it looked acient, like those traditional huts they had back in the day in North korea. The lights were on, probably lamps cause there was no way there could be electricity in the middle of no where..wait, the was a bulb swinging from the ceiling of the pouch, which meant who ever owned this place had a power source.

I reached out for the pocket on my kneel of the pants i wore, they were cargo pants that belonged to my mother. Reaching into i retrived my phone, from what i could see the screen was still find, the back however had so many cracks i could see the battery peeping out.

My body quickly pushed itself behind the tree at the noise that came from the cottage. My back glued to the tree and my eyes shut. My breath barely leaving my own body. What to do? I asked, definitely not looking the opposite direction, i answered in the back of my mind.

Slowly i began to turn, making sure i didn't make a sound. Slowly, slowy, i told my self as my body did the action.

Tall, probably 1.78 meters, black ebony hair sat on his face, covering his forehead and part of his neck. He wore black buggy slacks and a white buggy shirt that was ripped at the shoulder joint. From my position that was as much as i could see. I fine young man having a hot cup of coffee or was it tea, what ever it was that he was drinking,i cared less.

For a moment i wasn't thinking about my hide and seek game that i had been playing all this while. The site of him gave me closure. A definite relaxation, a feeling of warmth and light in all this cold and darkness. It gave me a feeling, a feeling that had me thinking of the right words to describe it but that was never to happen.

Just as i was about to place my figure on the right description i heard the voices linger in my ears and i quickly identified them

'they found me.' I thought. I looked at the innocent young man then back in the direction of the voices. Panic began to over rule my thoughts as my eyes trailed back and forth. My feet couldn't stay still as they jerked me to and fro but still in the same position. Louder, louder meant they were getting closer, the voices grew louder by the minute and so did my sense of panic.

I couldn't take the risk of been caught, i had come so far. My eyes drove to the woods ahead of me, i could just go for them, they were an option. But i didn't know if these people had spread out. Now was not the time to start picking routes like donuts. I needed action, standing here would definitely be the end of me.

Without hesitation my feet pushed forward, and i was on the run. The cottage as my only option. I needed to survive.

I could see the fluster on his face the moment he saw me. He jerked backwards. He was startled, the fear in his eyes couldn't be mistaken at all. But his confusion was the least of my worries. I didn't stop running towards him and once i reached him, i grabbed his wrist and before he could see anything i was locking the front door shut .