Redemption

Chapter Three: The Truth

I did as my mother asked and ran. I ran until my legs ached and I had a stitch in my side. I ran until blisters were forming on my heels. I ran away from the horrors behind me and didn't look back because I knew if I did, it will make everything that just happened real, and that wasn't something I could accept yet.

Instead, I ran in a daze, simply allowing my adrenaline to propel me further and faster until I was out of breath and my clothes were saturated with sweat.

It didn't take long for the evening sun to descend behind the mountainous terrain of the Maine skyline. Still, I kept moving, until it felt as though I couldn't take another step.

Eventually, I fell to the ground in a pile of leaves, as the last burst of energy left my body. I knelt for several minutes, focusing on the expansion and contraction of my chest as I willed oxygen into my weary lungs.

Water, was the only thought that crossed my mind, as I became hyperaware of my parched throat.

The sound of dripping commanded my attention, and I turned to see the gentle flow of crystal clear water in a nearby stream. Ny exhaustion was quickly forgotten, and my yearning took center stage. I staggered over to the creek bed and took a large gulp of the cool liquid. I drank greedily, swallowing handful after handful of water in a desperate attempt to quench my unrelenting thirst.

When I cannot hold another drop, I leaned back on my heels and surveyed the area around me. I had spent a large portion of my childhood in the woods with my father, something I sulked about during my teenage years. But I was thankful for that experience now, as I sat alone in the abandoned forest.

I was familiar with the miles of woodland surrounding my house, but this was an undiscovered area with large boulders that towered dauntingly overhead.

I knew that I needed to keep moving, to put as much distance between myself and these horrendous happenings as possible, but my body refused to cooperate. I ached all over, and the thought of hiking any further into the wilderness made me want to whimper. I knew that I would have to rest for the night.

But where can I go? I wondered, as an overwhelming terror bubbled inside me.

Knowing that I was far too vulnerable in the open, I scanned around fervently for somewhere to hide. Further down the stream, I spotted a cluster of rocks so close together, they formed a makeshift cavern. Although it wasn't an ideal shelter, it would at least keep out any unwanted predators for the night.

Between the massive rocks, there was a small opening that would be easily overlooked from the outside, but was just big enough for me to wedge through. Once inside, I sat down on the cool dirt floor of the cavern, resting my weary legs.

I felt an awkward bulge on my back, and I realized that I was still wearing the backpack my mother had plunged into my hands at the last minute. It was obvious that my parents had anticipated a situation like this might arise. Gratitude filled me at their pensiveness, but along with it came anger. I knew this must have something to do with the secrets they had been keeping from me.

I opened the backpack carefully. The first thing I found was a flashlight; it was an appreciative sight as the cavern became eerily dark.

The backpack also held an empty canteen for water, a small first-aid kit, a folder, and a little container that could easily fit in the palm of my hand.

I picked up the small case and realized that it is a dark mahogany jewelry box. On the top, the words "To thine own self be true" were engraved in the dark wood. I furrowed my eyebrows in thought, unsure of the inscription's meaning.