Redemption

Chapter Eight: The Friend & The Foe

I ran away from Jeremiah and Katherine's cabin as fast as my legs could carry me, but the pain in my side slowed down my progress.

As I slowed to a brisk walk, I kicked a rock in frustration. I was pissed off, not just at Jerry and Kate, but at myself. For one split second, I had actually believed that there were still trustworthy people left in this world. Of all the people I thought I could depend on, the Taylor's were at the top of that list. How ignorant I had been!

My exasperation propelled me faster, the burning sensation in my lungs a feeling that I welcomed. It reminded of the anger and resentment burning deep inside.

I felt sporadic drops fall onto my overheated skin, as the dark clouds above me released their precious liquid. It didn't take long for the heavens to fully open, leading way to a steady flow of rain, the moisture mingling with the angry tears falling from my cheeks.

This is just great, I thought crossly, pushing my soaking mop of hair from my eyes in an attempt to see where I was going.

I was so lost in thought, furious at the deceitfulness of those I considered friends, that I didn't realize I was no longer alone in the forest.

I nearly ran smack into a man leaning against a tree trunk, scanning the brush for unsuspecting animals. He was dressed from head to toe in camouflage, save for his bright orange vest that almost blinded me by its intensity.

Even through his misleadingly disheveled facial hair, I could tell that he was fairly young, maybe early thirties. He was standing casually against a maple tree, occasionally raising a flask to his mouth for a swig of something I was certain wasn't water.

My eyes lingered on the rifle slung across his shoulders, and I felt my heart quicken at my proximity to this armed stranger.

I was contemplating the possibility of retracing my steps and hiding in the underbrush, when the man's head turned, and his eyes locked on mine.

I stiffened, trying to make myself look small, as though he would simply overlook me if I did.

"Well, hello there, darling," the man said with a smile. He pulled himself away from the tree, stumbling in his drunken state. "What are doing in these parts of the woods?"

Right away, my flight or fight instinct kicked in. Though the man had done nothing to harm me, I got a bad vibe from him. It made me anxious being in his presence.

He stared at me, his eyebrows raising when I didn't answer.

"Lie," a deep voice said. I jumped, startled to hear my dream man's voice. "Lie," the voice said again

"I decided to go on a walk," I mumbled, trying to act casual, but I could feel the fraudulent blush as it crept into my cheeks.

"At six o'clock in the morning?" he asked skeptically, his eyes darting around us. "You're not out here all alone are you?"

"No," I squeaked, my answer too quick in my paranoid state.

He gave a mischievous smile, and alarms starting going off in my head. It was hard for me to put my finger on, but something about him disturbed me. Maybe it was the playful glint in his eyes that caused my breathing to accelerate and my body to go rigid with malaise.

The man was positioned in a strangely defensive stance that put me on edge. It was almost as though he was the hunter, and I the prey, and at any moment he was going to attack.

I felt the heavy locket around my neck pulsating from my rapid heartbeat. It seemed to be radiating protective warmth against my chest and through my heart, as though even this inanimate object could sense a nearby evil.