To Steal An Egg

Chapter #8

VICTORIA'S JOURNAL

June 27, 2005

I'm aware that this choice may be stupid. I know you will try to look for me. Don't. I am doing this because it is what I need to do. This family is torn apart enough. I don't want to make it worse. I love you, Mom.

Victoria

June 28, 2005

I've done it. My birthday. Last night there was an earthquake. I don't get scared often, but I was scared to death. Rosey was screaming and Carter was crying. Jack and Tim were yelling. You were sleeping. A light fell on Tim. Jack disappeared in the hall. Rosey was in the tub. Carter felt sick because of you not being there. I couldn't do it. I told them I was going to run some errands. I ran. I turned to Betty's house, but I knew you would look there, so I ran into the forest. I sat on a log, and that's where I am now.

Victoria

June 29, 2005

I'm starting to wonder if this is really worth all the trouble. I haven't found food and my only drinking water has thousands of dead bugs floating in it. It smells like mud and manure and it tastes like it too. I just go by sleeping next to a big oak tree. I will need to find shelter too. And soon. And some food. I'm already missing Taco Bell takeout!

Victoria

June 30, 2005

I ate some of the bugs floating in my water hole today. They were nasty but it tasted better than nothing. I threw up last night too. The nasty water is my prime suspect. I felt sick and I thought drinking some water would help. I puked it right up along with whatever else I attempted to eat. Including pine needles that pricked my neck when I tried to swallow them. The flavor was strong and I had to choke them down. I guess I sorta liked it, though.

Victoria

July 1, 2005

For some reason, every night I've had nightmares. Me sleeping in the woods must've triggered the nightmares. One of them-I had it last night-was that you had died in that earthquake. And Jack. And Tim. And Rosey caught hypothermia. And the baby you are going to have died too. I got scared and suddenly felt lonely with only a deathly sick Rosey and a Carter that will most likely need intense therapy in his future. We went to the grocery store and the cashier looked like a loving grandmother. But then, she freaked out when she saw we were buying candy and took out an assault rifle and shot Carter and Rosey. I was able to escape when all of the other cashiers-who must've been clones of the one I had-began to shoot at me. I ran out of the store and they chased me. Then, everyone else in the town joined in and it was thousands of people to one. Me. I was screaming when they cornered me and I was still screaming when I woke up. I was laying a pool of sweat and the sun was just barely out. I fixed myself a meal of rotting wild strawberries and the dirty water. I told myself I didn't have to do this every day, that I could just go home and have taco bell, but this is my choice. And I chose to stay. The strawberries were too juicy and squishy to even bite down on them and the thought of eating mold troubled my stomach. I was already growing thinner. And I also needed a shelter. I made a plan and I drew my plan with a stick in the dirt. It would work for maybe a month without any natural disasters. I collected sticks, leaves, branches, and whatnot and brought them over to a holowish tree. It had a giant gorge into the side of it which could come in handy. The sun is coming down and I should probably be getting some rest to build my shelter tomorrow.

Victoria

July 2, 2005

I really need to fix these nightmares. I wake up screaming every night. But it's not just the nightmares that are killing me out here, it's the stupid bugs! Thousands of swarms attack me and they come at sunup and sundown. I itch all over. I have bites where you wouldn't want to have bites. I have bites on my butt so every time I sit it hurts! I have them on my tongue and my lips and in my nose and ears. Anyway, I began to build a shelter today. I would guess at about five in the morning. The tree was massive. If I lied down across it I would say it is twice my size in wideness. I have no clue how tall it is. So, I decided on a tent-like structure. Two walls going off of the tree that leaned into each other like a tent. They were well weaved so it was sturdy. Then, I tied leaves onto the roof so minimal rainwater would come in, and I splattered mud on top of that for the best shelter I could get. I wove a door out of sticks and leaves and I put soft pine needles on the ground to be more sanitary because I didn't necessarily want to sleep in some dirt. By the time I finished it was pitch black outside and I decided to rest. Like, I should rest now.

Victoria

July 3, 2005

Tomorrow is the fourth of July and I'm sorry I couldn't be with you guys for it. I'm not sure if all of this trouble you've been having will allow you to go see fireworks. Anyway, I made a fire today. It took some efforts, but I did it. I will never ever leave it. Never.

Victoria

July 4, 2005

I made my own fireworks today. I made a really bad slingshot from my cool elastic shoelaces and a stick. Then I took a flaming piece of wood and slingshotted into the field. I hope it didn't start a fire. Oops.

Victoria

July 5, 2005

I might start writing in here less often. There isn't much to write about here. I used my cool flaming slingshot and hit a rabbit. I don't think I will ever feel so sad eating again. Poor rabbit. But, I needed food so TOO BAD FOR YOU, RABBIT! (I might cry!)

Victoria

July 7, 2005

I didn't really realize it but there were fish in my water hole. I couldn't spear them, though. They move too fast. Even after reading Hatchet more than a hundred times, I couldn't get the hang of it like Brian did. Sadly.

Victoria

July 10, 2005

Nothing much has happened. Well, that's a lie. A bear came to my camp. A black bear. I was huge but I don't think it saw me. It ate some of the rotting strawberries, drank in my water hole. Then it pooped everywhere. Including in my water hole. That won't stop me from drinking it, though.

Victoria

July 11, 2005

It's cool to think that I've lived out here for a good amount of time. Like, maybe two weeks. I wonder how long I'll stay out here. Maybe forever. And my phone died today. I was just playing music for happiness when it told me that 2% was remaining. This was my last chance. To call home and go home and live a normal life. I had lost my sense of direction and had no idea where home was, now. I let it die. And I am so glad I did that.

Victoria

July 12, 2005

I've had pretty bad luck in my life. Like, at first the bugs went away because of my fire, but it died today and the bugs came back like an on/off switch. I wish I could have good luck for once. Ugg.

Victoria