A Week With Him

Chapter 7 - Rescue

I didn't want to escape through my bedroom window like Jeff did, I was scared of jumping from the second floor. How does he even climb up here? I was ready to run back downstairs and hop out the living room window, but I found on my bedroom windowsill Jeff had left both keys there for me. I grabbed the front door key and rushed downstairs to open it. I was in such a hurry I didn't realise Aunt Carol was there on the doorstep again, I nearly bumped into her. She held my shoulder,"Woah, steady there Casey." She chuckled. "Where are you going dearie?" I tried not to push past her and gabbled,"I'm meeting a friend, I'm sorry I have to go." When I started walking past her she called to me,"I heard a lot of shouting when I walked by earlier, is everything alright?" I continued speedwalking up the garden path to the gate, she heard Jeff and I fight? "I didn't hear anything, I have to go Carol I'm sorry!"I lied. I quickly dashed off before she could talk and question me further.

I ran down the road in the direction I saw Jeff go, I shouted his name as I ran. I was out of breath within minutes and my wounded foot started hurting. Of course I didn't know exactly where he went, but I had a feeling he'd be in the forest by my old school. When we were younger he'd frequently tell me he stays there, whenever he wasn't sleeping at mine he'd sleep in the woods by himself. I felt bad then, has he been sleeping outside this whole time? I was still emotional so I nearly cried from the thought, I feel horrible.

It took about a quarter of an hour to get there, and I didn't know where to start. The forest was pretty big, and Jeff never led me that far into it because he knew I was afraid. But based on this situation, I expect he'd be deep in the forest since he doesn't want to see me. I ran in immediately and just kept going forward, looking left and right and calling for Jeff as I ran. I went in the same direction for a long while until my legs started aching and the pain in my foot became unbearable. I sat myself down by a big tree to have a small break, I tried to relax but I was near tears again, I was starting to feel scared from being this far into the woods by myself and I kept thinking I wouldn't find Jeff.

After a few minutes I stopped thinking bad thoughts, despite me being a crybaby I was optimistic. I vowed I wouldn't go home without him and kept telling myself I will find him. I got the energy to keep going from that and I tried to enjoy myself on the long walk, taking in my surroundings of nature. It was a sunny day so I tried to smile. I walked for hours on end and decided to switch my direction to right and left a couple of times, I retraced my steps to reassure myself I could find home again, but I was in unfamiliar surroundings while doing so. Eventually I realised, I was lost. The sun was already setting and my stomach rumbled every now and then which I ignored, I started to wonder how long I was walking for. But when I searched my pockets for my phone, I found it wasn't there. I forgot to take it with me. How did I only just notice that? I guess I've been too determined to find him. I ran a little faster because I knew it would be dark soon, so far I've only seen three other people in this forest. Just a couple and their child who were in the park, but they're all heading wherever their home is now, I know it's late. I so desperately wanted to follow them or ask for directions to get home, but I remembered I told myself I'd find Jeff first. I held my arms and kept moving, it was starting to feel cold too.

When the sun was gone I looked up at the early night sky and could start to see stars appearing, I gulped but tried to stay positive. I started shouting for Jeff as I walked faster again, but he didn't come. I was starting to think maybe he wasn't even in the forest, perhaps he went back home? No, I'm just thinking that so I can go home. Either way I tried finding my way back, but I kept shouting his name just in case he was here. When I shouted for Jeff one last time I jumped when I saw a group of men in the distance, they looked like thugs. They all turned to look at me and I felt my heart sink, I saw them rob and beat up an innocent guy, but one of them who I assumed was the leader, pointed straight at me. "You! Little girl, come here!"he shouted at me. The guy who was robbed ran away but the group didn't care, they were interested in me now instead. They all had similar tattoos trailing up their arms, not all of them looked particularly strong but I knew I wasn't a match for any of them.