Stolen By Him | ✓

day sixty

||DAY 60

She let him sleep on the bed that night. After what happened yesterday, she could tell just how worn out he'd become. So, she took to the floor and let him have her place. He took it easily- not in any place to refuse, or fight back.

She was glad for that.

However, sleeping proved to be difficult. She laid awake most of the night, with Matthew's soft breathing and the sound of the crickets outside as background music. Images of the past twenty-four hours raced through her mind.

How she'd left.

How she'd found someone to help her.

How she'd been assaulted.

But most of all, how Matthew had came to save her.

What was that all about?

Shaking her head, she got up from the futon to head outside for some fresh air. Sleeping at this point was near futile anyway. When she came outside, she decided to go behind the cabin instead- Matthew had never took her that way before. It's probably because there was nothing there, but it couldn't hurt to look.

Her suspicions were confirmed when all she was met with was more trees that led into a denser part of the forest. Right behind the house though, against the wall of the wooden cabin, there was something small that caught her notice. As she came closer, she saw it was two small sticks bounded together with a piece of string.

A cross.

Attached to it was a note.

For the beloved Adam.

His grave may not lie here, but he will always be a part of our hearts.

Lana's eyes began to prick with tears.

"So you found it then?"

She jumped up, wiping the tears away with the back of her hand.

He was standing beside her, just looking, most likely reminiscing.

"I may not act like it, but I really do miss him," he said.

"Of course you do, he was your brother."

"Yeah... We should get going."

She turned to him. His clothes— a simple shirt and shorts— were rumpled from sleeping, but he didn't look as tired as he did yesterday.

"Get going where?"

"Lana, we can't stay here any more. Those guys know about this place. This is first place they'll come looking."

She was about to agree, considering a run-in with six grown men wouldn't work in their favour, but then she realised something.

"How do you even know that?" She asked.

He looked down at the ground, and scuffed his foot into the dense terrain of mud, almost as if he was embarrassed. "I followed you. I was there the whole time."

Lana wanted to scoff in reaction to his reveal, but she wasn't truly sure that incredulity was how she was feeling at that very moment.

"Did you ever believe I'd escape?" She said, her voice suddenly low and soft.

"I couldn't have know for sure. But I had to follow you, just to be sure you were safe."

"And what would've happened if I got out?"

He looked at her, his eyes light from the rays of the morning sun. "Then you got out."

"You know, I would've told on you. The police would've found you out here and taken you away."