Icy droplets struck my forehead repeatedly, arousing me further from slumber. An excruciating sensation flooded into my system and wrapped its tendrils around my body making me cringe in agony. It radiated from my chest and spread throughout my body. With each gulp of air heaved into my lungs, it felt as if I had inhaled shards of glass. I carefully rolled onto my side in an attempt to quell the pain, but was unsuccessful, so I decided to lie on my back. An intense pain momentarily paralyzed me. As a result, my breathing became shallower. I opened my eyes to investigate the source. To my surprise, a chunk of lustrous metal was embedded in my chest cavity. Blood exuded from the wound and pooled around my collar bone.
I staggered up onto my feet and waved my arms frantically in search of something stable to balance me. My head spun wildly making me nauseated. I propped myself up against a tree and slowed my breathing to gather myself. From where I was situated, my eyes caught a glimpse of an odd object hidden among the bushes; water from the rain trickled down its smooth chestnut surface. Cautiously, I reached for it and tenderly moved the leaves aside to pick it up. It was a small leather purse. I unzipped it and pulled out its contents: a pocket knife, a set of keys, a picture of a middle aged man in uniform, and a wallet with two pieces of I.D. The only conjecture I could formulate to whom the owner of these items belonged to was me, especially since it was in close proximity to where I was. With that in mind, I put everything back into the purse and hung the long thin strap over my shoulder.
If I was going to survive, I had to find a way out. I was lost in the middle of a dense wooded area. It appeared to be hopeless considering that my eyes weren’t able to pick up any sign of civilization in any direction they scanned. Nonetheless, I brazenly took a step forward. My feeble legs buckled under the weight of my body, throwing me to the ground. A blood curdling shriek escaped my lips as tears streamed down my cheeks. I held myself up and coughed. Drips of blood painted a few leaves a deep crimson color. I wiped the left over blood off my chapped lips.
My foot dug into the mucky soil barely pushing me forward. I crawled up to the top a hill before attempting to stand up again. Exasperated, my body collided onto a tree. I held onto it for dear life, wrapping my arms around it. Steam spiralled from my flared nostrils as I recollected myself. The frigid breeze nipped at my skin unforgivingly; the pain was unbearable. It felt as if someone had struck each of my fingers with a hammer.
I steadily stood back from the tree and when I had my bearings, I carried on. My gate was quite wobbly, but I managed.
In the distance, I noticed something out of place. It was difficult to see what it was with the vegetation blocking most of it. I gained more ground before discovering what it was. It was a thin windy road. Excitement from the sight of it overwhelmed me and propelled me into a lame run. I jolted to an abrupt stop and crumbled to the ground when my foot struck pavement. A clump formed at the back of my throat, so I forcefully hacked away to get it out. I ended up spewing blood all over the cement. That’s not good, I thought to myself.
Nausea plagued my stomach. Then a horrid sensation clawed at my throat, so I leaned forward and gagged until blood gushed out soaking me and a bit of the road. Relieved the sensation from my stomach had vanished, I exhaled deeply. All that was left now was the immense abdominal pain. In dismay, I glanced in both directions. To my astonishment, I spotted a pickup truck. Its shiny black exterior glistened. Even at close range, I was unable to see the driver as the windshield reflected everything from the sky to the trees towering the long road. The pickup truck zoomed past me. Then, it veered to a halt. A middle aged man climbed out of the driver’s side and made his way over to me where he knelt down. “Oh my, are you okay, ma’am?” his horrified face traced me.
“Not really,” my voice was coarse.
He gently touched the metal bit lodged in my chest. I slapped his hand away from me. “I can’t take this out. You need to go to a hospital immediately,” he mumbled coherently, helping me up onto my feet.
