Out of the woods

Chapter 1

Leaves crunching beneath my feet. Focus on that.
Focus.
Running.
Movement.
I'm still alive, aren't I?
I can't feel.
I'm numb.
It's closer.
Focus on the air.
You're breathing.
Am I breathing?
Who knows.
A cliff. It drops down.
What now?
I turn around. It's there.
It stopped. It's confused.
I open my arms and fall.
I fall down.
Down into the creek seemingly miles below.

***
"Hey Karlie, can you pass me that soda?"
"Sure," she says, "just let me do something really quick."
She shakes it up.
"Karlie," I whine, "really?!"
But I'm laughing.
It's great to have her as a friend. I can tell her my secrets. We can laugh with each other, just as much as we can laugh at each other. I'm so glad we decided to go on this trip. It'll be great for both of us. We need a break. We left the city and decided to go camping. The crisp air is clear as I breathe, but it's a comforting kind of cold.
My guard walks out of the woods and places some wood he's collected on the ground.
The press doesn't know we're here. My fans don't. It's for the weekend, who cares anyways?
I told my fans on tumblr I won't be able to be in for a few days.
Austin's taking care of my cats.
It's all good.
It's about four right now, and since it's fall it's going to get dark around seven or eight.
I open a new soda, one Karlie didn't shake, and take a sip. It sizzles on my tongue and I drink half the can.
"Taylor," Karlie yells, "want to go on a walk?"
"Sure, let me grab a few things and we'll go," I respond.
My guard comes with me, carrying a few bottles of water. While we're stepping over a fallen tree, Karlie sees this time as an opportunity to say a joke.
"Looks like we're going to need to get out of the woods, huh?" She says this referencing to me new album.
I laugh. It's a good time. I feel content here. Even more than I do at home.
"I wish you wouldn't make such corny jokes about my album," I sigh, "but that's the way it's going to be, isn't it?"
I'm still laughing.
"Don't you mean I wish you would? Wow, I'm hilarious."
She says this right in que.

We hike for a few hours, nothing much happening. I see a spider. We get scared. We go back to the sight at seven.
We roast marshmallows until ten, and we decide to go to our tents.
"G'night guys!" I shout.
I only get two mumbled goodnights in return.
It's been a long day.