Expectations Of Nature

20 - Nothing Matters

Bella and I found ourselves sprawled across the lush, green canvas of the forest floor, taking a well-deserved break after hours of running. I pulled on a baggy t-shirt to cover up while we rested, and Bella wrapped herself in a towel, doing the same.

I leaned back against a sturdy tree, sliding down to the ground, and watched Bella stretch out in a star shape beside me. The run had been long and gruelling. My mind wandered back to the day I first slipped away from Nate's vigilant gaze, the day I got into a heap of trouble for it. I must have been so determined, maybe even trying to shed some weight, to have run that relentlessly without a break.

"You've lost it, Liz," Bella's voice broke through my reverie, her tone a mix of awe and exasperation. "Three hours and we're still not even close."

"Just another hour," I sighed, the fatigue setting in. "But we're not going into their territory as wolves. We need to blend in, and look like travellers in case we run into any hunters."

"So, what, an hour as wolves and then another on foot?" Bella asked, her voice laced with a hint of despair as she looked up at me.

"Not a full hour, but yeah, about half an hour on foot. We've got to pass for humans, just in case we bump into any of those trigger-happy hunters," I clarified, firm in our strategy.

After taking a brief moment to gather our strength, Bella and I shifted back into our wolf forms and set off again, this time heading towards the chilling, almost lifeless expanse of the North Pole. My white fur made me stand out starkly against the green and brown backdrop of our environment, unlike Bella's fur, which was a perfect blend of black and brown, camouflaging seamlessly with the surroundings.

I've always felt like the odd one out during pack runs, the lone white wolf amidst a sea of darker furs. Running alone was always my preference; it felt less conspicuous, less awkward.

An hour later, Bella and I crossed the border into the northern part of the world, making our final stop before the drastic drop in temperature signaled the approaching snow-covered terrain.

Transforming back into our human forms, we quickly changed into winter gear - jackets, hiking pants, and boots, looking every bit the part of campers. With our bags packed, we aimed to belong to a camping site a few kilometres away, a perfect cover for our true purpose.

The forest grew colder as we ventured deeper, transitioning from a senseless chill to being enveloped in snow. The snowfall became heavier, a clear sign we were entering the mountainous region, with the earth beneath our feet shifting from soil to rock.

Then, unexpectedly, we came upon a metal fence blocking our path.

"What the hell?" Bella's voice echoed my own surprise, her breath visible in the cold air as we stood, momentarily halted by this unexpected barrier.

I started walking to the right of the fence, looking for any holes until I found a slit where the fence was ripped off.

"Here," I called Bella, who stood frozen at her spot, looking over the fence curiously.

She swiftly walked my way and looked at the hole I opened for her to squeeze through.

"Why does this place feel so damn cursed, Liz?" Bella quipped with her usual sass as she slipped through a gap in the fence.

"Maybe because it is," I shot back, following her through to the other side without hesitation.

There wasn't a trace of fear or doubt in me as we made our way back to this place. It felt like I was meant to return here, but this time with a clearer head. We pushed on, the forest gradually giving way to the open expanse of a winter tundra.