Hunting Silver

Chapter 40

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CHAPTER FORTY

I was running. Running away; something I always did when I couldn’t think of a better alternative in dealing with life.

I didn’t know where I was going. Tears were clouding my vision that I was surprised I hadn’t tripped or bumped into anyone or anything yet. My chest was rising and falling so fast and yet I still felt like I wasn’t having enough breath.

I couldn’t describe what I was feeling. It was beyond… frustrated… hurt… betrayed.

Seriously, a prostitute? That was too much. And to think it was the one I loved the most who called me… that… Godforsaken word.

I forced myself to stop when it felt like my lungs were going to burst if I continued running a second more. I wiped my eyes from tears vigorously with the back of my hand as I sat on the ground, not having the energy to stay standing anymore. Well, if you ran the way I did, it’s not much of a shocker.

My sobs slightly subsided until they turned into hiccups, but the waterworks were still there. I blinked rapidly to clear my vision and looked around when I felt like I was sitting on something soft.

I gaped at what I saw, momentarily forgetting the reason why I got here in the first place.

How did I manage to run from school all the way to a forest? I didn’t suck in directions that much, so I knew that the nearest woods from school was about ten miles or so. And I was pretty sure I ran for no more than fifteen minutes. If I was mistaken, then I must be nuts. Or I just magically turned into a car that didn’t know what a speedometer was.

I was surrounded by trees – given that I was in a forest. Fresh, green, slightly long grasses were what was cushioning me from the ground, and a few meters away from me was a river, with its clear water sparkling because of the sun above. A pair of huge rocks was placed at both sides of the river, as if it was purposely placed there like guardians. Flowers I had never seen before – even with my Mommy’s garden, and that was saying something – were either sprouting from the ground or sticking out of bushes. The trees actually had fruits like apples, mangoes, and all those that were in season. And the most amazing thing was, animals were actually present, showing themselves to me as if they were begging to be petted and willing to play with me. Rabbits, squirrels, calves, even frogs. Butterflies, dragonflies and bees were roaming around, some feeding on nectars.

This place was paradise. Before, I had only seen places like this in magazines or tv shows. This was like a perfect escape from the outside world. A place where… you would like to get lost in, especially if where you came from was giving you miseries. I wouldn't abandon Westmount and the people there, not after everything I had earned. I would just stay here, maybe for the rest of the day, and simply forget. Forget and be with nature instead of… people.

I inhaled a big intake of breath and tried my best to regain my normal breathing pace. I used the hem of my shirt to wipe my face and felt somewhat relieved that my tear ducts decided to take a much needed rest before I die of dehydration. I was completely silent as I stared back to the little animals that seemed to be studying me. One thing I was sure of about them, was that they would scurry away if I tried getting anywhere nearer to them. If they wanted me to touch them, they would go to me. I just had to wait.