Vermillion Dawn

[12] Somewhere

I was going to die out here. 

I grit my teeth, kicking at a tuff of unsuspecting grass as I walked. I messed up so bad, even Rincho would be sorely disappointed. I shouldn't have jumped in that river, I should have headed uphill and followed the ridge tops. I had gotten myself into a pretty ugly predicament and I didn't think I was going to get out of this one. 

It was day two and I saw absolutely nothing. 

I thought about my final days at Redwood, a place I was beginning to accept that I would never see again, and I hated myself. I was so focused on getting out of there and seeing the world. But this? I didn't want to be here. Rincho had known all along, that's why he kept denying me from going on raids for the men. He knew and that's what I hated. 

He had always been a man of secrets, but he never led me wrong, and I was stupid not to trust his vague decisions. I was just rebellious, hot-headed, and I often acted before I thought. There was no room for regret until after it was all said and done. Maybe that's why I was never allowed on the raids. Most likely Rincho knew that and I would have seriously jeopardized the whole operation. I cringed. 

My stomach was aching for food. I grimaced and placed my arm around my midsection, as if that would solve any of my problems. I glanced up at the sun, it was slowly crawling into the sky directly above me. I would keep it at my back during the morning and then I would follow it in the afternoon, it was an easy enough guide. I was lucky that it had been clear skies so far, I wouldn't be able to move if it rained because I had no sense of direction. 

As if the very weather sensed my thoughts and decided to make my day even worse, I noticed clouds gathering as time drug on. I furrowed my brow, what was I going to do if the sun disappeared? A distant rumble of thunder taunted me and I grew panicky. I knew better but I couldn't help myself. I was already lost enough. 

I quickened my pace, ignoring the sluggish ache of my limbs. I felt like a walking corpse and all of my energy was focused on moving, all of which was dwindling. I was hungry, thirsty, and lost. A perfect combination. I moved across more deserted land and I noticed that the trees were growing fewer and farther between. 

I was left in darkness when the heavy clouds stole away the sun. I stopped, glancing at the looming sky. A flash of lightning almost blinded me and a loud crack of thunder had me ducking. As if that would do anything. In the next minute, rain descended upon the earth with vigorous intentions. I was drenched to the bone before I could even blink. I swiped at my eyes, trying to clear my vision, and I decided to keep moving. 

It was probably my stupidest decision yet. I couldn't see any more than a foot ahead of myself. Only the persistent flash of lightning kept me from running into trees. My feet were soaked with mud and I had to focus on not falling flat on my face. I didn't know where I was going, I just wanted to get out of the rain. It had been late afternoon according to the sun before it left, so that meant night would fall soon and I didn't need to catch pneumonia. 

My clothes stuck to me like a second skin and I itched at my arms. With my hair plastered to my neck, I was growing chilly the longer it poured. Suddenly, I lost my footing and instead of landing on a soft meadow of grass, I slammed against a concrete surface. 

I groaned and then pushed myself up. I swiped at my eyes and I blinked. A road. I had fallen onto a road. I quickly stood, rubbing my stinging palms on my wet jeans. Black concrete stretched before me with a single dotted line. I looked in both directions as another flash of lightning illuminated my environment. There was still a forest surrounding me and I had fallen from the bank that rose along the sides of the road. 

I chose one direction and I started walking. A road had to lead somewhere. It had to connect civilizations. Although I knew nobody would be there, every place had been abandoned after the wars, I crossed my fingers that I would find food. Something. I needed supplies, especially a weapon. I needed to have some luck on my side for once. 

I don't know how long I wandered the road, keeping the dotted line between my feet. I felt like I had walked ten miles. I was ready to drop. I sighed, rubbing my face. My skin was irritated from being soaked for so long, the downpour showed no signs of relenting, and I could feel a cool breeze moving in that sent a chill down my spine. Night was coming and I hadn't found shelter yet. 

Eventually, I stopped. I leaned down, bracing myself on my knees as I felt like dry heaving. I was nauseous. Was that sign of pneumonia? God, I hoped not. I wiped the corner of my mouth, rainwater constantly running off my skin, and then I glanced up. 

At that moment, a flash of lightning illuminated the dark once more. I gasped. I saw buildings. They were hardly visible because I was still a little ways away but I could see their looming structures. I began moving with renewed vigor. I could find shelter and wait this storm out. I passed a dilapidated car that had crashed into the ditch. I cringed. Hopefully, there weren't bodies. I would scavage in the morning, for now, my only focus was to escape this torrential downpour. 

I didn't shy away from the haunting buildings as flashes of lightning lit up broken windows, ajar doors, and a path of debris that spread from one building to the next. Abandoned cars sat in the street, their doors left open and their windows busted, I hobbled closer to one of the buildings. I waited until another flash of lightning showed me what I was looking at and I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw an empty room beyond. 

I carefully crawled into the dark space and then I scooted until I found a corner. I wedged myself in, feeling a little safer, and then I breathed a sigh of relief. The rain was no longer soaking my skin and I was chilled to the bone but my exhaustion from the day quickly took over. The rumbling of thunder grew distant as I lost consciousness. 

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Oh boy, what do we think she'll find in the morning? Trouble? 

Sorry about the delay, sometimes my attention can be sucked into one book alone and I forget to write for the rest. Its always been a balancing act for me to write more than one novel at once and I'm currently working on four *nervous laughter*