I walk for almost half a mile before I’m able to climb up and onto the side of the hill. I can see Matterson’s cabin, my next neighbor which means I was at least two miles away from home. The structure looked like a swift wind would bring it down. I don’t know why he didn’t come out here and tend to it every once in a while. Turning in the direction of my own cabin I start on my trek, luckily, it’s a nice day so I don’t have to worry about snow or anything like that.
I hang the few traps that I did manage to dig up over my shoulder. The clink of that metal should have been the only thing I heard but it wasn’t. I didn’t want to turn around too quickly in case it was an animal, I didn’t want to be seen as a threat. There are more quick footsteps, they seem to be moving too quickly to be a bear. They stop every once in a while before they move again.
No, this is a person. Someone is trying to get the drop on an animal. For fuck’s sake. Like I really needed that shit right now. They might be mistaking me for a bear, I’m wearing dark colors.
Who the hell in their right mind would be out here trying to hunt right now?
I do my best to make sure my movements are smooth and it doesn’t look like I’m going to turn and attack. I don’t have a vest on so if the person shoots that could be it for me.
The second I turn around something small smacks dead into my chest and a hand flies to my mouth. I do my best to push it off but stop when I get a good look.
It’s a woman, dirty, barely clothed, no shoes, tears streaking down her face.
“Please help me.”
6
Dela
This is the fourth time that I’ve made it out. The fourth time that they have been stupid enough to leave me with only one guard. This time instead of one of the Mothers, they left me with an acolyte. I could tell the minute that he picked me up for herb collection that he wasn’t in his right mind. Probably from sleep deprivation. Whatever the reason I was grateful. When I saw him nod off against the tree, I knew it was my chance. Emerson was becoming more and more unbearable. He had become crazed that more of his disciples weren’t giving him the heir that he needed. Doctors were brought in to find out why certain ones of us weren’t giving him offspring. I was one of them and it was identified that I was indeed fertile. He didn’t want to believe that it was indeed his fault that he couldn’t knock me up no matter how rough or forceful he was. Instead, he made me pray harder. Give more penance. He offered me up to his gods more. He locked me in the dark chamber for longer periods, trying to break me. Trying to force me to see the truth in his ways. There was no truth to his ways, he was fucking crazy.
I stumble down the cliff again. This was the same spot that they caught me last time. I have no idea where I am but I know that it must be a different season. The trees all have leaves on them now. I search for the house that I saw the last time but I don’t even know if I’m going in the right direction. I can’t remember which way I saw it.
I hear something crying in the background, I think it might be a deer or something like that but I can’t focus on that. What if they follow the sound? The acolytes know better than to harm me but Emerson will deliver extreme penance. I don’t know how much more I can take.
I keep myself upright as I slide down the side of the steep hill.
“Fuck!” I hiss out as my foot catches on one of the errant branches on the ground and I stumble slightly, not falling all the way thankfully. That was the same shit that happened the last time. I can’t afford to incapacitate myself again. I sit down on my ass and basically slide down, so I won’t have the chance to fall. I make it to solid ground and I no longer hear the animal crying. I don’t know if that is better or worse for me. If that noise isn’t around to distract them, maybe they will be able to hear me better? I feel my breath coming faster and I do my very best to calm myself down. Thankfully there is no snow on the ground but that doesn’t mean that it’s not still cold as hell. When I stand up on the more level ground, I can see the cabin that I saw the last time I managed to make my way out. It looked a little worse for wear but I didn’t really care about that. It was safe. I was sure that whoever was there would help me. There is no way that they wouldn’t. I stop in my tracks at the thought. What if they were part of all this? What if whoever was in that house would take me back to Emerson.
“Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!” I cry silently and pull my fingers through my hair. I’ve seen policemen, politicians, and royalty come to partake in the sacrifices. It would make sense that they would get the public in the area to be on their side. I close my eyes and think about my options.
It doesn’t take long for me to realize that it’s worth my chances. I can hear people running behind me. They are out to find me again.
I take off in a crouched run. I have to get away.
I try to stay behind the trees and pray that the brush and the leaves are enough to hide me. I doubt it though, my cloak is a bright red. It really stands out, still I have to try.
I throw a hand to my mouth in a gasp as a large figure pops up in my peripheral vision. At first, I thought it was a bear, it’s large and dark but it’s walking up right and I can see the flesh color of his hands. It’s a man. He has a walking stick in his hand and a bunch of traps hanging over his shoulder. I don’t say a word.
I know it’s not one of Emerson’s acolytes because he isn’t dressed the right way and I don’t see the tattoo on his neck. Though I can’t see much of his neck from where I’m crouching. Could it really just be my luck that this man is walking through the forest or is it another trick to get me to come out of hiding?
I take a few steps in his direction. When he doesn’t turn around right away. I take a few more. I see him stop, he is trying to listen behind him. If he were one of Emerson’s he would know that it was me. He would have turned and pounced but this man is acting like he doesn’t know who is behind him. I take a few more steps in his direction and I know I have to get to him before he turns around. The last thing I need is for him to say something and draw attention to us. I take off in a run and collide with him just as he is turning around. I put my hand up to his mouth. He tries to move away only slightly before his eyes focus on mine.
“Please help me,” I mouth.
When he doesn’t immediately start calling for the acolytes on my tail, I feel a bit of hope. I squash it back down though. The last thing I need is to be caught off guard right now.
“Please don’t scream,” I whisper, and he nods his head.
I pull my hand down. I can still hear things behind me but now it seems as though they are going in the opposite direction.
“Please help me,” I say again to the man before I turn my head to make sure that they aren’t closer than I think they are.
“What’s wrong?” he whispers back to me.
“They are trying to catch me. I have to get away,” I say as my response.
A flash of anger sweeps through his gaze as he looks over my head into the forest behind me.
“How many?” he grits out and pulls me behind him.
“No, you can’t fight them. Please, let’s go. We need to run.” I pull his coat and pray that it’s enough to stop his line of thoughts. Women the COG treat as if they are precious angels. I’ve seen them kill men that have gotten too close without a care in the world, not even for their own lives. The fact that this man was near me is enough for them to try and shoot him directly in the head. He’s tainting me as Emerson would say.
He looks back to me one more time before he grabs my arm and pulls me in front of him. “Fine, come on.” He gently pushes me until I’m walking ahead of him. His body shielding mine from the back.
A low whistling sound stops me in my tracks.
Guns N’ Roses.
“Don’t stop, I’m here. I won’t let him get you. Keep going,” the large man behind me says as he gently pushes me forward again.
Did Emerson see me? I have no idea if he did. He is going to be so mad.
We turn in the opposite dire
ction of the old cabin that I saw a few minutes ago and go deeper into the woods. It seems as if we are walking back to the sacred spot. I stop again and look at the man. I don’t see the tattoo and I don’t remember ever seeing him on location but what if he was one of them. What if he was just torturing me, making me think that I made it out. Another way to destroy my mind.
“Where are you taking me? Are we going backwards?” I take a few steps back, and he puts his hands up.
“I’m not taking you back anywhere. My cabin is about a mile and a half in that direction. I’m just trying to help you.”
“Are you an acolyte? Are you with the COG?”
He gives me a strange look but doesn’t say anything to deny what I’ve just asked.
“Are you on drugs right now? I can get you some help.” He puts his hands up and takes a step in my direction.
“No, I’m not on drugs.” At least not today. Emerson takes me off when it’s my time of the month to ovulate. He wants to make sure that the heir is clean from the moment of conception until birth. Pure for mother earth. “I asked you a question!” I hiss a little louder. “Are you from COG?”
“I don’t know what a COG is,” the man standing in front of me spits back at me, completely bewildered at least he is making it seem as if he is bewildered.
“C.O.G., The Children of Gaia. Are you one of them, you can’t deny your faith?” I say the same mumbo jumbo Emerson has said to me numerous times. It’s sacrilegious according to him if we deny the goddess that we all serve. I’m hoping that will hold true for all his acolytes as well.
“I still don’t know what the fuck that is.”
I exhale and take another step toward him. He puts his hand out for me and I take it. I hear a branch snap behind us and I swirl around to see what it was. I don’t see anything but I can hear people walking again. They are closer this time but they seem to be walking in the opposite direction where we are walking up hill they are walking down.
The man pulls me in front of him again and we walk quietly and quickly away from whoever is searching.
My tears are still rolling down my face, but now they aren’t from fear but the fact that this man is really trying to help me. I’m almost free.
I made it out.
7
Wyatt
I have no idea if this woman is out of her mind crazy or if she is tripping off some bad shrooms but I can’t deny I hear the footsteps combing the area. There are people searching and if she doesn’t want to get caught I’m going to make sure she isn’t.
It takes us a little longer because she is constantly looking over her shoulder waiting for someone to come out and jump her. On top of that she isn’t properly dressed for a hike. She has on no shoes, a short smock type thing, and that’s it. I don’t know where she lives but she wouldn’t have made it one night in what she has on right now. Even in the spring the temperature can be quite low over here.
I see the top of my cabin and know we are close to being home free.
“Look, see right there. That’s where we are going.”
She wipes her face with the back of her hand and nods. Her arms are bloodied probably from her trying to push her way through the low hanging branches. She is focused on my cabin and doesn’t even look down as she quickly makes her way forward. I see the trap almost too late. I pull her back right as she is about to step on the rusted metal equipment. I use my walking stick to activate it and then pick it up to sling over my shoulder with the rest of the ones I managed to pick up. She stares at me wildly for a second before she blinks and whispers, “Thank you.”
I just nod and we continue on our way.
My cabin has about three hundred feet of cleared land all the way around it. It would mean that we would be completely open and visible. If there was someone watching from a higher elevation, they would be able to see us walking across. I stop her before we take a step out of cover.
“Here, put this on.” I shrug out of my coat, beating myself up a little bit for not giving it to her sooner. “Hopefully this will keep whoever is trying to find you from recognizing you. Hopefully.” I go to drape my arm around her shoulder but she shies away immediately.
“What are you doing?” she asks, staring at me like I’m about to attack her.
“I’m trying to get you close to my side so you aren’t clearly visible from that side. That’s all.” I put my hands back up again and hope that it’s enough to calm her down. She honestly looks like a wounded animal ready to pounce at any given moment. Like the deer in the trap. I know better than to move too fast. She may look harmless now but if I corner her, she may lash out.
“Okay. Okay, you’re right.” She takes a step in my direction and tucks herself into my side. I wrap my arm around her small frame. She is nothing more than skin and bones.
What the hell happened to this woman?
I took a quick glance around to make sure I didn’t see anyone. When I saw that the immediate area was pretty safe, I took a step forward making sure the woman kept up with me. A few steps is all that was needed in order for us to get to the back door of my cabin. The second that we are in, she darts out of my grip and hides against the wall. Falling down to the ground and tucking her knees into her chin.
“Lock the doors. Please lock the doors. They can come here any second.” She scratches at her arms. “It’s too close, they are going to find me here.” She bites at her lips.
“Hey, no one is going to find you.” I try to move a bit closer.
“The doors! Lock them.” she orders again, breathing fast and clearly in hysterics. Her entire body is shaking even though she is still wearing my jacket. I doubt that she is shaking from the cold but instead shock.
“God damn it.” I turn around and lock all the doors and windows, even pulling down the shutters so nothing could get in through the windows. Once all the shutters were down, I lit up a few candles and the fireplace so that there would be some light in the area. She watched me every second. She didn’t trust me. I didn’t think that I trusted her either.
Once I finish doing all that, I walk back over to her. She hasn’t moved from her spot on the floor but at least the shivering has calmed down.
“Is that better? Are you hurt?” I ask though I can see that she is cut up pretty bad, especially her feet.
She doesn’t answer me, just looks at me and continues to scratch at her arms.
“What is your name?”
Nothing.
“Who are you running from?”
Nothing.
“Are you on drugs?” I ask again. Maybe this time she would tell me a different story.
Yet, she didn’t say anything.
I take a few deep breaths, this shit was frustrating as all hell. I have no idea what I’m dealing with or even if this woman is stable. She could try and stab me at any fucking second.
“Fine, if you want to play mute then do that. I’ll just call the police department.” I put my hand in my pocket and pulled out my SAT phone. It was the only thing that worked out here in the boonies.
“No! Please!” She jumps up from her seated position or at least she tries to. She falls back down when her legs won’t hold her weight. “You can’t call the cops.”
“Why the hell not? You need to get some medical attention.” I can give her a Band-Aid and some peroxide but I don’t know what the fuck to do with some of the deeper cuts on her.
“I can take care of it myself. I’m fine, just please don’t call the cops.” She looks up at me, she is on her knees. She is begging me.
“Why?”
“Because, the cops are one of them.”
Fucking hell what did I just get myself into.
“They are one of who. I need you to give me some information here. Let’s start with your name. Who are you?”
“Dela. Delaney Whittle.” Her voice is soft.
“Okay, Dela.” I sit down in a chair that is closer to her, but not so close that it would look like I’m trying to inti
midate her. I’ve seen enough bullshit in my line of work that I know that when someone is scared the last thing that they want is someone practically breathing down their throat. “Who are you running from?”
“The Children of Gaia. Emerson. The acolytes. All of them.”
This is the second time that she has brought this name up. What the hell is that? I’ve never heard of anything called the Children of Gaia. I would need to get more on that later.
“Why are they coming for you? Did you do something wrong? Steal from them?”
“No, I just can’t stay there any longer. They are going to kill me. I had to get out.” She cries harder, her head falling into her hands.
What the fuck. Kill her? I don’t know who is after her but we definitely need to get some backup.
“How long have you been running?”
“Just a few hours. I’m okay.” She tries again to compose herself but I can still see her eyes darting around. Fear is still her number one emotion.
“Do you have someone I can call that could come help you? Parents, husband, friends?” I pull my phone out again.
“No, I have no one.” She runs a hand through her hair. I watch the motion, there is a bright red mark on her wrist. This woman has been tied up somewhere and from the looks of it, it’s been a long time.
“How long have you been with them?”
Her eyebrows scrunch in. “What month is it?”
“It’s May.”
She stares at me, her mouth gaping open like a fish for a second before she closes her eyes as fresh tears start on their way down her face.
“It’s been more than two years.”
Now it’s my turn to stare at her in shock. “Are you saying you’ve been stuck some place for more than two fucking years? Like fucking kidnapped?”
Twisted Steel: An MC Anthology: Second Edition Page 31