From the Woods by Charlotte Greene

Author:Charlotte Greene [Greene, Charlotte]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Bold Strokes Books
Published: 2020-12-14T23:00:00+00:00

Chapter Thirteen

The burst of adrenaline kept Fiona going for a long time. In fact, she didn’t even feel tired for several minutes. She kept her attention on the back of Roz’s head, several yards away and occasionally slipping away into the trees. She would push herself then, her legs a whirl of speed, and suddenly see the other woman again. They were running too hard to give her a chance to glance behind them, but she was fairly certain that if someone was chasing them, she would have heard them coming, even over her gasping breath.

They maintained this tortuous speed long past the point at which the initial scare had worn off. Fiona could feel herself starting to slow, her legs no longer willing to do what she told them. She was sure she would fall so far behind Roz she’d be lost forever. If Roz turned somewhere too quickly or sharply, she would never find her again.

Roz appeared then, suddenly, hiding partly behind an enormous tree, gesturing wildly at Fiona. Fiona made herself put the last of her energy into a final burst of speed, sailing over several fallen logs and rocks, finally catching up. Roz dragged her behind the tree and roughly pushed the straps of the backpack off Fiona’s shoulders, slipping it onto her own back a moment later. She let Fiona catch her breath and then grabbed her arm, pulling her close. She was still whispering.

“We’re almost to the rock scramble. It’s maybe half a mile from here.” She pointed forward in the direction they’d been running. “We’re going to have to go down it as quickly as possible.”

“Did they see you?” Fiona said, staring around the tree, back into the woods behind them.

Roz shook her hard. “I don’t think so. But they definitely heard that sound you made.”

“I’m sorry.”

Roz lifted one shoulder. Nothing could be done about it now.

“What did you—”

“Shh!” Roz suddenly said, slapping a hand over Fiona’s mouth.

Fiona struggled and then froze, hearing something coming from the woods. She and Roz stared back the way they came, waiting, but didn’t see anything. They could hear, however, the sound of breaking branches. Even during the seconds that they listened, Fiona could tell that whatever it was, it was getting closer, coming from at least two different directions directly toward them.

Roz gestured for her to follow, and the two of them broke into a light trot away from the sounds. As they fled, Roz seemed a little more hesitant, pausing more often before moving forward again.

Finally, it was lighter ahead of them through the woods, and before long, Fiona could see the sky opening up beyond the edge of the trees where the rock scramble began. They paused there, staring down the long, treacherous valley of broken boulders and stones. Roz groaned and slapped the tree next to her, clearly furious.

“Damn it. I knew it.”

“What?” Fiona asked.

“We’re off course. I got thrown off by that little jog of ours. I thought it might happen after our last stop, but I wasn’t sure.

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