Freak of Nature

Chapter Twenty-Two

The sun was starting to rise. Kaitlyn had managed to evade capture on two different occasions. For now, she was in the clear. 

Her internal clock informed her she was only twenty-three minutes from civilization if she kept the same pace. The thought brought a sense of relief, along with a pang of fear, and she anxiously tugged her sleeves down to her wrists. Even though the clothes covered her irregularities, she still felt self-conscious. Maybe she wouldn’t be able to pull off being human. What if people could tell just by looking at her that she wasn’t normal? 

She couldn’t help but wonder what kind of strange new world lay ahead. Would she ever be able to find her place in it?

Once she got into town, she had no idea where she was going, and for the first time, she started to doubt the plan that had been set in motion. Life perpetually on the run didn’t sound much better than her previous existence. After a scan of the area to confirm there were no threats nearby, just the normal scurrying of animals, Kaitlyn dropped to the ground and rummaged through the bag. What exactly had Lucas packed away for her? 

He had been planning her escape for a while, it seemed. A driver’s license, passport, and a lot of cash. Kaitlyn studied the driver’s license: Sarah Granger. So she was supposed to start over with a new name. Sarah. She played the name over in her mind, and decided she didn’t like it at all. The ID had an address in Colorado. Maybe that’s where she should go. 

As she pulled out a navy baseball cap and glasses, she was impressed. Frank had drilled in her head that it was the little details that mattered the most. The props would help her blend in, become invisible. 

Kaitlyn twisted her hair into a ponytail, lowered the hat on her head, and slid on the eyeglasses. It would be enough of a disguise to get her by … just in case they had police looking for her, which she doubted. They wouldn’t want to draw attention to her. To be on the safe side, she knew she should cut her hair and change the color when she figured out where she was going. Lucas had said to trust her instincts. Easier said than done. Her mind worked on logic, not instinct. 

Once again, her thoughts drifted to her new memories. She couldn’t stop thinking about the woman who had been raped. Was she okay? Was the attacker—her murderer—caught? For some reason, knowing her old life had ended trying to save someone else made her feel better than if she had been in a car accident. She had no idea why she felt that way. Feelings and emotions were so confusing. She wished there was some kind of manual to help her sort through them. 

Time to move. Kaitlyn continued on the path and soon broke out on to a main highway. She jumped over the railing and strode forward, whipping out the phone and consulting the map. The nearest town was only three miles down the road. Once she got there, she would have to find transportation to get further away. She had to put as much distance between her and the compound as possible. Eventually, she would need to rest; she didn’t want to over-stress her system. She could technically last for days without sleep, but Lucas had told her it was better to get periodic breaks as long as she wasn’t in danger. 

A dark sedan pulled over, and an older man leaned out the window. “Need a lift, sweetheart?”

Caution. Unsure how to respond, Kaitlyn ignored him and kept walking. The man pulled away and continued down the road. Ahead there was a sign that said Maryville, population 1725. 

When the town came into view, Kaitlyn wondered if she would be able to pull it off. She had never interacted with anyone outside of the compound before. From what she could see, it wasn’t much of a town. A few houses lined the street, and there was a run-down gas station on one side across from a diner with a flashing arrow.