It all starts with goodbye

Chapter 2

The first thing I felt was my shoulder, then my leg. It was burning.

It took me a few seconds to be fully conscious. As my senses returned, I felt that I was moving, probably in a car.

I felt stunned by the pain, my fingers nailed by what I assumed was my blood, but I was too dizzy to open my eyes to check it out.

As my senses continued to sharpen, I began to understand parts of the conversation from the two people in the front seat.

"I didn't want to kill him, but I had to. One of us had to do it, or he would bring more cops in."

"Perhaps he would not. Now we won't know because you broke his goddamn head."

It took me a while to realize they were talking about me. A shiver ran down my spine, and I thanked heaven for not making any noise while I woke up, given the pain I felt.

"I think we are far enough."

"You don't get to decide where is 'far enough.' You got us into this sick mess, and now the whole police are going to be after us. I'll park when I feel like doing it."

My head was spinning, and my stomach was twisting. I felt like crying, vomiting, or running, but I just stayed there, lying down, struggling to breathe, and trying to go unnoticed.

It didn't take whoever the male driver was more than two minutes until I felt the car stopping. I heard their door opening and how they got down from the vehicle.

I didn't know what they would do, and I could only pray in silence that they wouldn't realize that I was awake.

They were screaming at one another, raging about who was guilty of killing me.

The car's back door opened with a dry noise, and someone pulled me by my feet.

I thought I would pass out again from the pain that went up to my right leg, taking over my whole body, and I couldn't help a groan escaping my lips. Luckily, they were too busy yelling at each other to hear.

"Hey, be careful. You must respect the dead, don't you know, you idiot?"

My legs were now out of the car when I heard someone else stepping in. He gently dragged me out. Whoever it was, he placed me gently on the ground while he murmured a prayer asking for redemption for his sins.

I remained on the cold ground with the taste of earth and good iron until I no longer heard the car's engine's noise.

When I dared to move, I started by blinking slowly. I felt so much pain, yet so much joy at being alive that my eyes filled with tears.

When I finally managed to sit, I looked around, trying to recognize where I was, but I only noticed it was getting dark already.

By the look of it, they left me in the middle of a forest on an almost invisible dirt road.

The road was vanishing among the wild woods and the uncontrolled grass.

I was still bleeding, and I tried to tourniquet my wounds before I started walking.

I didn't know where I should head to—my head kept spinning, as did my stomach, and I didn't know which direction I should take. Everything was confusing.

For some unexplained reason, I went left, a decision that shaped the entire course of my life.

It didn't take long, and the stars started shining in the sky where they were supposed to be. I tried not to worry about animals who also were where they were supposed to be and focused on putting one foot in front of the other.

It was painful, and I didn't know what kept me going, but I did. Slowly, limping and crying.

Before the night completely fell, I saw something on the horizon that shone brighter than a star. I couldn't believe my eyes.

I quickened my pace, half limping, half dragging. I felt my strength drawn with the blood that continued to soak my clothes and fingers.

It was a small hut!

I wanted to scream and let whoever was in there know that I was still alive. I was still fighting for my life.

But my strength was centered on my legs, and it was just enough to reach the small front porch.

My knees buckled, and a squeak came out from my lips.

The door opened, and my eyes closed, again enveloping me in darkness darker than the worst of my nightmares.