Straight Into Darkness - Deserted Lands #2

Chapter One [Final Beta]

"Where are you going, Miss?" His hands grasped hers.

Her brain spun. Act dumb. She stared at him, trying to look confused. She cocked her head to the side and moved her mouth without any sounds coming out.

"Don't know your game, but you're not one of them–"

Lizzie slumped. "Dog people?"

He relaxed and let go. She twisted and ran. Back the way she'd come.

"Don't do this, girly." He huffed after her.

In moments her side started aching. He was too close, his breath came in bursts. Then up ahead she saw the dog-lady. She ran towards her and spun her around to face the cop. Lizzie pushed herself hard to get an extra burst of speed. She couldn't hear the officer's heavy breath so she hazarded a glance back. The officer was bent over helping the dog-lady stand. A moment of guilt tore at Lizzie's heart as she ran on.

Her mission should have been easy. The night curfew meant no one on the streets, no one but patrols. Her mistake. She needed to get the rest of the way out of The City and into the suburbs quickly. The railroad track cut across her path. She headed down into the ditch beside it.

Lizzie stumbled along the rocks and discarded old railroad ties for a couple miles, her breath coming in ragged puffs, until she came to the next place the tracks crossed a street. She veered off onto the street again, giving up concealment for the luxury of easier travel. These streets were blown clean of snow,and she ran, ignoring the stitch in her side. But the pain grew until she was forced to slow to a brisk walk.

She clutched her side for a few more steps and then her hand slid down to her belly. Maybe the little guy couldn't take all this excitement. She pulled out her phone and checked the directions.

It still amazed her how things like cell signal and GPS worked when there wasn't anyone left running the utilities. Glen had barraged her with techno-talk attempting to explain. It left her with a headache, all she knew was a lot of stuff was automated. If he had said that in the first place, it would have been so much easier but that was Glen, tech-support teacher-man.

The hill ahead gave a good vantage point to watch her path and see if anyone followed. She hunkered down behind a parked car and watched through its snow-dusted windows. Her heart and breathing began to return to normal.

She twisted her scarf one more loop around her neck to keep it out of the slush. A Christmas present from Mannie, who hadn't shared a Christmas with her since she was two. Christmas had been strange, but good. She missed Mama and Jayce, especially Jayce. She still wore his calculator watch, the one he'd gotten last Christmas. She still wished she had taken a few pictures with her when she had bugged out of Bellingham. Her cell phone with all the saved messages and memories was lost. Maybe that's what she would do if she left Provo. Go back to Bellingham for her photo albums.

She scanned the distance. The only thing moving was her shivering self. She would kill for one drink and one cigarette. It would get her warmed up, and how much harm could that do? But the heat wouldn't be real and she'd probably die out here like the little match girl.

Lizzie pulled out her phone and slid her nose across the screen to unlock it with out taking off her bulky gloves. Saj's toddler grin greeted her as it came to life. She would have new baby photos soon too. A new collection of memories–she would not let these ones go so easily.

The phone buzzed and startled Lizzie; it slipped from her fingers. She fought to grab it but only managed to bounce it off her thigh and onto her foot before it skidded across the road and into the snow.

Shit.

Maybe she better liberate another phone or two from houses on the way, and get Glen to set them up on the cloud. She pulled it out of the snow and wiped it off. The rubber case was scuffed, but the buzzing continued.