Cimmerian Shade

Ch. 1 "Running Away will Never Make you Free" -Kenny Loggins

Pineland Village, South Carolina— Winter of 1822

She was running.  The word she continuously cycled through her head. Run, Run, Run! She tried to ignore the pounding of her heart and the sharp jagged edges of the rocks and stickers below her bare feet. She had certainly endured more pain than this before in her short twenty-one years. The pain was barely recognizable since she only focused on the task at hand, to get away. To find some form of freedom. The weeds, wet from the early morning dew, slapped against her worn cotton nightgown in protest; and her brown satchel struck against her thighs as she raced away from the only home she had ever known. In the distance, dogs barked frantically. As a result, her heart rate escalated, which seemed pretty impossible as it already felt as if it would pop right out of her chest.

            She ran down a hill and towards a patch of forestry to find refuge in the dense foliage. Sunlight was just beginning to peek over the horizon, casting an orange glow to the field she was running through. If not for her circumstances she would have stood still in the midst of the field, soaking up the sun, forgetting for a moment who she was, and what life she was born into. As the sun started to rise her feet only pounded the rough ground faster. She had to make it to her destination before they could see her, or worse, catch up with her.

            As soon as she reached the beginning of the woods, she froze. Her blood ran cold and goose bumps began to surface upon her arms and legs. The trees completely blocked out what little light the sun gave off. One step into the woods and she would be immersed in complete darkness. She hated the darkness; she hated the night. It was her greatest fear and worst enemy. But she couldn’t stand there forever. There was a penalty for running away and she wasn’t willing to pay the price. She wouldn’t. Too much blood had already been spilled. She couldn’t let the demise of others be in vain. Guilt plagued her as she thought of the family and friends she had left behind, yet, she pushed the thought aside as she focused on what she had to do.

            Taking a deep breath, Alla took her first step into the woods. She had no doubt that the area would be searched and that time was indeed limited. The dogs’ barking grew louder, she had to hurry. She ran for what seemed like an eternity, but finally halted when she came up to a large boulder. Walking around it; she saw an entrance. Vines and shrubs hugged the boulder, covering her tiny hiding spot. She crawled inside the damp hole; hoping no animal chose to make their new home in the place she had chosen as her own for the next few hours. Once in the secluded area, she took the satchel from her shoulder, and rifled through it until she found a small shirt. She didn’t have many clothes but to get away a sacrifice was necessary. She held up the raggedy shirt and briefly cradled it to her chest. She would miss it. She had such few things that she could truly call her own.

             With her shirt in hand, she peeked out of the vines and shrubs; making sure that no one was around. Satisfied that she was still alone for the time being, she began running in the opposite direction of her hiding spot. It felt as if she were being squeezed by the darkness, as if it were encompassing her. Shaking the feeling, she continued on the task at hand. As she ran she rubbed her top on random trees, rocks and bushes. She didn’t know if her plan would work but had to try. When she had covered quite a distance she stripped off her nightgown and buried it along with her shirt in the soft soil. Afterwards, she bolted back to her hiding spot and crouched inside. Her heart pounded from exertion as she reached into her bag and pulled out a beige colored dress. Shivering, she pulled the garment over her head and once covered, wrapped her arms around her legs, rocking back and forth.

            Obtaining some kind of warmth in the woods where the sun was blocked was nearly impossible, but in the hole it was freezing. She would have to stay put until darkness fell. She was certain that she would not be searched for at night. Everyone knew of her night horrors…and how they had started. Physically shaking the thought she started rubbing her chilled arms but stopped cold at the sound of a very deep growl. Making every effort to control her breathing she kept still. Then she heard them.