In The Heat

Chapter One

In The Heat

Chapter One

Caroline Ryder

            I sucked in as much air as I could. It didn't matter though, the humidity was too high for me to get a clear breath. The air clung to my throat and lungs, becoming stuck before it could reach the parts of my body that needed it the most. Like my legs. They were burning.

            I pressed two fingers to the shallow of my throat, counting my pulse out of habit more so than for any sort of real measurement. Taking my pulse after a run was more of a comfort thing than it was for health reasons. I wasn't even sure how many times my heart was supposed to beat in one minute.

            Stretching my hands over my head, I appraised the scene before me. I was standing at the edge of a large cliff that jutted out the side of Mt. Timbre and overlooked Blue Maple Valley. The mountain was wolf territory, the valley was a mixture. I tended to stay on the mountain.      

            It was only ten in the morning but the heat had already begun to peak. This summer had started off with a two week long heat wave that had most people laid out on their backs with a glass of lemonade perched dangerously on their chest.

            I dragged my hand across my head and let out a long breath. The tingled pain in my throat and chest was starting to ebb as I stood there. I followed the lines of trees and hills and other mountains as they curved across the blue sky. Without clouds to block the sun, I had to hold my hand up and squint to follow the line of the river, which cut right through the heart of the valley.

            I jogged often and sprinted more often than I jogged. I found exercise to be the only thing with the ability to keep my head clear. If I went too long without feeling the aching burn in my chest than that same feeling would sink into my mind and scramble everything up. It was better to run regularly than play catch-up.

            The mountain I lived on provided a challenge in the ways of running. I appreciated this. Every morning I was leaping over brooks, dodging low slung branches, skirting around boulders and staying clear of pitfalls and sheer drops. Obstacles were another good way to keep the mind away from heavy topics.

            I took a second with my eyes closed, breathing in the soupy air, allowing myself for one terrible moment to think  of him. When my eyes opened the moment had passed and all thoughts had fled from my brain with only one remaining; home.

            I turned my back on the valley and started at a steady speed, not picking up the pace until my legs felt warmed up. I sprinted until I came up to the outskirts of my property, slowing to a walk as I entered the backyard.

            My mother was kneeling over her small garden, her hands and face covered in long smears of dirt. She perked up when I broke the tree line, turning to smile. Wrinkles gathered at the corners of her eyes as she wandered over to me, tucking her gloves into the front pocket of her overalls.

            "Where did you run to, Caroline?"

            I shrugged, kissing her cheek. "The usual spot."

            My mother grasped my elbow. "Libby and Mick stopped by." It always felt like dry ice was sneaking its way through my veins when I heard this news. My eyes lingered on the back of my house for a moment before I forced myself to smile.

            "Are they inside?"

            My mother was the only one who ever saw through me. "Oh, Caroline. You don't have to, you can leave. Mick will understand, you know he understands." He didn't.