Fallen From Grace

One

  That condition was not good. The woman was naked and covered in dirt. Her hair, which appeared blonde was tangled and matted with leaves and twigs throughout. Danielle noticed dried blood, bruises, and cuts.

  "Well fuck" She exhaled sharply. This is not a situation she ever expected to find herself. Her phone was an hour's hike back to the house. She couldn't even call for the police or an ambulance. The next closest house with people was at least a 30 minute drive. "How the hell did you wind up here?" She wondered aloud, sensing foul play, her heart hammering in her chest as her eyes darted around once more.

  Duke continued to prod the woman and Danielle hissed at him to stop. Then the woman groaned weakly. She stayed in her place and Danielle wondered what the extent of her injuries might be. Relieved, however that the woman was alive she crouched down and spoke softly.

  "Hello?"
  
  The woman whimpered, but said nothing, still tightly circled at the base of the tree. Danielle was at a loss for what to do. She called out again, a little louder then softly added, "What happened to you? Are you alone? Can you walk?"

  The wind picked up a bit, reminding Danielle of the cooler temperature signaling the upcoming autumn. She looked at the naked woman who shivered and whimpered. She slipped off her flannel, shivering a bit herself as the cool air hit her bare arms, the thin tank top not doing much to keep her warm. She crawled a little closer to the woman and reached out a hand to touch her shoulder. The woman jerked away violently at the contact coming to a seated position and scooting further away. She pulled her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms tightly around them.

  Danielle leaned back on her heels, startled. She held out her shirt, studying the woman's wide eyes, frightened expression. "I'm sorry. I uh, here. It's cold out, put this on" She said jostling the shirt. "I'm Danielle...can you tell me your name?"

  "Kristine" The woman replied softly after a long moment. She hesitantly took the shirt and slipped her arms in. She fumbled with the buttons, her hands shaky and eventually gave up, just pulling the shirt closed tightly. "Thanks" She whispered. Her legs and feet were bare, but the the shirt hung low enough to provide a little bit of modesty.

  A plethora of questions ran through Danielle's mind. She settled on one she'd already asked, "Can you walk?" Danielle figured that she had two options. One: Take Kristine back to her house to call for help. Or two: Leave Kristine in the woods and go back alone to call for help. It didn't feel right to leave a frightened, battered woman alone and practically naked, but Danielle knew she couldn't carry the woman back to her house if she wasn't able to walk.

  "I think so" Kristine mumbled, her words slurred and barely audible.

  Danielle nodded and stood up, holding her hand out for the other woman. Duke sat quietly watching stood alongside his owner. Kristine eyed the big dog before hesitantly putting her hand in Danielle's. She was pulled to her feet and stood on unsteady legs. She allowed Danielle to put an arm around her waist and leaned into the woman's side, afraid she might fall otherwise. She whimpered with every step and Danielle's heart ached for the poor woman, wondering what terrible events must have transpired.

  For the first time since moving to her mountain home, Danielle cursed the fact that she lived in the middle of no where. The hike back to her house would be long and difficult. "I'll take you to my house and we can call for the police" She said, steering Kristine in the direction of home.

  Kristine stayed quiet, focusing her energy on putting one foot in front of the other. Her mind felt clouded, similar to being hungover and her movements were no where near what they should be. She stumbled often as they trekked through the woods, her head pounding and body aching.

   After what seemed like forever, the house came into view. Danielle sighed  with relief and Duke bounded up the front step to wait for the women by the door. She sat Kristine down on the couch and went in search of her cell phone, talking quietly to herself as she often did.
 
  "Don't call the police!" Kristine croaked as clarity begin to chase out the fog in her brain. "Please."

  Danielle furrowed her brow, phone in hand. What kind of trouble was this woman in, she thought to herself. "An ambulance then?" She asked, confused and suddenly wary.

  "No" Kristine replied softly.

  "And why not?" Danielle asked.

  Kristine looked down at her hands, which she'd tucked between her knees. "I-I I'm just not ready yet" she stuttered.

  "What do you mean 'not ready?'"

  "I'm just not ready yet" she repeated softly. Her sad blue eyes met Danielle's with a pleading look. She looked so small and afraid.

  "What happened to you?" Danielle demanded. She didn't mean to come off stern or rude, but Kristine's sudden behavior put her on guard. She didn't sign up for this.

  Kristine flinched slightly at Danielle's tone and hesitated a moment. Her eyes begun to water and she looked up at the ceiling, warding off tears that fell anyway. Danielle instantly regretted her words, but still wanted to know what the hell was going on. She sat beside Kristine, leaving plenty of space between them and asked softer, "Please tell me what's going on. What sort of trouble are you in?"