The Story Of Sarelle (Twilight)

Chapter 15

Sunset caused the forest to glow with a mix of greeen and orange light.

My daylight time was running out fast and the only reassurance I had was the now definite tingle that surrounded me in the air.

I had tried several times to trigger the jump. I'd stood still and just focussed my mind on the sensation that took over my body when I jumped, trying to imagine it into fruition. I had even tried taking deep electrified breaths of the woodsy air, hoping that I might absorb the tingle through my lungs.

Nothing worked and now I had run out of energy. My body was weak and I couldn't find it in me to move forward through the forest, or use my mind to find a way out of this maze.

I wanted food and water. I even dared to dream of a nice hot bath to bathe my aching muscles.

I felt my body slacken into a resigned posture of limp arms and sprawled out legs, as I rested against my sack.

I would just wait here in my vulnerable and feeble state, until something else made the decision for me to either jump, move, or die.

The tiredness that made my limbs heavy was causing my whole mind to become directionless and nothing more than a haze of the past few hours. Apathy ruled my being, and I felt my senses dull to my surroundings as I stared off into space.

I knew the weakness I felt wasn't really due to my lack of nutrition because I had survived on far less than I had eaten recently. Instead, I found that, for once in my life, I had no objective. There was nothing for me to feasible work towards. There may have been the hunt for civilisation to occupy my time but right now my own indecision of what to do meant that I couldn't find the energy, or drive, to really find a way out of this forest.

Perhaps a worn out part of me didn't want to.

After all if I did find civilisation, what would be waiting for me?

I had no family to welcome me home, no friends to stay and live with, no place to call my own. I didn't even have knowledge or understanding of where I was.

I had spent so much of my travelling life having to work at living whilst others did it with ease. For once I wanted to relax and know the jump wasn't coming. I wanted the chance to live my life as everyone else did. I wanted to be able to build a home around me and know that it wouldn't crumble before my eyes , as if it were merely build of sand and nothing more.

Why had I been made to live this life? What was it about me that meant I should be chosen to have a half lived existence?

I felt anger boil in me and with it came the energy to fight.

I had come to this point of frustration and apathy so many times, and every time I had picked myself back up and started my life again as usual. This time would be no different.

I forced my aching legs to stand myself up and took a deep breath of revitalising air.

A look to the sky told me I would only have an hour of sunlight left before darkness descended upon me.

I doubted I would find a way out of this place in that short hour but I could at least find a clearing or cave to sleep in. It wasn't like I wasn't used to sleeping in the night's sky, or without comfort. I had done it before and I could do it now. I didn't even fear the dark anymore because, for some reason, I always felt like Aslo was with me. Like those many times he had watched over me as I slept in my pitch black cell in the asylum.

I marched with determination through the forest once again, but this time I had not thoughts of giving up and giving in. I had a goal in mind and a course to follow.