Outcast (The Darkeningstone Series Book 2) by Mikey Campling Page B
Authors: Mikey Campling
Tags: General Fiction
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my jaw and clucked my tongue against the roof of my mouth and the bitter taste faded a little. It’s better than nothing—just . I stood up and moved along the edge of the clearing until I found another dandelion. I pulled up all the youngest leaves. “Don’t think about it,” I muttered. “Pretend it’s really spinach or rocket or something.” It didn’t work. I had a good handful of leaves, but even though my stomach was grumbling and calling out for food, I just couldn’t face eating the bitter leaves right away. I’d save them for later. Unless something better comes along—then out they go .
I paused and took a breath. The leaves had given me a little energy but now I wanted something more substantial. It was time to get going again. I turned around, scanning the edge of the clearing. There were several narrow tracks leading out into the forest, but which should I take? I chewed at the inside of my cheek. Perhaps the tracks were made by deer coming into the clearing to feed on the grass, but maybe, just maybe, this place could be popular with walkers. After all, it was quite a nice spot, if you liked that whole back-to-nature kind of thing. Thanks but no thanks . I’d had enough nature to last me a lifetime.
Still, if people did come here, then I couldn’t be too far from a road. There would be a way out of there. I just had to keep walking.
I picked a trail that was roughly opposite the path I’d arrived on, and once again, I stepped into the shade beneath the trees. I walked quickly, peering ahead for some sign that the forest was growing thinner. I tilted my head, hoping to hear the distant drone of a car or the mumble of voices, but there was nothing. It was silent, except for the steady clanking of the tools in my backpack and the quiet thud of my feet on the forest floor; the rhythm unchanging, hypnotic. I plodded on, and soon my mouth was dry and my throat tight. I needed water. Water—cool, refreshing, delicious water . My stomach gurgled and I fed another dandelion leaf into my mouth. This time, I hardly noticed the bitter taste.
I walked on, following the narrow, winding path through the ferns; trampling down the layer of dried leaves beneath my feet; taking no notice of the endless trees hemming me in on every side. I walked, and I didn’t even slow down until I smelled the smoke.
I stopped in my tracks and sniffed the air, casting around. Where was it coming from? I sniffed again. It was definitely smoke and was that a hint of cooked meat? A barbeque? My mouth watered and I swallowed hard. “You’re imagining it,” I murmured. But this smoky scent on the air was not the acrid smell of a bonfire or a forest fire, it was the sweet smell of wood smoke. And that could only mean one thing: people. They’ll help me, won’t they?
I ran a hand over my chin. I was alone and in the middle of nowhere. The last person I’d seen had been Robbo and he’d threatened to kill me. What if these people were like him? I shook my head. Very few people were that bad. Surely, just about anyone would give me directions, or even spare me a little water. And I could always approach cautiously. If it looked like there could be trouble, I’d just sneak away back into the forest and I’d have lost nothing. But there was everything to be gained.
I took a deep breath and set off, trying to follow the scent of the smoke. I had to find the fire. There had to be people there. They had to help me. It was my only hope.
Chapter 7
2018
CALLY’S BREATH CAUGHT IN HER CHEST. Her throat tightened. She couldn’t take her eyes off Doctor Seaton’s door as it swung open. And as she stared at the widening gap, her tutor suddenly thrust his face through the opening. His grizzled grey hair was even more awry than usual and his bloodshot eyes were red-rimmed.
“I say,” Seaton said, “there’s no need for that sort of language, Ms. Freeman.”
“Sorry, I…”
“You know how I feel about bloody
I paused and took a breath. The leaves had given me a little energy but now I wanted something more substantial. It was time to get going again. I turned around, scanning the edge of the clearing. There were several narrow tracks leading out into the forest, but which should I take? I chewed at the inside of my cheek. Perhaps the tracks were made by deer coming into the clearing to feed on the grass, but maybe, just maybe, this place could be popular with walkers. After all, it was quite a nice spot, if you liked that whole back-to-nature kind of thing. Thanks but no thanks . I’d had enough nature to last me a lifetime.
Still, if people did come here, then I couldn’t be too far from a road. There would be a way out of there. I just had to keep walking.
I picked a trail that was roughly opposite the path I’d arrived on, and once again, I stepped into the shade beneath the trees. I walked quickly, peering ahead for some sign that the forest was growing thinner. I tilted my head, hoping to hear the distant drone of a car or the mumble of voices, but there was nothing. It was silent, except for the steady clanking of the tools in my backpack and the quiet thud of my feet on the forest floor; the rhythm unchanging, hypnotic. I plodded on, and soon my mouth was dry and my throat tight. I needed water. Water—cool, refreshing, delicious water . My stomach gurgled and I fed another dandelion leaf into my mouth. This time, I hardly noticed the bitter taste.
I walked on, following the narrow, winding path through the ferns; trampling down the layer of dried leaves beneath my feet; taking no notice of the endless trees hemming me in on every side. I walked, and I didn’t even slow down until I smelled the smoke.
I stopped in my tracks and sniffed the air, casting around. Where was it coming from? I sniffed again. It was definitely smoke and was that a hint of cooked meat? A barbeque? My mouth watered and I swallowed hard. “You’re imagining it,” I murmured. But this smoky scent on the air was not the acrid smell of a bonfire or a forest fire, it was the sweet smell of wood smoke. And that could only mean one thing: people. They’ll help me, won’t they?
I ran a hand over my chin. I was alone and in the middle of nowhere. The last person I’d seen had been Robbo and he’d threatened to kill me. What if these people were like him? I shook my head. Very few people were that bad. Surely, just about anyone would give me directions, or even spare me a little water. And I could always approach cautiously. If it looked like there could be trouble, I’d just sneak away back into the forest and I’d have lost nothing. But there was everything to be gained.
I took a deep breath and set off, trying to follow the scent of the smoke. I had to find the fire. There had to be people there. They had to help me. It was my only hope.
Chapter 7
2018
CALLY’S BREATH CAUGHT IN HER CHEST. Her throat tightened. She couldn’t take her eyes off Doctor Seaton’s door as it swung open. And as she stared at the widening gap, her tutor suddenly thrust his face through the opening. His grizzled grey hair was even more awry than usual and his bloodshot eyes were red-rimmed.
“I say,” Seaton said, “there’s no need for that sort of language, Ms. Freeman.”
“Sorry, I…”
“You know how I feel about bloody
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