right now. So she sat against a rock and drew her knees to her chest and dozed. It wasn’t restful, for every little sound woke her. Bugs skittering across the rocks, cries of animals, and occasionally, one screeched before silence reigned. Death was all around her.
Still, she felt a wee bit better when she woke and readied to continue on. The splinters of dawn’s first light informed her, despite how exhausted she still remained, she’d rested longer than first planned.
She drank a bit, finishing off the first canteen, and ate another MRE. Feeling better, she checked her supply. Not many meals left either, but in her defense, she’d not counted on running for her life…what was it now…four days? There was water there. Or there had been.
On her feet, Affrica grabbed her stick and set out, ignoring each and every one of her aches and pains. Of which there were quite a few. She checked her compass and got moving, knowing exactly where she needed to go.
She passed snakes, spiders, and more as she—as her brother referred to it—humped it the remaining distance. It wasn’t easy, moving fast and trying to remain invisible. I’m getting Adrian to teach me more if I make it. When, when , I make it out of here.
The sun burned high in the sky as she struggled to put one foot in front of the other. She could see the trees she’d been aiming for—they were about five hundred yards away. Seconds later, shots rang out, and she bit back her scream as a bolt of fire streaked across her arm.
She stumbled back, hand gripping her bloody arm. Shit! They had beaten her to the copse of trees. Chest heaving and lungs burning, she whirled around and headed back to the rocks, refusing to stand out in the open like a fool.
Running hard, she zigged and zagged every step of the way. Bullets spat around her, digging into the ground and making her wish fervently she resided anywhere but there.
Ten yards. Eight. Six. Four. Two. Finally, she reached the rocks and lunged up into them, desperate for shelter.
Scrambling, she hid herself, hoping no blood drips would lead them to her. She waited, frozen for a moment, until her lungs seemed not to strain so much. Then, with shaking hands, she tore off part of her bandage on her other arm and tied it around her latest injury. It burned like a bitch but she did her best not to cry out.
Shallow breaths kept her centered as she tried not to scream like a girl. I am a girl! I can scream like one. She was out of options. That much was obvious, even as she snuck along searching for a place to hole up. Her half container of water would only get her so far. They—whoever they were—had the only water supply around surrounded.
Options? I can do my best here to avoid them and last as long as I can without more water. Or I could surrender and most likely be raped and then killed.
Not much as far as choices went. She moved farther back and finally discovered a small crevice. Doing a swift creature check, she climbed in as far as she could. It was uncomfortable and painful but well hidden, so she stayed.
Time passed, and she stiffened when a snake appeared, slithered in, and curled up at the entrance. Could be worse. I could be petrified of the creatures. She wasn’t scared, but she did have a healthy respect for all snakes. And, from her position, she had no idea what kind it was.
From where she’d wedged herself, she could just see down the outcropping and to the ground below. Twenty or so men moved toward her. Fear rose, and she struggled to combat it. She really didn’t want to die, but from where she sat, it seemed inevitable.
Although, searching everywhere would take a while. One man moved ahead.
“Affrica! Affrica! Answer me, Affrica!”
She didn’t know him and wasn’t about to risk using her camera to zoom in, potentially allowing them a chance to see a glint off it.
“We know you’re somewhere up there, Affrica. You’re hurt, tired, and probably thirsty.” He uncapped a
Still, she felt a wee bit better when she woke and readied to continue on. The splinters of dawn’s first light informed her, despite how exhausted she still remained, she’d rested longer than first planned.
She drank a bit, finishing off the first canteen, and ate another MRE. Feeling better, she checked her supply. Not many meals left either, but in her defense, she’d not counted on running for her life…what was it now…four days? There was water there. Or there had been.
On her feet, Affrica grabbed her stick and set out, ignoring each and every one of her aches and pains. Of which there were quite a few. She checked her compass and got moving, knowing exactly where she needed to go.
She passed snakes, spiders, and more as she—as her brother referred to it—humped it the remaining distance. It wasn’t easy, moving fast and trying to remain invisible. I’m getting Adrian to teach me more if I make it. When, when , I make it out of here.
The sun burned high in the sky as she struggled to put one foot in front of the other. She could see the trees she’d been aiming for—they were about five hundred yards away. Seconds later, shots rang out, and she bit back her scream as a bolt of fire streaked across her arm.
She stumbled back, hand gripping her bloody arm. Shit! They had beaten her to the copse of trees. Chest heaving and lungs burning, she whirled around and headed back to the rocks, refusing to stand out in the open like a fool.
Running hard, she zigged and zagged every step of the way. Bullets spat around her, digging into the ground and making her wish fervently she resided anywhere but there.
Ten yards. Eight. Six. Four. Two. Finally, she reached the rocks and lunged up into them, desperate for shelter.
Scrambling, she hid herself, hoping no blood drips would lead them to her. She waited, frozen for a moment, until her lungs seemed not to strain so much. Then, with shaking hands, she tore off part of her bandage on her other arm and tied it around her latest injury. It burned like a bitch but she did her best not to cry out.
Shallow breaths kept her centered as she tried not to scream like a girl. I am a girl! I can scream like one. She was out of options. That much was obvious, even as she snuck along searching for a place to hole up. Her half container of water would only get her so far. They—whoever they were—had the only water supply around surrounded.
Options? I can do my best here to avoid them and last as long as I can without more water. Or I could surrender and most likely be raped and then killed.
Not much as far as choices went. She moved farther back and finally discovered a small crevice. Doing a swift creature check, she climbed in as far as she could. It was uncomfortable and painful but well hidden, so she stayed.
Time passed, and she stiffened when a snake appeared, slithered in, and curled up at the entrance. Could be worse. I could be petrified of the creatures. She wasn’t scared, but she did have a healthy respect for all snakes. And, from her position, she had no idea what kind it was.
From where she’d wedged herself, she could just see down the outcropping and to the ground below. Twenty or so men moved toward her. Fear rose, and she struggled to combat it. She really didn’t want to die, but from where she sat, it seemed inevitable.
Although, searching everywhere would take a while. One man moved ahead.
“Affrica! Affrica! Answer me, Affrica!”
She didn’t know him and wasn’t about to risk using her camera to zoom in, potentially allowing them a chance to see a glint off it.
“We know you’re somewhere up there, Affrica. You’re hurt, tired, and probably thirsty.” He uncapped a
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