With renewed energy and a groan, she turned herself over and, digging her fingers into the loose rocks, pulled herself the rest of the way from the water. Her arms trembled, but she managed to get her hands under her and pushed herself to her knees.
Bones grated, and her ankle screamed in protest when the movement caused her weight to shift onto it. The thing was going to throw a bitch fit when she rose.
Taking a deep breath, Willow braced herself before rising. She bit back a scream when she put weight on her broken ankle. Hobbling toward the woods, the mid-May breeze caused goose bumps to break out on her flesh. Usually, the breeze would be refreshing, but now she cursed it as much as the Savages and her ankle.
When another howl pierced the night, she turned her head toward it. They were getting closer, and there was no way she could outrun them.
Tipping her head back, she studied the trees surrounding her before hobbling toward a gigantic pine tree. A pine tree was not her ideal tree to climb, but with no leaves on the other trees, she didn’t have any other options. At least the scent of the pine would mask her odor.
The only problem was, the lower branches of the pine had all died from lack of sunlight, which left her with nothing to climb. Not being able to catch a break, other than the one in her ankle, was really beginning to piss her off!
Shifting her attention to the maple near the pine, she studied its sweeping branches as they rose higher into the sky. About halfway up, the maple’s branches nearly touched the pine tree. It was not the ideal climbing situation, especially with a broken ankle, but she didn’t have any other choice.
She was grateful for her five-ten height as it made gripping the lower branch of the maple a lot easier, and she pulled herself onto the bottom limb. She held back a scream when the motion jarred her ankle, but she managed to rise and, standing on one leg, stretched above her, pulling herself onto the next branch.
She moved faster than she’d anticipated with her broken ankle, but if having nine siblings taught her one thing, it was how to find a hiding place when she wanted to be alone. A lot of times, that was in the trees.
She loved all her brothers and sisters, but sometimes they got on her every last nerve, just as she knew she got on theirs. It was the job requirement of siblings to irritate each other, and she was a pro.
Pulling herself higher into the tree, she reached the place where the pine and maple met. If she didn’t have a broken ankle, she wouldn’t have a problem crossing between the trees, but running across the branch and jumping into the boughs of the pine was not an option right now.
Instead, she got on her hands and knees and crawled across the maple. The branch thinned and bowed beneath her weight as she moved. Biting her bottom lip, she prayed it didn’t break before she made it to the pine. If she fell now, it would all be over.
Come on. Come on. Almost there. The prickly bark dug into her knees and shins as she edged further and further out. And the maple bowed more and more until a small, ominous crack sounded, and the branch dropped a little.
Her breath hitched as she lunged forward and enclosed her hand around prickly pine needles. She expected the maple branch to give way beneath her, but after that small drop, it held steady.
Gripping the pine branch with both hands, she didn’t give herself time to think about what would happen if the limb broke before she swung out of the maple and into the pine. The pine branch sagged as her legs dangled over open air.
Don’t break. Don’t break, she pleaded as she swung hand over hand into the thicker bowels of the branch. The needles jabbed her, and sap clogged her hand, but the limb didn’t break. When she was close to the trunk of the tree, she wrapped her legs around the branch and pulled herself around to sit on it.
She yearned to curl up against the trunk and huddle there, but she had to go higher. Rising onto her good foot, she stood like a flamingo as she leaned out to grasp the next highest branch. She climbed steadily higher until the thick canopy of needles near the top of the tree surrounded her.
The bark bit into her back when Willow leaned against the tree trunk and closed her eyes. Exhaustion clung to her, and the swelling of her ankle caused it to press against her boot as it throbbed with every beat of her heart.
The one good thing about the icy river was its numbing effect on the break. However, she was still freezing, but that effect had worn off. Her wet clothes cleaved to her, and her drenched, lightweight, puffer jacket provided no warmth. Hopefully, when the sun rose, she would dry out and defrost. Until then, she would remain a shivering, icy mess, but she was an alive mess, and that was what mattered.
Shifting, she managed to undo her belt from her waist. She removed her weapons from it and tucked them into the inner pockets of her jacket before using the belt to tie herself to the tree. As she worked, she discovered her phone was gone, but after her plunge into the river, it would have been useless anyway.
Once she was secured, she drew her good leg up against her chest to try getting some warmth back into her body. It didn’t work.
Her teeth chattered, and shivers racked her. She didn’t bother to examine her broken ankle; it would heal, and removing her boot would only irritate it more. Plus, she couldn’t stand the idea of her bones shifting and grinding while she pulled off her boot.
As the night wore on, the howls echoed through the woods. Resting her cheek on her knee, she tried to ignore her misery as the Savages’ hunting cries grew closer. It was nearing dawn when a group of Savages ran beneath her tree.
Everything within her stilled as their feet thudded across the land, and their laughter resounded in her ears.