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Carrie ran from the carriage so fast her feet burned beneath her. A gunshot sounded from behind her, making her jump mid-stride. She stumbled over a rock and fell to the ground, staining her dress. It was her best dress and she became so upset in her already heightened state of distress that she almost fell again trying to get up. A second shot rang out and Carrie forgot the stain, rising quickly to her feet and taking off without looking back.
Pieces of an argument rang through the air.
"Do not move!"
"She's gone!"
"I'll get her!"
"Shoot him!"
Carrie could not tell one voice from another, but she'd understood their intentions clearly enough. They were coming after her. She looked wildly around for some place she might hide and found nothing. Her feet picked themselves up and began to move on their own.
She prayed the judge and Mr. Bedielson would be all right, but she had no intention of waiting around to find out. She had seen the way those men had looked at her. That one had even touched her. Fear had ripped through her body as he'd tugged her arm behind her back. Only the judge had been brave enough to stop him before things went any further. The thief's three friends had only laughed.
That's not entirely true. She pictured each of their faces. Two of the bandits had found it amusing when the one who acted as their leader had called her a harlot. Their eyes had been gleeful, their mouths open in a sneer that had made her stomach spin. But one of the outlaws had looked angry. Especially when their leader had touched her.
Carrie had not even seen him ride up. The man with midnight hair and eyes like a stormy sea.
She had turned her head at the sound of their approach and seen only three men riding toward them. She still did not know where the fourth had come from, only that he had appeared as if from nowhere.
She had told off the scoundrel who'd addressed her so improperly. She knew it was foolish to be so bold, but she had not been able to contain herself. She had never before been spoken to in such a manner, and he had deserved her harsh words.
She had turned her head away from him, afraid of what he might do, and seen a man with dark hair sitting atop his horse, watching her with amusement. He'd been smiling, not sneering as the others had done. His eyes were a dark blue mixed with clouds of smoky gray. She had stared into them and felt something electric singe her skin. It was as though her body was responding to him without even knowing his name. Her breath had been pulled from her lungs, and she had felt the blush rise in her cheeks.
She'd looked quickly away, but it had been too late. His face was ingrained within her now.
Carrie blinked and realized she could no longer hear voices. The gunshots had disappeared. Either everyone was dead, or they had somehow come to a halt. She thought of Judge Foster's bravery in standing up to the men. She had even seen the driver turn his own gun upon them, though it had quivered recklessly in his hand. Carrie believed she could have held her own hand steadier than that poor man. He had trembled like a field mouse. Still, his bravery was that much more astounding for it. He had faced the outlaws despite his fear. She prayed she might find the men alive and well one day soon so that she might thank them both for their valor.
Carrie's lungs were working hard, inhaling in unsteady bursts that began to make her chest ache. She stopped running and looked at her new surroundings. She was no longer at the edge of the forest; she was deep within its enclosure. Tall trees rose toward the sky as if they could touch the very heavens. Dark leaves canopied her head, fighting with the sunlight that tried to get in.
The sky had just been growing dark when their carriage had entered the forest. Now the sun was so low all she could see were spots of red and dark purple. Soon the light would be gone altogether. Anxiety began to prick at Carrie's heart.
A soft sound echoed to her right.
"Hello?" she called. There was no answer.
She began to pick up her pace, walking not running. She was no longer sure of her footing as the darkness continued to grow. Her stomach grumbled. Perhaps if she could make it back to the main path, she might find help. But which way was that?
"Hello?" she called out again. Her inner voice told her to keep quiet. She did not want to risk being found by those outlaws. But if she did not find help soon, she would have to spend the night in the forest. She shivered as the air around her cooled.
Off to the right, she spotted a small light. Thinking it a fire, she hurried toward it. There might be hunters out here who could help her. She stopped just short of shouting out to them, her brain determining that it was not safe for her to do so until she knew who had built the fire.
When she reached the spot, however, there was nothing. It was simply an open patch in the trees that allowed a hint more of the fading light to come through. She stayed where she was, too afraid to move, hugging herself as the sun firmly set. When she finally did move, it was only because an owl flew overhead, spooking her enough to resume her walk.
She was grateful that the moon shone so brightly this evening. She fell twice but managed to avoid falling a third time when she caught sight of a log blocking her path. She stepped around it. "The road..." she muttered to herself. "Which way to the road?" She looked east and west, north and south, and admitted that she had no idea where she was really looking. She could not tell one direction from another.
One thing did, however, catch her eye. Just up ahead, she could see something even blacker than the darkness around her. She moved cautiously toward it and smiled when she saw that she was right. It was the entrance to a cave.
"Hello?" Carrie called out, sticking just her head inside it. "Anyone in here?" When no one replied, she took a tentative step in. The cave was cold, but not much colder than the outside air had been. She made her way in as far in as she dared, enough so that she could not be seen from the outside, though she might still see out if she wished.
Carrie curled her knees to her chest and closed her eyes. Exhaustion overtook her fear, and she was asleep within seconds.
When she opened her eyes again, it was morning. Daylight streamed into the cave. Carrie reached out one hand and touched the light. It warmed her skin. She smiled and crawled from the cave, determined to find her way back to the road.
Her stomach reminded her that she had not yet eaten, but she was uncertain how to alleviate the problem.
"Perhaps there are berries to pick," she said to her stomach, hoping to quiet its rumblings. Carrie chose a direction and began to walk. She found several berry bushes, but they were all poisonous. By now, Judge Foster and Mr. Bedielson must have gotten to a town and spoken with the sheriff, assuming they'd gotten away. Surely, they were out looking for her at this very moment. A whole posse of men. She would offer a kiss to whoever found her first. She would not care how scandalous it might be.
Seconds turned to minutes, minutes to hours. The afternoon was falling fast, and Carrie felt weakness overtake her. She paused beside a rock before her brain insisted she must go on. What would her family say if she were to die in the woods? She could not let that happen.
Her nerves were a wreck. Every sound made her jump. She saw a rabbit run across her path and longed for a way to catch it. To take her mind off things, she began to sing. She made up the words as she went. Each step was a new note.
"My feet move slowly,
My stomach aches,
The trees are tall,
My body shakes,
But home awaits,
But home awaits."
She sang it as a lullaby, soft and slow. She turned left through some trees and saw a stream. She had not realized how dry her mouth was until this very second and thanked the Lord for this kindness. She ran to the stream and cupped her hands in the water, drinking greedily. The hem of her dress grew wet, but she did not care. It was already ruined.
She filled her stomach with the cool, clear liquid until she could take no more. When she looked up, one of the outlaws was watching her.
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