05-31-2020, 10:37 AM
She didn’t know exactly where she was going. She couldn’t go straight ahead, for there was the pond, but went somewhat to the left, still trying to go as straight as possible in the hope that she might find that light again.
Her mind was wild with fear and it was hard to think clearly. She was hardly aware of her surroundings, or how sore and cold she was. Everything still felt like a dream, and momentarily, she imagined herself back in the water, swimming to save her sister. And she just couldn’t reach her. She couldn’t save Alice. And there was no help. All experiences and memories merged into one another, none of them quite clear, except for that over-powering awareness that her sister was going to die.
She tripped repeatedly, but every time she would scramble to her feet and continue to run, hardly feeling the pain and not caring about it anyway. She panted and grasped as she ran. But she ran, for longer than she thought she could. There was one thing on her mind now. “Help!” she screamed into the malevolent darkness, her voice breaking. There was no response, not a sound, but for something rustling in the heather. There might be no one to help them for miles and miles. But she had to move on and try, for it was the only thing she could do. Anne wouldn’t even know how to get back to her sister. She had lost all sense of direction.
There was no one. There was no help. She was alone. She tripped once more. Her spent body hit the ground hard.
She gave up.
Lying there on the cold earth, she clenched her fists and began to wail. She couldn’t save Alice. Her sister was going to freeze to death. And now Anne wasn’t even there to support her and comfort her and hold her tight in her last moment. Her sister was going to die all alone, like Simon, like Tom. And she was here, stuck in the dark, lost. Why was no one there to help? Or even just to comfort her? Her wailing turned into high pitched muffled sounds, as she struggled to breathe. Save us. Save us. Save Alice. Poor Alice. She wanted to scream out for her sister. But the screams got trapped in her throat.
Yet eventually, she climbed up to her feet, and though she had no strength left to run, she walked up the next hill numbly because she had to feel like she was doing something for her sister.
She barely watched where she was going, but when she reached the top of the hill, the light was there, right ahead of her, and clear enough for her to be able to tell that it was a lantern, hanging beside the door of a farm house. Anne stared at it with open mouth, hesitant for a moment, for she hardly dared to believe it was there. Then she ran downhill towards it, hope reviving her.
“Help! Help! Help my sister!” she shouted as she ran through the gate and approached the house, able to see more of it now that she came closer to the circle of light. She had nearly reached the door, when she heard loud barking, and two dogs came round the house and sped towards her. Anne shrieked and took a few hurried steps back, but she fell and screamed. The dogs were by her side, barking and growling, though they did not attack. Anne covered her face with her arms, howling in fear, but she couldn’t move.
Then suddenly, there was a man’s voice. “Down! DOWN!”
One of the dogs growled once more, but then they left her alone. Anne looked up. There was a tall, red-bearded man standing above her. He was in night clothes, but carried a hunting gun in his hands. He lowered it when he got a proper look at her.
“What in the…”
Her mind was wild with fear and it was hard to think clearly. She was hardly aware of her surroundings, or how sore and cold she was. Everything still felt like a dream, and momentarily, she imagined herself back in the water, swimming to save her sister. And she just couldn’t reach her. She couldn’t save Alice. And there was no help. All experiences and memories merged into one another, none of them quite clear, except for that over-powering awareness that her sister was going to die.
She tripped repeatedly, but every time she would scramble to her feet and continue to run, hardly feeling the pain and not caring about it anyway. She panted and grasped as she ran. But she ran, for longer than she thought she could. There was one thing on her mind now. “Help!” she screamed into the malevolent darkness, her voice breaking. There was no response, not a sound, but for something rustling in the heather. There might be no one to help them for miles and miles. But she had to move on and try, for it was the only thing she could do. Anne wouldn’t even know how to get back to her sister. She had lost all sense of direction.
There was no one. There was no help. She was alone. She tripped once more. Her spent body hit the ground hard.
She gave up.
Lying there on the cold earth, she clenched her fists and began to wail. She couldn’t save Alice. Her sister was going to freeze to death. And now Anne wasn’t even there to support her and comfort her and hold her tight in her last moment. Her sister was going to die all alone, like Simon, like Tom. And she was here, stuck in the dark, lost. Why was no one there to help? Or even just to comfort her? Her wailing turned into high pitched muffled sounds, as she struggled to breathe. Save us. Save us. Save Alice. Poor Alice. She wanted to scream out for her sister. But the screams got trapped in her throat.
Yet eventually, she climbed up to her feet, and though she had no strength left to run, she walked up the next hill numbly because she had to feel like she was doing something for her sister.
She barely watched where she was going, but when she reached the top of the hill, the light was there, right ahead of her, and clear enough for her to be able to tell that it was a lantern, hanging beside the door of a farm house. Anne stared at it with open mouth, hesitant for a moment, for she hardly dared to believe it was there. Then she ran downhill towards it, hope reviving her.
“Help! Help! Help my sister!” she shouted as she ran through the gate and approached the house, able to see more of it now that she came closer to the circle of light. She had nearly reached the door, when she heard loud barking, and two dogs came round the house and sped towards her. Anne shrieked and took a few hurried steps back, but she fell and screamed. The dogs were by her side, barking and growling, though they did not attack. Anne covered her face with her arms, howling in fear, but she couldn’t move.
Then suddenly, there was a man’s voice. “Down! DOWN!”
One of the dogs growled once more, but then they left her alone. Anne looked up. There was a tall, red-bearded man standing above her. He was in night clothes, but carried a hunting gun in his hands. He lowered it when he got a proper look at her.
“What in the…”
