She hesitated for a second, looking back over her shoulder before exhaling softly and pushing the large, heavy oak door open.
Stepping out onto a deep, wide porch, her face broke into a spontaneous smile at the sight of a comfy-looking swing to her right. It overlooked the water she’d spied from inside, and she quickly settled her butt into its cozy confines. She took a long swig of milk and attacked her cheese and crackers with gusto.
It had been a while since she could remember having any kind of appetite. It felt good. To eat, breathe the air, and enjoy nature.
She finished her cheese and was half done with the box of crackers when a thought occurred to her that stopped her cold. She had made it through the previous evening, as chaotic as it had been, without one nightmare.
No faceless monsters had terrified her last night. She munched on a corner of a salted cracker, welcoming the ray of hope that sprang up inside her.
Maybe there was a chance for her after all.
If she could stay alive, that is.
It didn’t take long before her stomach protested at the amount of food she’d shoved down her throat. Feeling like a small pig, she set the box of crackers aside, then gulped down the last bit of milk in her cup.
Settling back into the swing, she closed her eyes. A feeling of contentment slipped through her veins, and she grabbed hold of it fiercely. The sun was warm on her face, her belly was full, and for once she let all the dark thoughts drift away.
Slowly, Libby became aware of the abundance of nature that inhabited this little corner of the world. Trees stood guard over a vast number of birds, and she caught glimpses of a couple of morning doves, as well as several robins. Their fat bellies flashed red as they zipped through the trees, wildly screeching to all the arrival of spring.
The antics of a little brown squirrel brought a smile to her face, its body darting madly about in search of something just out of reach. Kind of like her, she thought.
She stood then, answering the restless call of the little animal. Looking back toward the door, she slipped down the steps and began to make her way into the silent realm of the forest. It was quite a bit colder there, and she wrapped her arms around her body, trying to hold in some of the warmth that the light cotton shirt afforded her.
Sapphire blue water glistened to the right, and she headed toward it, as if following a path she’d trodden before. Strange, that thought.
The hair on the back of her neck quaked, and Libby stopped abruptly. She remained still, feeling the soft breeze that caressed her cheeks and blew her loose blond hair about her face. Her heart began to beat faster as a feeling of unease rifled through her veins in a fierce rush.
She knew this feeling well.
Someone was watching her.
She let out a slow breath as her eyes frantically scoped out the terrain in the immediate area. She was surrounded by trees that continued down to the water. It appeared they couldn’t be climbed, and certainly not by someone with damaged ribs and no strength.
She put one foot in front of the other, trying to appear as nonchalant as possible, which was hard; her entire body was yelling at her to run from the danger.
And there was definitely something there. She could feel it with every fiber of her being. Someone was stalking her with deadly precision.
A flash to her right was enough to kick-start her legs, and she took off toward the water, eyes searching in vain for a weapon or means of escape. The stitch in her side became sharper, but she kept on, and less than a minute later stumbled to the edge of the small, pristine lake.
A large piece of driftwood stuck out of the mucky earth close to water, and she grabbed it, yanking to get it out. Slivers punctured the skin of her fingers, but she didn’t care. A sound behind her sent shivers up her spine and she renewed her effort, feeling desperation begin to tear at her insides as fear plopped itself deep into her belly.
Something burst inside of Libby then. She felt the crack, as if a well of emotion that had been bottled deep inside her had been shaken and exploded into a storm.
She was pissed off.
Actually, she was more than pissed off. She was fucking furious.
Enough!
She wasn’t going to cower any longer.
With a mighty heave, she yelled loudly as she freed the large piece of wood, but the momentum knocked her off her feet and she landed on her back.
Hard.
Her head smacked the soft ground behind her, and the breath was knocked from her body.
Libby lay there, chest heaving, willing her body to get up and fight.