Another wave of guilt washes over me, this time for putting my life in danger, knowing what it would do to my family. Shoving those feelings down as far as I can, I push on and find a truck. I get into the driver’s seat and use the guard’s key to start the engine. The vehicle roars to life, and I pull out of the underground garage onto the only road leaving Corium.
I drive for two miles and stop once I get to the outer concrete wall surrounding the university. Ahead is a large metal gate, and I search the car for some kind of button to open it. Bingo. I find it on a small square attached to the guard’s keychain. I press the button, and the gate opens, and I’m free at last. Slamming my foot on the gas, the vehicle lurches forward.
It’s already dark outside, so the headlight is the only thing to guide me to the forest. The paved road turns into a dirt road, and the trees become more and more dense as I drive in the direction of the flare I saw earlier. I am not sure what my chances are of finding the crash site. I’m not even sure if it’s Aspen who’s alive. I just know this is the only chance I’ve got to make things right.
Please, let me make this right.
3
ASPEN
Tearing another small piece of fabric from the bottom of my shirt, I twist it, making sure it won’t rip more than I want it to. I drape it over my leg and pick up the two sticks I’ve selected. They were the straightest and most stable looking I could find.
I try to line them along my leg while wrapping the makeshift string around and quickly realize that making a brace looks much easier on TV than it does in real life.
It takes me another five minutes before finally getting the thing on and feeling like it’s helping more than hurting. Once I feel it’s secure, I try again to put some weight on my leg, slightly pushing myself off the ground.
“Motherfucker!” I curse out loud in pain, dropping back onto my ass quicker than I even thought about getting up.
Just when I thought this couldn’t get any worse, the clouds above me turn an angry gray. The wind picks up, growing colder with each second, and my shaking intensifies. The only plus side is that my leg is still numb and only hurts when I try to move it.
Looking around, I consider my options of remaining where I am or moving. I doubt I’ll be able to get far on my hands and knees, and with the storm moving in, my visibility will lessen. The worst possible case would be to get caught in a storm, the cold being the biggest contender. If I don’t find shelter, I’ll die out here. I can tell, feel it with every thump of my still-beating heart.
I blink back the tears in my eyes; this isn’t over yet. The trembling of my body intensifies, and I reach for the second flare gun out of desperation. It’s darker now, so maybe the first flare was missed, or maybe they’ve sent someone out to find me already.
Shooting the gun now might help them locate me better. I nod my head at the thought and lift the flare gun into the air, ready to shoot it. At the last moment, I freeze.
What if this is my last chance? What if no one is looking for me yet? What if no one saw the shot? I look up at the gun, my arm still raised in the air. No matter what I do, the risk of death is imminent. I have to at least try.
We weren’t that far from Corium when we crashed. Letting out a sigh, I pull the trigger, sending the last hope of being found into the air. I watch it explode, lighting up the night sky.
The wind continues to pick up, so I wrap my arms tighter around my middle, wishing for a blanket and a cup of Brittney’s hot cocoa. The thought of never seeing her again hits me right in the chest.
I didn’t even say goodbye. In fact, I didn’t really think anything through before I climbed on that helicopter. All I knew was that I had to get out of that school; to think being out here in the forest all alone terrifies me as much as being in that school. At least there I had the warmth of my room, a bed, and a meal in my belly. Well, if you can call those shakes a meal.
Everyone hated me, and I was miserable, but I was safe, kinda. At the very least, I wasn’t freezing to death like I am out here. The wind whips through the trees, and the first drops of rain fall just as the tears I’ve been keeping at bay slip down my cheeks.