The Rebel

Chapter 10: Kriss

Two days.

It had been two days since the wedding, and I'd been venturing farther and farther out into the forest each day. My limbs were numb, my lips were blue, and my stomach was roaring for food.

I knew that I wasn't going to be able to survive like that for much longer,  and that I had to come up with a plan. But it was hard. The whole country knew who I was and what I did, so no one would be welcoming me into their homes for sure.  I sat on the cold ground of the forest, my brain trying to comprehend what was going on. It was February, and even though Angeles had one of the nicest winters, it was still only a few degrees above freezing, and I was wearing a dress.

I couldn't make a fire because I would be seen, so I sat on a log and came up with a plan. A plan to get revenge.

I decided that I couldn't get revenge in my current state, so I needed to find shelter. But how? I couldn't disguise myself, I had nothing to make me look like someone else. The only solution was to steal. But where from? I had no idea where I was; I had no sense of direction. I knew that moss grows on the north side of trees, but there was no moss; it was February. I waited until night, then searched the dark sky for the brightest star. The North Star. It reminded me of my rebel group and how Heather said that I was no longer welcome at the headquarters.

I made a mark in the dirt so in the morning I could tell which was north was, and curled up, covering myself with my dress as best as I could. I lied down on the ground and closed my eyes, waiting for sleep to take me.
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I woke up to tiny droplets of rain splattering all over me. I grumbled as I got up and started walking northward. I was motivated to give America what she deserved. That was the only thing that kept me walking.
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Four Days Later....

"Ugh." I grunted as I climbed the last steps of the big hill. I stood at the very top, huffing and puffing, and looked down at my surroundings while pacing back and forth.

There was a long stretch of field and more hills in the distance. There was a couple of cows grazing in the field, a small rural town, a-

I stopped dead in my tracks. A town? A town meant people, and people meant houses, and I needed a house to steal from. I quickly devised a plan in my head. I would wait until nightfall and enter the town about an hour after it got dark. I would roam the town, keeping a low profile, and in the small hours of the night, I would silently break into a house.

Now, it wasn't the best plan ever, but it would work. I started making a mental list of the things I needed.

Clothes. I thought, looking down at my pathetic excuse for a dress. It was stained with blood, mud, plants, and all sorts of other things I couldn't identify.

A first-aid kit. My foot was only getting worse. There was dry blood surrounding the open wound and it was showing the beginning signs of infection.

Food. I had been living off of plants for the past six days. I knew for sure that I couldn't survive off of dandelion leaves and grass for the rest of my life.

There were other things on my list too; blankets, water, and anything I could find that would help me disguise myself. I waited on top of the hill until sunset, then started making my way down to the town. It took me about an hour to get to the town, and when I started walking around, people stared. No one said anything or talked to me; I just kept walking, trying not to look suspicious.

"You lost?" an old man said, approaching me.

"No, I'm fine." I said, backing away. The last thing I wanted was to draw attention to myself and get caught.

I ran away to a stable and sat outside the door. I waited and observed my surroundings. There were lots of houses; I just needed to pick one to rob. After a little bit of thinking, I decided on the medium sized one that had the lights off since I'd arrived in the town. I came up with a more detailed plan. I'd sneak into the house through the cellar door that was on the north side of the house and if I needed more, I'd go to the main floor. I'd take what I needed and creep back out from the cellar, as quietly as I could. I hoped the people that lived in that house were a high caste. Not too high though. Four or Five would be good. Maybe even a Three. But Twos were celebrities and they were rich, which meant that they had better security. So Twos were out of the question.

I waited and waited by that stable door until the night was completely dark and all the residents of the town were asleep.

I quietly got up from my spot and walked to the cellar door, looking around to make sure no one was watching me. I opened the latch and lifted the wood panel. There were old rotten wood stairs going down to the cellar. I placed my foot lightly on the first one and it didn't break. I put a little more weight on it and it stayed intact. I stepped onto the stair and flinched. It groaned, but it didn't give way.

I made my way down the stairs as quietly as I could. Once I got down, I looked around at the dark, musty cellar; wishing I had more of a light than the moon.

I could see the silhouettes of things: boxes and shelves and things like that. After looking around and taking a few things, I decided that I had to go up to the main floor. I looked around for stairs, and immediately spotted them. I went up the wooden stairs, being careful not to make any noise.
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After the raid, quickly ran out of the town, burlap sack in hand. I sprinted up to the hull as fast as I could and collapsed down on the soft grass. My foot was throbbing as I opened the sack, looking for the first-aid kit that I had taken. I sterilized my foot, then put a dressing on it so that it would heal. I admired my handiwork and put the kit back into the bag. I pulled out food and ate it fast; I hadn't realized how hungry I was.

Lastly, I pulled out the blankets I stole and ventured down the hill and back into the forest. I put the blanket on the ground and got the second one to wrap myself in. Then I put my head on the burlap sack full of clothes and closed my eyes. I quickly fell asleep; the blankets felt like the softest things in the world. I even forgot to change out of my dress.