The Dreaming: Dark Star (Book 5)

10.4. Run (Imorah)

The man was breathing deeply, regularly. The man named Tashin.

She curled her lip up at him in disgust and convulsed in a fit of shivers; the ground was hard and cold, despite the two blankets she was wrapped up in. Her whole body was aching, and she knew it would only get worse. The gash on her head from falling was now accompanied by a broken lip from when the man had slapped her.

She could still feel the imprint - a slight numbness from chin to her ear.

For the umpteenth time, she went over the events as they'd happened. Her escape from the Shelter, the encounter with this man. How she had gotten into this mess?

How could this have happened? Did I make a mistake leaving The Shelter? Is this a punishment for choosing the wrong path? Perhaps it had been a test of her faith, she reasoned. If so, then she had failed miserably. She came to the conclusion that her fate was doomed. She had always been doomed. Behind her was isolation and rejection, and ahead of her would just be more of the same.

Her mother had been alone and miserable, and Grandma Liorah had also been alone and miserable. Even though she had escaped the Shelter, she hadn't escaped her fate.

She touched her swollen cheek. Why did you let this happen to me? she begged The Guardian. Why did this happen?

There was no answer. Whatever voice she had heard in the cavern was gone now. She wondered if she'd just made it up, if she was going crazy. Now she was crazy and alone with this strange man.

I should go, she told herself. I should run right now as fast as I can.

No! another voice inside her said. He will hurt you if you try to run from him.

But he would hurt her if she stayed as well, she reasoned.

She wanted to live. She didn't want to die here with this man.

She wanted to find her grandmother, and maybe even her mother. She knew it was impossible, but she couldn't give up.

And yet, she couldn't move. The man was sleeping - he was snoring, deep in sleep. Outside, the sun had started to rise. The air in the cavern was growing colder as a wind started up. The cavern whistled softly, accompanying Tashin's sounds.

If she was going to run, this was the perfect time.

It was now or never.

Imorah decided to run.

She stood up and planned her route to the mouth of the cave. Clutching her bag under one arm, she took a step forward. Then another. With each step, she paused to look at the man to see if his chest was rising and falling slowly in sleep, listening for his next snore.

She tiptoed around the fire, right beside his mattress. He remained sleeping.

Her heart was pounding in her chest, and her ears gushed with the sound of it.

Then it happened: a metal glass she stepped beside tipped over. It made the smallest bing! as it hit a metal plate.

The man rolled over onto his back.

Imorah froze. Her body flooded with adrenaline.

He opened his eyes and stared right up at her.

Imorah bolted straight out of the cave and ran with her whole might, hearing the man get up and give chase behind her.

She fled along the path of the creek, which had wound round a corner. The ground was smooth and it was easy to run.

"Haaarrraaah!!!" he grunted in anger far behind her. "You'll see!" he yelled. "You'll see."