Outside the Fence

Chapter 2

                I have been outside the fence for an hour. In the past hour, I have learned it is terrifying outside the fence when all you can think about is the stories you were told as a child. Every time I hear a noise, I picture a beast running around in the trees stalking me, just waiting for that moment to jump out and tear me to pieces.

                After a while longer, I hear a noise. I stop dead in my tracks terrified. The crunching of leaves and snapping of sticks ahead snaps me out of my daze and I duck behind a tree. I hope that this hidden spot is good enough, if not I am sure I will be dead. Slowly, the sound of footsteps comes closer and closer. I swear my heart is going to pound through my chest. I see a shadow come around the tree. It stretches out in a big blob. I almost scream but the fact that I would be discovered keeps me quiet. I squeeze my eyes shut as the steps are about to reach me. Then all of a sudden, the footsteps halt next to the tree I am hiding behind. I stay very still and slowly open my eyes. I slowly turn my head to the side and see something I never expected to see in my life. I see a human, a man that looks like he could be in his early twenties. I do not know how to react so I just stay hidden in the shadow of the tree. He turns his back to me and begins to walk away. Suddenly I decide to chase after him and figure out what he is doing out here in the forest.

                After awhile of sneaking around the trees behind him I lose track of him. I run forward wondering how he could have disappeared. I come out of the trees into a small clearing and stop. I am hopelessly lost and I have no clue where he could be. As I am trying to figure out what to do a voice comes from behind me and I feel cool metal touch my neck, “Why are you following me?” I am so startled I jerk forward a bit and feel the sting as the sharp metal cuts against my skin. He repeats himself again this time more aggresive, “Why are you following me?” I squeeze my eyes shut trying to speak, but out of fear, the words just don’t come out. Out of impatience, the man pushes me forward and I turn around to face him. He wields a knife, a knife that is pointed right at me. “I’ll give you one more chance to answer my question.” He says in a low voice. I think about how the tone of his voice didn’t sound very good and finally the words come out of my mouth, “I came outside the fence to see the ‘beasts’, but instead I saw you and I didn’t know what to do so I followed you. I didn't mean to cause any trouble. I was just curious about why you were out here.” The man stands there and stares at me. As I was speaking, he lowered his knife. “You came from inside the fence?” He practiacally says to him self. He then turns and begins to walk away. “Follow me. It’s not safe out here at night.” Right as he says that I hear a howl comes from somewhere deeper in the woods.

                As we walk, my curiousity gets the better of me. “Who are you?” He glances over his shoulder. “My name is Noah. Who are you?” I stumble over a tree root. “I'm Fay. Why are you out here in the woods? Did you use to live within the fence?” He sighs. “I’m out here because this is where I live. I grew up here in the forest. Typically, people don’t leave the fence unless they are kicked out. I have never acctually met anyone from inside the fence. Why would you leave? It’s better there right?” As I am about to answer him I trip over a tree root and topple into him. We both crash to the ground with a loud scream from me and a loud thump from him. He pushes himself up and put out his hand to me. “Get up. It’s getting late and we need to get to the house if we want to survive the night.” I take his hand and pull myself up.

                Noah stops so suddenly I run into him. “Here we are.” I peek around him and see a big shed. “Is that the ‘house’ you where talking about earlier?” He nods and walks forward toward the shed. As he pushes open the door, I see that there is a light coming from inside. I hear the stomping of feet and child like screams. “Noah! Noah! Noah!” Noah steps inside and I hear a loud thump along with children’s laughter. I peek inside and see a little boy, little girl and a slightly older boy have tackled Noah to the ground. Noah sits up holding the little girl in his arms. “Mandy, Grayson, Vic, are you guys causing trouble?” The children squeal with laughter. The oldest boy looks up from laughing and sees me standing at the door. “Who’s that lady?” Noah looks over his shoulder. “Oh that’s Fay. I saved her from the big scary beasts!” The kids run away screaming as Noah chases them around roaring.

                After they are done with their game, Noah introduces them to me. “This little sweetheart is Mandy.” The little girl Noah holds in his arms looks at me with bright curious blue eyes peering out from her curly red hair. “Hello Mandy.” She smiles when I say her name. “This crazy kid is Grayson.” The little blonde boy smiles up at me. The fact that his two front teeth are missing make me giggle. “Hello Grayson.” He seems a little confused at my laughter but keeps on smiling anyway. “And last but not least is Vic.” The boy with brown hair stares at me with no smile and certainly no trust in his green eyes. “Hello Vice.” Vic turns toward Noah. “How do you know she can be trusted? What if she is just going to cheat us out of our food?” Noah scowls at Vic. “Now Vic that is not how you treat a guest. Anyway I know she would do no such thing because she is from inside the fence.” Vic’s eyes go wide at the mention of the fence. The children all run up to me and beg me to tell them what it is like inside the fence. I look at Noah to make sure it’s ok. He nods to me and then I begin my story of growing up in the fence.