Just Breathe

Part Eleven

(Flashback)
Four years ago....

I ran and ran and ran away from that grave. The grave I had just dug myself out of, and then hurried as I piled the dirt back into it, and covered it as if nothing had been disturbed. As if nothing happened, although a nightmare had occurred. I ran as fast as I could, not caring what direction this time. My legs grew cramps real quick, however I did not stop. I kept on going, and my legs felt like they would give out. But they didn't, and I kept going. I tried to make as little noise as possible, but that was quite hard considering the crinkled leaves and twigs surrounding me. I can't remember how long it was, but eventually I began to slow down, coming to just a short jog, and then I walked as I gasped for air. I don't think I ran like that ever in my life. But this situation was life or death, and you could bet I wanted to live. However, there had been some days I just wanted to die. Die down in that hole of a basement I was being kept. But I would snap out of that real quick as I knew I didn't want to die in a dimsey old basement, full of cobwebs and dust, being pushed out of the world. I did not want to join those things.

It was dark by then, much darker than before. Mud and dirt stains covered me, as I could still taste it in my mouth and my hair was more of a mop. It didn't look all that different though, considering my hair had always been very dark, it was just a big rats nest now though. But I didn't care at the moment. It was only hair. If I had to, I could just chop it off. I didn't care about my appearance anymore. My clothes were all dark now, as the stains seemed to be unremovable. But that didn't bother me none.

As I kept walking, the feeling of weight and soreness consumed my arms and legs as I collapsed onto the forest floor, completely exhausted. I wanted to sleep, and I was almost asleep as I could feel my eyelids shutting automatically. But before I gave in to the tiredness, I scooted over towards a large tree that was near by, as I settled underneath it and curled up into a little ball, as I shivered and clenched, until I fell fast sleep.

***
"I will find you, Jaycee. I will always find you. You can never get away from me. You. Can. Never. Get. Away. From. Me."
***

I bolted awake as my eyes shot open and I sat up in an instant. My heart pounding by the second. Slamming against my ribs. I inhaled and exhaled in a hurry, as I felt my breath was slipping away from me. Just breathe. It was only a dream. You are ok. You are ok. Just. Breathe. I spoke out loud to myself as I placed my hand onto my chest, almost as if my hand would slow my heart down. But it did not.
I sat there for another few minutes as I realized how bright it was. It was in fact already morning, as the warm sunlight shone on me through cracks and slits from the branches of the tall trees above. And after another moment, I looked all around me, looking for any sight of another human, or him, before I then began to get up and head off into the bright forest.

My eyes were still heavy as my sleep was interrupted, but I didn't not want to fall back asleep. I had to get going. I had to find my way out of here. Get back home. I walked at my own pace through the woods, knowing by now I had to of been far away from that make shift grave, and I hoped from him too. My hope was that he had buried me, thinking I was dead and then he took off. Out of that forest so no one could trace me back to him, if they found out I was dead soon. But something I could not figure out was how I ended up in that grave. I remembered running, fast, but I didn't know what from. Did I see him? Is that what I was running from? I know I was running when I got out of the cabin. When I escaped, but I remember I was running a lot faster than I was before, I was running for my life. But why? I couldn't remember for some odd reason. It must have been from him.
And then, the next thing I knew I was waking up in that grave, buried alive. But I don't remember getting there. Did I perhaps hit my head and black out? Did I run too fast and fall? But as the more times I tried to think of it, no use came out of it, as I could not remember.
Maybe one day I will remember, and I will figure that out. Although I didn't know at the time, that day would come to me, but four years later.