Twisted [Degenerate Series, Book 1][Blackfrost] ✔️

Chapter 16

As soon as I was inside, I sat on the couch. After a minute, I got antsy and had to walk around. I told myself that I didn't run. I never ran without a fight, but I knew that wasn't true.

This was such a golden opportunity to leave, so why was I not already out of the door?

I closed my eyes and inhaled.

Time to go, I told myself.

I went to my room and grabbed the knives that I had slowly been stealing from the kitchen and pocketed them. I then grabbed a spare pair of clothes. I pulled on a pair of shoes on the way out, but I paused at the front door, my hand resting against the cool metal of the knob. I let my forehead press against the door.

Time to go, I told myself again.

I opened the door and felt the frigid strike my face, but it barely affected me. I hated it.

I wanted the cold to chill me to the bone, to freeze me, to force me back inside. It didn't.

With a sigh, I walked down the stairs and my foot sank into the wintry blanket that was now the ground. Snow was a rarity, if not an impossibility, in Asgard. I hated that I enjoyed the dry crunch under my feet as I walked, but I  couldn't help but adore the cold weather. It was in my nature. Literally.

I walked into the darkness of the night, knowing there was a stretch of trees ahead that may or may not lead to a forest. I wasn't sure.

Finally reaching the lush undergrowth, I dived in. The expanse of tress quickly surrounded me on all sides, blocking out any light from the moon or stars above. I couldn't help but shudder. I couldn't see anything. With my hand stretched in front of me, I avoided running into the thick trunks of several trees that were blocking my path.

Eventually I had to stop. My path was blocked by a thick bush that I couldn't feel my way around. I crouched down low, thinking. I wondered how far I had traveled. I wondered if Natasha had returned home.

Home.

What was home to me, now? I didn't know.

All I could hear was the gentle sounds of the forest and my rushed breathing. What was I doing? I was panicking. Which way was back? If I wanted to, could I find my way back?

I wondered what Natasha would think if she returned home and I wasn't there. I had her trust and I had thrown it away. Why? Was I so heartless that someone couldn't trust me? Someone whose nature is to not trust me, putting their faith in me. Why? Why did I leave?

I quickly decided that I would go back. Carefully, I decided which way was deeper into the woods by locating the thick bush that had held me back before. I carefully turned 180 degrees. I hoped this was the way I came from. I began to move, my arms extended in front of my once again, guiding me forward.

I moved forward slowly at first, but increasingly quickened my pace. More often than not, my hands brushed against the rough bark of a tree in my path. When this happened, I felt my way to both sides to find the better path. It felt like a long time of traveling through the trees before I finally saw light ahead.

I stumbled forward, breaking free of the undergrowth and silently promising myself that I would never do that again. Finally able to see, I steadily moved into the darkness toward the house. After a minute, I could make out the gentle, reassuring golden lights from the house shining through the snow.

What was even more reassuring was that no lights were on inside the house. I relaxed, hoping that maybe Natasha hadn't returned yet.

I was lucky. The guards hadn't returned either. I opened the door and felt warm air wash over me. I moved inside and took off my shoes, careful to leave them in the same spot. I then moved to my room to put my clothes back in the closet.