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Chapter Five

I sprinted through the woods, clutching my side.

There was a thick round tree in front of me, moss covering the tree roots sticking out of the ground.

I stopped at the tree, holding my wobbly knees for support. I accidentally bumped the piece of metal in my side against the tree. I whimpered as the throbbing pain embedded in my side made itself known.

I debated on what to do.

I heard that you're not supposed to pull items that have punctured your body out, but it's hard to run with a piece of metal in your side. In fact it's hard to do anything with a piece of metal in your side.

I took a deep breath and sat up, holding the tree for support. I wrapped my fingers around the metal piece, groaning in agony from just barely touching it.

Not giving myself enough time to back out of doing it, I jerked it out. I cried out in agony as I saw stars.

I threw the metal piece on the ground and leaned on the tree as I applied pressure to my side, trying to stop some of the blood gushing from my wound.

"Jayden??"

How did he know my name??

I slapped my cheek to give myself vision and to focus on getting away. I can deal with the pain later. My vision returned but the world continued to spin.

I do not want the same fate the children had in these woods.

I focused on a tree that had low branches and limped to it with all of my might, clutching my side.

I grasped a branch with my free hand and pulled myself up on it. I clenched my jaw at the excruciating pain that ran throughout my abdomen. I started climbing.

One branch, two, three, four.

All of a sudden, fingers wrapped around my ankle tightly, and pulled me down. I lost my grip on my branch, and cried out as I flew downwards, barely catching myself on the one below it.

Fuck.

"Leave me alone." I growled furiously, kicking him in the face with my free foot.

He flew backwards onto the ground.

I hung there, my legs dangling as I tried to find footing again. My eyes were watering as my stomach was being stretched out, affecting my injury.

I found my footing again and scurried up the tree, ignoring the searing pain in my side. I settled on a high thin branch and leaned against the trunk of the tree.

Blood was dripping down my bare right leg from my open wound. I needed to calm the bleeding down or stop it. If I didn't do it now I would bleed to death.

I pulled at my shirt. I felt weak, but I have to stop it. I ripped off a long piece at the bottom of it with my teeth. I wrapped the dirt stained white cloth around my side and tied it into a tight knot.

I heard him trying to climb the branches and roaring in frustration as he kept breaking them, being too heavy to get up the tree.

This is the first time I have ever truly appreciated my frame. Being 5'1 and weighing 125 Lbs isn't fun. Not the skinniest, but skinny enough to get up the tree.

"Come down here!" He roared.

I closed my eyes as I leaned my head back on the tree.

I ignored him, trying to calm my breathing.

"Please." He whispered pathetically.

Not being in my right mind, I felt a twinge of sympathy for him.