Page 3 of Surviving Her

It took everything she had to pull her father across the clearing. The ground was uneven, soaked with rain, and the mud clung to her boots like quicksand. The wind was a constant force against her, almost as if it were trying to push her back. Her father’s limp body dragged behind her, a weight that seemed to grow heavier by the second. Her arms and legs burned with the strain. Her jaw was clenched so tightly that her whole face started to ache, but she took deep breaths and kept pulling.

It felt like a whole day passed before she reached the porch steps. River glanced up at their cabin, its silhouette blurred by the sheets of rain. The door was still ajar, the faint light from inside a beacon of hope.

“We’re almost there, Daddy,” she cried out, though she doubted he could hear her. His head lolled to the side and his face was white. She hadn’t seen or heard a reaction from him since she’d started moving him. The gash on his forehead was still bleeding, but his leg seemed somewhat stabilized. Still, she knew full well that he was fading fast and there was no time to lose.

The porch steps loomed before her like a final challenge. River braced herself, suddenly realizing that this would be the hardest part. With a deep sigh, she adjusted her grip on her father’s shoulders and began the arduous task of pulling him up the steps. Each one was a monumental effort. She had to heave him up with every ounce of strength she had left as her muscles screamed in protest.

One step.

Then another.

River’s breath came in short, ragged gasps, her vision blurring with a mix of rain and tears. The steps seemed to stretch on forever, an endless climb that left her wondering if she’d ever reach the top. But she kept going, refusing to let exhaustion win.The porch creaked beneath them as she finally, miraculously, pulled her father onto the flat surface.

She collapsed beside him, her chest heaving in pain. For a moment, all she could do was lie there, her body trembling with exhaustion.

Inside. I have to get him inside.

With a final, desperate surge of strength, River dragged her father through the doorway and into the cabin. The warmth hit her immediately, and the fire was still crackling. But there was no time to take solace in it. She needed to tend to her father.

She pulled him just far enough inside to close the door against the storm. River knew she couldn’t lift him onto the couch, so she left him on the floor, using the thick blankets and cushions from the couch to make him comfortable. She quickly stripped off his wet clothes, her fingers numb as she cut the fabric from around the makeshift dressing and splint. The cold had already seeped into his skin, and she was afraid hypothermia would set in if she didn’t act quickly.

Once she had him wrapped in dry blankets, River knelt beside him, her mind racing. She needed to get help, but how? The nearest hospital was in Campdale, at least forty miles away, and she remembered her father had mentioned their car was low on gas. Even if it had a full tank, she wasn’t sure she could drive through the storm. The roads would be treacherous, and the wind had probably downed more trees along the way.

She stood up and looked through the window. It was completely dark out there as rain splattered against the glass. The thought of leaving her father alone, in his current state, while she went for help made her feel sick, but she knew what she had to do.

River quickly changed out of her wet clothes, pulling on a fresh T-shirt, a thick sweater, and her waterproof jacket. As she laced up her walking boots, her thoughts drifted to her mother.A familiar ache in her chest rose toward her throat, something that happened every time she remembered who she and her father had lost. Her mother had always been the strongest of the three of them, the one who kept their little family together. She’d taught River to be brave, to laugh, to find joy in the small things, and to face challenges head-on, no matter how impossible they seemed.

“Mom,” River said under her breath, the words spilling from her trembling lips as she tied a double knot in her laces. “Why aren’t you here? I need you so bad.”

If she listened hard enough, she could hear her mother’s gentle yet firm voice urging her to keep going. River knew it was only a figment of her imagination, but she stood up straight, her determination hardening. She couldn’t afford to dither around right now. There was no room for doubt. Her father needed her to be strong, just as her mother would’ve been.

Oh, God. He’s so pale.

“Please stay with me, Daddy,” she whispered, leaning down to plant a soft kiss on his forehead. “I’m coming straight back. I’ll be as quick as I can. I promise. You hear me?”

He can’t hear me.

With one final, heartbreaking glance at her father, River opened the door and stepped outside. She forced herself to move away from the cabin. The darkness swallowed her as she descended the steps.

Keep moving. You can do this.

As she trudged through the woods, her mind drifted back to her mother. The few memories she had of her were bittersweet. Her mom had always been her rock, the one person she could count on no matter what was going on in her life. Even in her final days, when the cancer had eaten through almost every cell of her body, she’d remained brave, determined to be there for her husband and daughter until her last breath.

I won’t let you down, Mom. I’ll get Dad out of this. I promise.

The storm raged on, but River picked up her pace. Her determination warmed her muscles and made it easier for her to make her way through the darkness.

Now and then, the wind carried the faintest hint of a distant siren or the echo of thunder, but the sounds were fleeting and indistinct. River’s heart pounded with a mix of fear and hope. She knew that if she could reach the main road, she might find a vehicle that could take her to the hospital.

After what felt like an eternity, she finally emerged from the dense forest. She looked around as she desperately tried to make out any sign of civilization. The road wasn’t exactly known to be a bustling artery, but she’d expected to see some signs of life.

I heard sirens…

River’s legs felt like lead as she trudged along the road. Hours and hours passed. She walked and walked, occasionally stopping for a rest to ease her cramping legs. But then, the first faint glimmer of lights pierced the darkness. They were distant, but a surge of hope swelled in River’s chest, spurring her on through her exhaustion. The lights grew brighter as she approached, revealing the silhouette of Campdale against the dark blue sky. The sight was both a relief and a source of fresh anxiety. What would she find there?

2

ELIZA

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