Page 146 of Swept for Forever
“Thank you, God!” I whisper-shouted.
It was a cottage with a slanted roof and wood siding gone gray with time. One shutter hung loose, creaking in the breeze. But the windows were intact, and the chimney stood straight. Someone had built this to last.
I crept closer and peered through the grime-slick glass. For the next few seconds, I stayed still and listened.
Nothing.
I tried the door, and it resisted. It wasn’t locked, just jammed a little from a warped frame. I yanked again. It gave and opened.
The space was empty, but not abandoned. A bundle of logs rested near the wood stove, a wool blanket was tossed over a chair, and a box of matches sat on the windowsill.
I peeled off my soaked clothes, my teeth chattering. The blanket I found was stiff with cold, but I pulled it around me anyway. It was better than nothing. My fingers fumbled with the matchbox until one caught. I lit the burner and fed it kindling until the flames held.
Heat. Real, blessed heat.
I wrung out my clothes and draped them near the burner, flipping them over every so often. The sudden warmth seared my skin, but I stayed put.
My stomach clenched from the cold and hunger. But hiding came first.
Once the heat filled the room, I stretched out on the bed with the blanket pulled tight around me. Somewhere in the middle of trying to plan my next move, I fell asleep.
I’d keptthe fire going all night. By first light, the heat had done its job. My clothes were mostly dry. My nylon pants were stiff but wearable, my wool socks rough but warm enough.The shirt was still damp around the collar and cuffs, but it’d have to do. With the blanket draped around me, I could make it work.
I stamped out the last of the coals and slipped out the door. There was no movement, no sound. I hoped I’d bought myself more time.
The sky was a washed-out blue streaked with early orange. There was just enough glow to make out the path ahead.
Not a minute later, I saw the flicker of lights through the trees.
“Hey!”
Big-Mouth.
Shit.
I took off, the blanket flying from my shoulders as I ran. He wasn’t fast, but his flashlight swung wildly through the woods, giving away his position. I zigzagged and dodged low branches and roots, pushing harder.
The light dropped off behind me.
I slowed to catch my breath, and my eyes strained to adjust. Still blinking through the thin dawn, I ran headfirst into something solid. And alive.
“Hello, little girl.”
That voice stopped my heart.
It was the giant Pickle.
I pivoted fast and tried to bolt, but he was already moving. I kicked and twisted, my arms swinging, trying anything to get free. He let me get in one hit, just enough to feel like I might stand a chance.
Then his arm clamped around my waist, the other forcing my wrists back. I slammed an elbow into his gut and bit at the sleeve of his jacket.
“You’ve got fight, girl,” he muttered, his breath hot against my neck. “I’ll give you that.”
“Let me go!” I thrashed, trying to break his grip, but he was done playing. He grabbed a fistful of my hair and pulled, dragging me sideways until my knees hit the ground.
His weight dropped on top of me, and one knee pressed into my back, forcing me down.
“Let’s try this again.”
