I groaned, turning. My back hurts, my arm, my eyes. It all hurts.
I sat up, squinting, and covered my eyes with my palm. I yawned, taking the blanket off me. Immense light projected into the little cabin from the cracks in the wall.
It all came back to me when I was fully awake,the gunshots, the fire, the rain. Everything from last night.
My hands move to my mom's hair tie taking my hair down . It still has her scent on . I put it back to hold my hair .
I looked around for any signs of a person... but none. The owner of the cabin, or of the bag and the clothes I was wearing, was not here yet.
I grabbed the bag and snatched the phone. The time read 11 a.m. Damn, I'd really slept,but can you blame me? I was exhausted. The storm had passed, and I thought I could use the phone.
I stood, wincing from the pain as I moved. The cloth on my shoulder was bloody, the marks on my skin were more visible.
I pulled open the door and stepped out. The sight was beautiful in a way. Sunrays illuminated the wet forest and created rainbow,like lights near the river flowing nearby.
I breathed in the fresh air as I walked down to the river. The sound of flowing water and chirping birds was therapeutic. I shrugged off the jacket and sat on a rock by the river.
I wondered if the person was still coming, and if not, exactly how long it would take them.
I looked down at the phone and swiped. The phone only had that weird contact,nothing more. I thought for a while. I did have one contact off the top of my head, my uncle Xavier, the only person left I could actually go to. So it was either him or the police.
I decided to try my uncle first. I dialed the number, my pulse racing, my fingers trembling and sweating.
I pressed call, but it didn't connect. It didn't go straight to voicemail either, it just went silent and stopped calling.
"What the?" I whispered, trying again, but every time I called it hung up on its own. I tried again and again. Nothing.
I sighed, almost throwing the phone across the forest in frustration.
I decided to dial 911, certain that since it's an emergency number it would obviously go through. Right?
Wrong. So wrong.
It didn't go through either. It behaved the same exact way.
I tried a couple more times before I finally gave up. I went back to the cabin, grabbed the juice box and the remaining cookies, and munched on them, wondering what the hell I was supposed to do now. No food. Already out of water.
For a full two hours I just sat there.
I dangled the phone in my hand, the other hand on my head, my skull throbbing,and then I stopped.
What if I just called that number,the weird one with a bunch of zeros? Since it was the only number, maybe it would go through. Then I'd tell them I was lost and they could send help.
I sighed, deciding to try my luck one last time before I actually lost hope and decide to being a jungle girl or something.
My thumb hovered over the number. "Ok... here goes," I whispered to myself, then pressed call.
I held my breath as it went silent for a second and then started ringing.
"Oh my god... oh my god..." I jumped in excitement, standing and pacing.
It rang twice before someone answered, and the relief that washed over me was insane.
"H... hey. Uhm... I...," I didn't even finish when the person cut me off.
"Move west. They will be waiting for you," the deep voice said.
"Wait... I... I'm not—" I started.
Then the line went dead.
"What? No... no... no... no..." I whispered.
I called back. Nothing. It went dead and the phone went blank. I tried powering it on again nothing.
Well, what the fuck? What was I supposed to do now?
I huffed and slid down on the floor, running my hands through my hair.
For a minute I stared at the small compass I'd found in the bag.
"Fuck it," I stood.
I grabbed the travel bag and packed it up,the blanket, the jacket, the phone, everything. I fastened my boots and the backpack.
I shoved the diamonds I'd picked out of my torn dress into my boots,twelve real pieces of diamond worth a lot of money.
Then I set out.
It was a long walk, but it wasn't through trees,there was a clear path. I hurried my steps because I didn't want nightfall to find me in the forest.
After what felt like three hours, I was tired, hungry, and sweaty.
Finally I emerged into a clearing. It was vast and wide, like the very center of the forest, surrounded by trees.
I stepped forward, looking around.
Then I spotted it, a slick black chopper sat at the edge of the field. Masked men with rifles surrounded it.
I hesitated, wondering if this was a good idea or if I should turn and leave.
A strong hand grabbed mine from behind. I turned abruptly, my heart thudding. A man in a mask , and a black suit , carrying a rifle yanked me and pushed me forward without a word.
"Hey... stop... wait... let me go... I..." I rambled, but he didn't listen. His grip bruised my arm and I hissed in pain since he's gripping my arm that's hurt .
He was huge, tall, and he led me toward the chopper. The other men moved like robots, not sparing me a glance as they boarded the chopper, seating me between two of them. The rest sat opposite me.
"Guys... listen... this is a mistake... I was lost and I stumbled on a bag with that phone... and..." I stopped when I realized they weren't listening.
"Can y'all just drop me at the nearest town?" I asked.
Nothing,just the sound of the propellers.
I waved my hand in front of their faces. They didn't flinch or move.
Shit.
I sat tight , the gun from earlier was hidden at my waist beneath the jacket.
The ride was about an hour long, and by the time we were landing it was almost dark.
I looked down as the chopper lowered, and my mouth dropped open.
Below us, stretching like a shadow, stood a mansion in the middle of nowhere. It reminded me of my own house. Its black stone walls stretched tall and ancient, polished by wealth. The roof glistened with silver tiles, illuminated by lights around the manor. The top of the walls were coiled with razor wire that sparked, looping around the estate like silver serpents.
Guards patrolled the property,masked, suited, rifles at the ready, as if it were a normal Tuesday.
The chopper finally landed and they dragged me out like a rag doll. The air was cold and tense. The garden was trimmed to perfection hedges sculpted into bizarre shapes, fountains aligned in a row.
One of the guards took off my backpack and in the process his hand landed on the gun. I froze, wondering what to do. I mean, I have fighting skills and weapons training, but in situations like this you don't act.
He took the gun and pushed me forward.
I stayed quiet, going with the flow. I knew this was no ordinary house,it was a fortress of predators who'd kill without breaking a sweat. I grew up around people like this.
My boots clicked on the wet pavement as I approached a woman. She looked maybe in her late fifties, her hair in a no-nonsense bun; her heels clicked, and she wore a two-piece suit with a matching black top.
I swallowed hard. I had no idea who she was, where I was, or who I was supposed to be.
"Remember who you are," my mom's voice echoed in my mind.
Kinda too late for that mom .
The woman stopped in front of me, looking me up and down with disgust. My nails dug into my palms, sweat pulled at my face.
"Raven, you made it," she said, snarling in disgust as she looked me over.
Raven. Great. I nodded.
Atleast the name is pretty.
She tsked. "I still don't understand why my son would choose a hoe for a wife. I was honestly hoping you wouldn't come. You should have kept running," she snarled.
I wanted to slap the shit out of her. She insulted me not me, but who she thought I was.
Also, did she just say... wife? Oh hell no.
"Follow me," she said, turning and walking ahead of me with a scoff.
I muttered a prayer under my breath.
I hoped whoever I was impersonating would show up soon.
I followed her.