...?

She took a deep breath and let it out in a calming sigh. For the first time in several weeks she felt truly and completely free of emotion. Her mood soared into balance again and she took another breath of the slightly salt-tinged air.1

The time was dusk and the sun was just being cut in half by the horizon. The air had greatly cooled since she'd left the house so many hours previously. The wind now coming in from off the sea pushed the blades of grass that covered these hills back and forth, producing the illusion that she was standing in a green sea. She watched the patterns with complete absorption, as if they were the only things in the world. 2

The call of a bird startled her and her heart, which had slowed, began beating as quickly as it had before. She licked her lips nervously, and tasted the blood from her cheek. She'd forgotten about that. 3

***4

She fought through the branches, her throat tight, eyes burning, stomach churning. Through the water in her eyes, she could hardly see. A branch whipped out of now where and slashed across her cheek. She whimpered but pushed on. She cleared the last of the trees and stepped out on to the hills. The sight of them, although blurred, rested her mind. She was able to swallow down the lump in her throat. 5

***6

She'd forgotten too that she was up on the hills, alone, bleeding and now night wasn't far off.