Immortal: Chapter 5

Dark clouds had begun to move across the sky as Selene ran from the house, across the grounds, and into the woods. She knew that once Kevin awoke there would be a search party sent to find her, then all would be lost. Her only hope was to get as far away as fast as she could. Thankfully, she had a good idea of where she would go. A low rumble warned her of the impending downpour. As she walked, Selene thought back over the past few years. She had to admit Kevin wasn't as horrible as other husbands were to their wives. Still in her mind, that was no way to be treated. He'd nearly squandered all of their money on fallen through business attempts, gambling debts, and his mistress. As her thoughts continued; they wondered back to Gabriel and the last night she'd seen him. As the night replayed itself she kept moving letting her feet guide her. She realized how silly she must have looked when she'd asked him if he loved her. How foolish it had been to hope for something and yet she wondered how her life might have changed if he'd said he'd loved her more than a friend. This thought caused her to pause as the possibilities played themselves out. A simple cottage flashed in her mind surrounded by a grove of trees with a small lake in the back of the house. A few children's toys were scattered about with a swing tied to one of the large trees in the front. The images caused her to smile then sigh softly. Shaking her head, the images slowly faded as she resumed her journey. The leaves of the great Oak trees rustled around her as the wind picked up speed. A few drops of rain landed on top her head as the first few rain clouds passed over head. Following the trail as quickly as she could. Selene found shelter in the large hollow base of another Oak tree. As much as she disliked bugs, she could handle them for a night until the rain eased up. Setting her pack down, she removed a blanket and wrapped it around her. Even though the day had been warm, she knew the weather could get chilly when the rains moved in. Moving the pack to form a pillow, Selene curled up and settled in for the night. The rain lulling her to sleep.1

Dawn broke with a cloudy sky. A few birds sang in the forest, but most stayed huddled up to try and keep warm. The other inhabitants of the forest began to make their rounds as well as the sun slowly worked it way through the canopies to the floor below. The sounds woke Selene with a slight jerk. Her eyes stared blankly for a moment until her mind registered where she was. Stretching she sat up and looked around. Last night hadn't been the best sleep she'd ever had, but it had been one of the most peaceful even if she'd had to worry about bugs. Packing her blanket, she moved from her shelter and began her journey again even though her stomach growled for something to eat. A few hours passed before the growling in her stomach began to annoy her. Looking around she saw nothing that looked edible. She didn't want to;but she'd have to chance being seen on the main road due to being unfamiliar with this part of the forest. She retraced her steps until she saw the small trail leading toward the main road. As the road came into view, Selene stopped and looked around listening for anyone coming. Silence greeted her ears. Relief filled her as she walked down to road keeping an eye out for anyone that might do her harm.