It was bright. The blinding rays of the sun was very clear it was high in the sky. Shadows would run by in a millisecond. It would be quiet and silent, if not for the loud blaring alarm echoing through the air. The birds would be chirping and the wind rustling the leaves would be singing. But the birds flew off and the alarm silenced the leaves.

      It silenced the crunching of the twigs. Silenced the pounding of her heart and her short quick breaths. She could feel her legs start to burn but she didn't let it stop her.

      She stumbled a bit with every step carefully trying not to run into anything that can slow her down even more than she already was. But she couldn't afford to slow down, not with the alarm going off, not when they were looking for her. She quickened her pace a bit, her hands held slightly in front of her as she moved. She didn't know where she was going. She just kept putting one foot in front of the other without tripping over the dried fallen branches or roots or slipping on the moist dirt. All she knew is she wasn't going to stop until the alarm was lost in the trees.

      As she slowly got further away without any problems, she started feeling confident that there was a clear path in front of her. So she moved even faster than before hoping it would help her get away, just far enough so she could rest. So she could stop the pain that was building in her lungs and massage her calves from the burning muscles under her skin.

      She didn't turn back to see if they were catching up to her; she didn't need to. She could faintly make out voices that kept a good enough distance behind her.

      Suddenly, she found herself shoulder checking something ruff and jagged. In reaction, she held out her arm in a way that looked as if she was going for a one arm hug as the force caused her body to twist. She could feel the sudden jagged texture on her arm and a sudden feeling of heat washed over her shoulder and down her arm. She landed on her butt with her foot entangled with the twigs and leaves along with solid curling tips.

      She hissed as the pain she tried ignoring came rushing to her all at once, including the small scratches on her arm. She took deep breaths, inhaling and exhaling rather slow, hoping that would help with the pain. As she exhaled through her mouth and inhaled through her nose, the scent of wet dirt and wood rushed around her.

      The alarm suddenly went off, drowning the forest back into silence once more. Her head shot up at the sudden silence as if she was expecting to see the sound visually disappear. It was then she finally heard the crushing of the leaves beneath heavy footsteps. They weren't close enough to cause her to worry but she wasn't going to let them have a head start.

      She forced herself out of the sticks and leaves and roots, up to her feet and made sure she didn't do any damage to either of her feet. When no pain shot through her legs, she figured she was fine and continued the way she was going.

      Hours later, when the sun was still setting, she had slowed to a walking pace. She no longer heard the faint voices or any footsteps but she still refused to rest until she felt she had to. Even when her eyes began to droop and her stomach began to twist, she still felt she wasn't out of danger just yet.

      At this point, the moonlight showered the trees with it's lights but she saw nothing but darkness. No faint shadow of the trees. No blue-green moonlight that splattered on everything and hung in the air.

      Her shoulders dropped and her posture dropped even lower than before. Her legs became to heavy for her to lift all the way up that she tripped over a root. Her body curved with the ground and her fingers sunk into the dirt. As she got to her knees, she let out a small quick breath of shock. She let her fingers glide around the area she fell into. She felt the curve of the dirt pile up and she felt her fingers brush against a tough, long and sunk into the dirt like a worm. Tree root possibly. Two of them on both sides. She fell into a break between two huge roots of trees, the ground curved building almost a dip by the tree. She just sat there, on her knees not bothering to even get up. Instead she lifted her head to the sky and let her breathing relax her.

      She felt the moist in the air poke at her cheeks and the tip of her nose. It felt good against her burning skin. Her eyes shut for a moment and she sat eerily still, almost as if she actually fell asleep in that position. When she opened her eyes, she realized just how tired she really was and submitted to it. She felt around for the tree where she laid her head slightly where the tree meets the dirt. She stretched her legs out slightly, wrapped her arms around herself and there she fell asleep.

       Every once in a while, everyone has one of those good sleep where you have a moment of peace. The little moment of amnesia, where you forget where you're at and everything you've done the day before. That's what she woke up to. Her eyes slowly opened nothing but a white light shined at her. She couldn't move and she sort of didn't want to. She was at peace there. Comfortable almost. Her breathing was light, far from the heavy breathing that she was doing a few hours ago. She wanted nothing more than to just curl into a ball and stay in the moment of that.

      But as soon as the moment came, the faster it left. The events from before came rushing back to her, almost feeling as if she's been hit by a bus. On board was her memories. She knew she wasn't safe. She knew she had to get up and continue moving. So that's what she did.

      She listened first. Then rose up when she didn't hear any footsteps or leaves and twigs crushing under weight. She continued in the direction she was going in last night with the feeling she was going in the right way to lead her. She continued to dodge the shadows that appeared in front of her for a few more hours. She kept her ears perked up. Stopping every few steps just to listen to her surroundings, for any sign of another being or for a sign of anything that could possibly be a threat to her. But she hears nothing.

     In the mid-day, she felt a slight breeze kiss her face. It was cold and felt good after walking for so long. The scent of dirt and wood filled her nose and she had no problem with it, even stopping to get a good whiff. It was so much more lighter than those of gun powder, metal and sweaty gyms.

     In mid-step, the hairs on the back of her neck stood straight up causing her to stop and move her head slightly to the side. Listening. Trying to see if she could capture anything with her hearing that would indicate someone or something was around her. But she heard nothing. She took a deep breath and continued walking. She had to be cautious. They could still be out there. She thought to herself as she carefully navigated around the trees, tree roots and anything else that will cause a delay in her trip. Even if she didn't know where she was going. She just knew she had to get away from the capitol and the people chasing her.

     After a while, she thought the hairs on the back of her neck should of settled down by now but they didn't. Still standing at attention, she decides to slowly turn herself in a circle. Light footsteps and ears completely open as she waited.

     "I know you're there." She spoke to the open forest. She listened. Nothing.

     Why won't you people just come out already?

     Because they're playing with you. They're watching. They caught up to you and now they're just toying with you.

     But you don't know that. It could be someone else.

     But that's even more dangerous, isn't it? If they're not from the capitol, who knows what they might do.

     "What do you want?" She asked, "Why are you following me?"

     For a long pause of silence, all she heard was the light wind brushing past her ears.

     There it was, "Are you alone?" The voice called back to her.

      She moved her head around from side to side before turning her head towards the voice.

     Don't answer that.

     It was a voice she didn't recognize at all. So who is she talking to?

     Instead of answering, she shrugged her shoulders in a maybe, maybe not way.

     "What do you want?" She asked.

     "You seem alone." The voice called back.

      "What's it to ya?" She called back.

     The voice shrugged but she couldn't see it.

     "I figured we could help each other out." They answered.

     "I don't have any food, if that's what you're assuming." She held out her arms as if trying to show him. "I don't have anything for you to take."

     "I never said anything about taking anything from you."

     Silence.

     "I'm not a thief."

     "Then what do you want?" She asked.

      "Company." They said replied. "I guess. People are better in groups anyways."

      One corner of her lip curled into a smirk. It took everything in her not to let out a chuckle. She turned her head in every direction. Straining her ears to listen for anyone other than the person talking to her. She was also straining to keep an ear out for any sudden moves from them.

     "No thank you. I'd rather be alone." She finally replied.

     "There's no one out there." He informed her. "I told you it's just me. I'm all alone out here, I swear."

      "I'm not one to trust words." She informed.

     "If I wanted to steal or harm you, I had ever opportunity to do so when you were sleeping."

      Her head suddenly snapped towards the voice.

      "Okay that came off sounding weird." She could hear him shaking his head. "But I could have done something if I wanted to."

      "You were watching me sleep?" She questioned.

      "I was observing." They quickly answered, "I came across you while you were sleeping. I didn't see anyone else around. I figured maybe I could join you and your group, that's if you had one." He explained her.

     "So you stalked me?" One of her eyebrow raised in an arch and her head tilted.

      "I was being cautious." They told her, "Now a days you have to be cautious. Especially out here." She heard a long deep sigh coming from in front of her. "It's almost expected to think everyone is out to get you. So I waited before I approached. Watched for a few hours just to see if you went back to some kind of camp."

     "Then steal?"

     "Join."

     None of them moved for a moment. They stared at her and she could feel it. But she faced them all the same. Her arms were down, she had no weapons and no back up so she was defenseless against this stranger, if they truly did have bad intentions. She would of stayed longer but she couldn't afford allowing them to catch up to her. And if they were lying about being alone, she couldn't afford them surrounding her.

     She cut the silence and the still moment that was covering them and turned away. Continuing her walk, she left him behind. At least she thought she did for a good minute or two. That was until she heard the crunching of the leaves and twigs a good distance behind her.

     "Stop following me." She said as she kept her head forward as she walked.

     "It's not safe to be on our own." The stranger replied, "It's better if we're in a group. I help you, you help me."

      "What could you possibly help me with?" She suddenly stopped and turned around to face them.

     "I'm not the best but I can catch food." He answered, "And if anything, I know territories to stay away from."

     She turned back around and continued moving, "I could hunt my own food."

     "With what weapon?" They retorted.

     "Trust me I don't need any weapons." The annoyance cascaded her voice.

     "I know where water is." He continued, "I might know where we could scavenge untouched food."

     "If you know where food is then why are you wasting time telling me rather than going and getting it?" She questioned.

     "For safety. Security. Company." They went on listing everything that popped into their head. "You don't have anything so lets help each other." They stopped walking and she heard the footsteps that were close subside. "Look I get we may not know each other but we both have being alone as common ground. Plus I'm pretty sure you're hungry just as much as I am."

     She was about to deny that until her stomach decided to make her hunger known to a complete stranger.

      "Come on." They pleaded. "Kill me, if you wish. But eventually we'll need each other."

       She rolled her eyes and continued walking. She knew he was going to keep following so she said nothing.

        30 minutes into the walk and she could hear them. The crunching of the twigs, the footsteps and that let her know she was right. He was still following.