It took several minutes, the thorns greedily clutching hold of their prize, but eventually I forced it out.
I stood and lifted my cellphone high, shining the light between the trees that surrounded me. As I squinted into the shadows, the phone vibrated then died. The light vanished and I was plunged into darkness.
“No,” I gasped, rapping the phone against my palm in a desperate plea for it to come back to life. Nothing happened.
My stomach plummeted, leaving an ache of fear in its place which stretched its way through my limbs.
I spun around, trying to remember which direction I'd come from. Nothing had registered on my mad dash through the trees and without any light to help me search for signs of my passage, I didn't know where to begin.
I craned my neck back, hoping to spot the stars beyond the treetops but above me all was dark. I couldn't even tell if it was clouds or just the thick treetops which blocked my view. I’d never thought of myself as being afraid of the dark as a rule. But standing alone in the pitch black in the middle of the forest was about the most terrifying place I'd ever found myself.
I think I would have been scared before the wolves and the cougar and everything else that had happened that day. But in the wake of it I could hardly bring myself to breathe. I didn't know if I should start calling out for my friends or preserv
e the relative safety offered by my silence.
As I remained frozen to the spot, I thought I caught the sound of someone calling my name on the wind again.
I didn't know if my mind was playing tricks on me, giving me what I wished was true.
A closer sound pulled my attention back to my surroundings. A twig snapped somewhere behind me. Then another.
I stilled, training my ears on the forest, listening to the soft sounds of something approaching.
Indecision froze me. I didn't know if I should run or remain still, hoping that whatever approached would pass me by.
A guttural growl sent a slither of ice shooting through my veins and a gasp escaped my lips as I fled. The pitch darkness enveloped everything, hiding trees and roots from my eyes. I stumbled more than once, my palms hitting the freezing earth before launching myself upright again.
Twigs and leaves slapped at the skin on my face and brambles tangled against my clothes, resisting my passage through the trees. I didn't slow, ignoring the best efforts of the forest to stop me. I ran on, heart pounding as the cold air whipped at my skin and stung my eyes.
Between the panting gasps of my breath, I was sure I could detect the sound of padded feet pursuing me.
I pushed myself on faster, hoping against hope that I might find a way to outrun whatever was coming for me. My heart pounded a desperate rhythm against my ribs and my legs trembled beneath me. Though whether it was from exhaustion or terror I couldn't tell.
A huge tree loomed ahead of me from the darkness and I clambered up the bank to its base. I scrambled behind it and pressed my back to the ancient trunk, willing my thrumming heart to slow so that I might hear the sounds of the creature approaching.
I waited, a few seconds or half a lifetime, I couldn't be sure. But then the low growl sounded again beyond my hiding place. My heart froze in my chest as I my fist closed on the hilt of the steak knife which still occupied my pocked. I slid the blade free, praying I wouldn't have to use it.
The growling finally came again but it was further away. I still didn't move, afraid that the slightest sound would draw the beast back to me.
The clouds shifted and pale moonlight filtered down between the branches, giving me a better view of the trees which surrounded me. I leant forward slowly, the rough bark of the tree scraping against my leather jacket as I tried to get a look around it to the clearing beyond.
I was shoved back suddenly and a large hand slapped across my mouth to stop me from screaming as I was pinned against the tree. My heart leapt and I spun the knife in my hand as I swept it towards my attacker’s throat.
I stopped at the final second, my blade touching his neck as Lincoln's eyes widened in surprise.
“Easy Katy,” he breathed. “I'm here to help.” He eased his hand away from my mouth slowly.
“Linc?” I gasped as my mind raced, trying to catch up with what my eyes were telling me. Somehow Lincoln was here, in the middle of the forest. His chest was still pressed against mine and his hand held my waist. I had to tilt my head back to look up at him and his breath mingled with mine. My heart beat faster but it had nothing to do with fear. “How… why…?”
“I've come to help.” He smiled lightly. “Or have you decided to kill me instead?”
I realised I still held the steak knife pressed to his neck and quickly released it. The blade slipped between my fingers and landed in the leaves by my feet. I placed my empty hand on his chest, feeling the strong thump of his heartbeat through his shirt. He felt cold, his clothes damp beneath my palm.
“You're really here?” I murmured.
“I am,” he replied softly. He leant away from me, looking beyond the tree. After several seconds, he stepped back, releasing me. “It's gone. We should get out of here in case it comes back.”
“How did you find me?” I asked as I fell into step beside him. He had a large pack slung over his back and two pistols holstered on his belt. I eyed the weapons nervously before taking a step forward so that I wouldn't have to look at them.