Chapter 36: Don't Get My Hopes Up

The pain was like nothing I’d ever felt. I ran to the sink only to realize there was no running water to relieve it.

“The stream,” I exclaimed, bolting towards the door where I sobbed, struggling to get it open with my blistered raw hands. I finally managed to get the door open, then ran for what felt like an eternity before falling beside the stream and plunging my hands into the ice-cold water.

I wailed loudly at the pain from both my hands and my heart. Why had I come back to this godforsaken place? I tried to gather my strength to get myself to a hospital until the shock set in and I began to fade in and out of consciousness.

I woke up disoriented and shivering violently from the cold ground beneath me. I had no idea how long I’d been out. The night sky was black and two beams of light glowed through the darkness. Headlights? Were those headlights? I faded back into unconsciousness, only to come out again when I heard my name being called from a distance.