Lizzy sobbed in the back of the dark, frigid wooden carriage. The sunset reflected off of her tears as they glided down her cold cheeks.
("It hurts so much I just wanna go home.")
the rope that bound her hands together bit into her wrists with every bump in the road, it felt like someone was rubbing sandpaper all over them, each pass feeling more and more agonisingly painful. She cried and sobbed but there was no one there who cared enough to listen.
("I just want Caleb back. I want him to tell me everything will be ok like when we were kids! I want him to call me a wuss for crying so much! I just want to hear his voice again!
Lizzy felt a jolt as the carriage skidded to a halt in the wet mud. Lizzy was thrown hard into the splintered wooden wall of the carriage. She felt the wooden splinters stab into her arm like dozens of tiny, microscopic needles.
"Alright, men we've covered our distance quota for today. We're setting up camp for now. Make sure you get enough sleep we're moving again at the crack of dawn!"
A young-sounding man barked orders out to his subordinates outside the carriage causing them to scramble into action. Lizzy heard the sound of tents being pitched up and equipment being tossed, stacked and organised as the men erected their make-shift campsite.
("We're s-stopping now?")
The door to the carriage creaked open. A tall intimidating figure, wearing a purple woollen cloak and hood, stood in the doorway staring down menacingly at Lizzy. Lizzy recoiled back into the corner of the carriage trembling not knowing if this was her final moments, hoping and praying for her safety.
"…"
"Here!"
The hooded individual tossed a stale loaf of bread onto the floor of the carriage, before slamming the door shut, leaving Lizzy all by herself again. Lizzy collapsed onto the cold, creaky floorboards of the carriage, exhausted. She could feel every muscle in her body aching and throbbing like her limbs had been pummeled a thousand times over.
It's all my fault, It's all my fault. IT'S ALL MY FAULT! If I hadn't begged Caleb to go on that stupid train he wouldn't have gotten hurt going after me and on top of all of that I want him to comfort me?! I'm a useless, Awful friend! Caleb would be better off if I died…
Lizzy tucked her head into her knees crying softly into her leggings. each tear, filled with more and more pain it was like a downpour of guilt and pain.
("It's funny If I had actually said that to Caleb he'd have probably cried and gone into full lecture mode like he did that one time we went camping when we were 10…")
* * *
"Liz, Liz! Where did you go?!"
Caleb dashed around the dim campsite frantically searching for Lizzy. She had run off after the two had an argument, she always had a habit of doing that but this time it was different, usually, she'd just run off to her house or in this case her tent, but when Caleb checked she was nowhere to be found. It was like she had just vanished.
"Liiiizzz! Woaaah"
Caleb slipped on a small rock that lay on the muddy forest floor next to the hillside, causing him to tumble down the steep marshy hill. He collided with a few trees and rocks as he came to rest in the small densely wooded area in-between.
"O-Ow. my leg!"
Caleb looked down at his leg as he lay, sprawled out in-between the tall oak trees. there was a shallow, but long gash extending from his shin to his knee, as well as, multiple smaller bruises and lacerations which covered his whole body.
"I knew I shouldn't have worn shorts. Ow"
Caleb lifted himself off the muddy ground and gripped his leg, determined to keep soldiering on, determined to find Lizzy. He limped his way out of the wooded area and onto a grassy riverbank overlooking a large straight, shallow river which seemed to run for miles.
"Liz? Liz!"
Directly in front of him, Caleb spotted Lizzy, sitting by herself on the edge of the riverbank, sulking. She turned her head to see Caleb limping over to her, with bruises all over his body and his gash which, now had a streak of blood running down from it soaking into his bright blue socks.
"C-Caleb Wh-what happened?!"
Lizzy looked mortified at the state Caleb was in, he looked like he had just escaped a warzone.
"Oh yeah I kinda fell on the way here it's no biggie though It doesn't hurt too much"
Caleb was lying, the gash on his knee stung and throbbed and his bruises felt nasty, but he didn't want Lizzy to worry about him, unfortunately for him, however, Lizzy had already seen through Caleb's façade. tears welled up in her eyes as she was overcome with guilt and regret.
"Liar!"
Lizzy collapsed into Caleb's arms hugging him tightly, refusing to let go of him.
"I'm such a bad friend. I ran away and got you worried and I-I made you fall and cut yourself all over a stupid argument. You'd be better off if I just died!"
Hearing Lizzy say that made Caleb's eyes instantly fill with tears. Lizzy dying was one of his worst nightmares and he promised to himself that he'd never let it happen.
"D-don't say that you idiot! You're my bestest friend in the whole world. I don't care if you run away, argue with me or punch me in the face! I'm never gonna let you die! No way! So shut up and never say that again! You idiot!"
The two sobbed loudly into each other's arms on the riverbank, not saying a word just sharing each other's sorrow, as the evening sunset basked them in its warm blood orange glow.
* * *
("He was right I am an idiot….Caleb…I'm going to survive…for mum, for dad, for you!")
Lizzy stood up wiping the tears from her face, steadying herself as she rose to her feet in the shaky carriage. She surveyed her surroundings looking around looking for a possible exit.
*Creak*
As Lizzy was stepping over one of the old faded wooden floorboards of the carriage, she noticed it wobbled back and forth in place like a stuck see-saw.
("I-Is it loose?")
Lizzy dug her fingers under the decaying plank, trying with all her might to loosen the heavy solid hunk of wood.
*crack*
"!"
The wood plank had come loose from the carriage floor, making a small crackling sound, as its rusty nails splintered the weak rotting wood they were hammered into.
Bingo!
Lizzy carefully lifted the heavy plank to the side, trying not to make too much noise as not to alert the guards that were surely stationed outside of the carriage.
"Phew, that thing was heavy!"
Lizzy whispered, as she looked down at the hard dry mud that lay beneath the carriage floor. She had found an exit. She looked hesitantly at the hole in the floor pondering her options.
("Is this really a good idea? What if they catch me? What will happen to me then?!..")
Lizzy stood clenching her fist. Her chest tightened and her throat closed up slightly as anxiety consumed her.
("I-I-I'm scared")
Her hands, feet, her whole body was tense and trembling, she could feel the sweat on her palms. The tension was almost too much for her to handle.
("Caleb would probably call me a little scaredy-cat if he saw me now…I really am pathetic…I'm scared of lightning, the dark and even dogs…I call Caleb a kid but the truth is…I'm the kid…")
Lizzy inhaled, her lungs filling with the stale air of the stuffy carriage, she prepared herself for what lay ahead.
("This time I need to be brave…for Caleb…For mum…For dad…And for me!")
Lizzy grabbed the stale bread that lay next to her, stuffing it into her Blazer pocket as she hesitantly crawled through the small space in between the floorboards of the carriage, dropping onto the cold murky ground beneath the carriage. In front of her, she saw two guards sound asleep beside the two rear metal wheels.
("Phew, ok I just need to quietly make my wa-")
*Crunch*
Lizzy looked down mortified. She had stepped on a small dry twig which made a loud crack as it shattered into two pieces. The two guards sleeping beside the carriage were now wide awake.
"Hey did you hear something?! Who's out there!"
"Whoever you are show yourself!"
Luckily for Lizzy, the guards didn't seem to know where the sound actually came from, so she was safe... for now.
("Hold on is that…!")
While looking around for a possible escape route, Lizzy had noticed that one of the guards had left their daggers behind, in plain view of Lizzy. It was like a gift from the gods. Lizzy quickly grabbed the blade using it to cut herself free from the ropes before hiding it under her tattered school blazer.
("At least I've got something to defend myself with now")
Lizzy surveyed her surroundings. The guards were out of her way and there was a clear opening that lead into the dense woods next to the carriage.
("I-its now or never I guess…")
Lizzy sprinted as fast as she could into the woods Her legs accelerating her, faster and faster as they slammed into the ground. She could feel the adrenaline coursing through her veins, every instinct in her body was in fight or flight.
"Hey! You stop!"
A man shouted out from behind Lizzy she could hear footsteps fast approaching from behind her.
("They're catching up! Is this really it?! Am I going to die?!")