Isabel walks silently towards me and settles down beside me, not uttering a word. I stare at her in disbelief, expecting shouts and threats to follow, but none come. She looks at me with a smile before speaking.
"Hi," she whispers.
"Hi," I reply, my voice barely audible.
She understands the need for silence, given that we're in the midst of a hunt, and leans closer to whisper in my ear.
"Are you stranded here?"
I look at her, shocked by her question, and nod in confirmation.
"I can take you back. I'm searching for my husband... he's a fellow traveler like us."
I nod again and whisper, "Michael." Her eyes widen, and a smile graces her face. We both turn our attention back to the deer as we hear a commotion. Boleslaw has attacked the animal. Reacting swiftly, I join him, leaving Isabel behind.
Once the deer lies on the ground, I glance back to where I saw Isabel, but she is no longer there.
Darkness descends, and we hastily gather the deer and other animals we caught throughout the day, making our way back to the waterfall. We decide to set up camp there for the night.
While Boleslaw tends to the deer, I roast one of the rabbits over the fire. But thoughts of Isabel continue to occupy my mind. When I encountered her in the forest, she looked strikingly different from the woman I had previously met—no black suit, but instead a dress. Was it all a dream? Did I imagine the entire encounter? Perhaps grief over my family's loss has begun to take its toll on my sanity... I vaguely recall reading something about that on the internet.
Boleslaw's voice breaks through my thoughts.
"How's the food coming along?"
"Are you hungry?"
"Starving..." he sighs.
"Just a little longer... sorry."
"Bo... I think I need to tell you something."
"What is it?"
"I don't know... I might be losing my mind."
"It's possible," he chuckles in response.
"I'm glad you find it amusing."
"What's on your mind?" he asks, his tone shifting to a more serious note, though a smile still lingers on his face.
"When we were in the woods hunting the deer, you went to attack it from the opposite side..."
"Yes, and?"
"While you were away, I saw a woman. She approached me and spoke a few words, ensuring not to startle the deer. But after we took down the deer, she vanished."
"What did she want?"
"Well, she was someone from my past..." He looks up suddenly, walking closer to me, and asks, "Someone from your family?"
"No, actually an enemy..."
"An enemy?"
"The man I call my father, Michael... the one who took me from my home and left me behind... I believe she had captured him that day in the forest. Her name is Isabel. I've encountered her before; she once held me and Michael captive... We managed to escape. It seems that it wasn't the first time Michael had eluded her grasp."
"Do you think she's here to capture you now?" Boleslaw asks, concern etched on his face.
"I'm not sure... She once said that I'm valuable to her people and she couldn't bring herself to kill me, even though she wanted to... Maybe she's here to take me back home? Or perhaps I simply imagined her altogether..."
"And that's why you think you're going crazy? Because you imagined her?"
"Maybe my grief-stricken mind is playing tricks on me."
"Perhaps, or maybe Michael sacrificed himself to protect you and hid you here from her, and now she's found you."
"I don't know which scenario would be better," I respond with a bitter laugh catching in my throat.
"Don't worry, I won't let anything happen to you," Boleslaw reassures me as he pulls me into a comforting embrace.
After a satisfying dinner, I fall asleep, my back leaning against a tree trunk, with Boleslaw resting his head on my lap. The soothing sound of the waterfall lulls me into a deep slumber. In my dreams, I see Robert, the day we met... Suddenly, it transitions to our wedding day, and when I turn around, I'm cradling our baby Jack in my arms, while Emilly clings to my leg, taking her first tentative steps.
Abruptly, I'm jolted awake as a hand covers my mouth, and a whisper brushes against my ear, "Don't scream, I won't harm you."
I gaze at the person speaking to me and recognize Isabel's pale skin blending into the darkness of the forest. She removes her hand and continues to speak in a hushed tone.
"Where is my husband?" I look at her in disbelief, about to answer, when Boleslaw's eyes snap open, and Isabel vanishes into the night.
"Who was that?" Boleslaw inquires, his voice filled with urgency.
"Did you see her?"
"Yes, the woman whispering something in your ear. Who was she?"
"It was her, Isabel, the one I told you about... She was asking me where Michael is..."
"But you said she had him?"
"That's what I thought... If he wasn't captured by her, then where is he?"
Unable to sleep for the remainder of the night, I wait, anticipating Isabel's return. I analyse every detail, replaying the events in my mind. What did I miss? Would Michael intentionally leave me here? But he left behind his jacket. He wouldn't abandon all his things... jacket, powder and the eggs... they seemed important to him...
As the night gives way to the first signs of dawn, we gather our belongings and make our way back to the village.
Upon delivering our bounty to the meat hut, we hear commotion emanating from the great hall, drawing a crowd of people towards it.
As we make our way towards my hut, not particularly interested in any potential visitors, we hear Arne's voice calling out to us. He runs towards us, evident worry etched on his face.
"Beth, there's a woman here claiming to be from your clan. She says she's here to take you back to your family... so I suppose they're not dead after all?" I look at Boleslaw, fear gripping me.
"It must be her..." I say to Arne. "Keep her occupied for as long as possible." I embrace him tightly and whisper, "Thank you for everything, my dear friend. Please give my love to Frida."
Arne looks puzzled, and Boleslaw steps in to explain. "The woman is extremely dangerous; don't underestimate her. She's here to take Beth against her will. Beth needs time to escape."
"Okay," Arne replies, his determination evident. I break away from the conversation and hasten towards my hut.
Once inside the place that has been my home for the past several months, I rush to a hidden compartment. I open it and retrieve Michael's jacket, along with a separate bag containing other items I've prepared for an occasion such as this. With the white powder in my hand, I notice Boleslaw entering through the door, his eyes fixed on me.
I grab the bucket of water I keep in the hut and prepare to drop the powder into it. Turning to face Boleslaw, I embrace him tightly and whisper, "Thank you for everything... This is my only way out now... I hope you find happiness."
Without hesitation, I toss the white powder into the bucket...