I can’t go home. That’s the first place Jeffrey will look. If he’s looking for me, he’s probably found my cell phone upstairs, and it’s not like it would be hard to get my address from there. I can’t return. Not now. There’s no way I can risk something like that, so I decide to do the next best thing: go to the hunting cabin Grandma planned for us to spend the weekend at.
When I reach the edge of the forest, I park my car. I stare at the entrance for what feels like an eternity. I should do this. I have to. I could always go hide at some fleabag motel or one of Gram’s real estate properties, I realize, but I’m too scared to do that. I can’t stand the idea of sitting around like a waiting duck, wondering who might see me or betray my location.
In the forest, it’ll just be me and the wildlings.
In the forest, no one can touch me.
I can’t explain why I always feel safe there, but I do. Jeffrey won’t find me there and if he does, I can use one of Gram’s weapons she has squirreled away in the cabin. I’m no wilting flower. I’ll be okay.
Before I run headfirst into the forest, though, I realize that I need to ditch my car. Even if he didn’t get a good look at it, Jeffrey has friends in high places. It wouldn’t take much for him to find out my license plate info.
Hell, Jeffrey could even get the cops to start looking for me. Then what would I do? He’s older, smarter, and has more money than me. I don’t have a reputation or a record, but I also don’t have any friends on my side. And let’s be honest: little orphan Red is going to look a lot more like a liar than my brother.
It’s just facts.
He’ll play the concerned, well-meaning older sibling who just wants the best for his little sis. Then, as soon as he has me alone, it’s over.
Done.
I need to ditch the car.
I pull back onto the road and drive a few miles down, then turn into a residential area. It’s not ideal, but I’m guessing someone isn’t going to report a random car parked on their street right away. It’s not like where if I park at a business or restaurant, the staff is going to complain about my car after a few hours and have it towed.
Then he’ll find me right away.
Since I hauled my duffel bag inside the house last night, I don’t have my clothes or anything of importance in the car. There’s a little bag of snacks, which I take, but Gram had planned to bring most of the food. I sling the backpack on my back and lock the car. I don’t know what to do with the keys, so I just pocket them and start walking back to the woods.
The sun is finally starting to rise, but it’s stupid and pointless. I feel numb as I make my way back to the forest’s edge. I feel isolated. I feel empty. Gram is gone and there’s nothing I can do to change that.
She’s gone.
I try not to think about the hollow look in her eyes as her body slumped forward over the table. I try not to think about the blood. I try not to think about Jeffrey.
But I can’t, and the tears start to fall.
Pushing them back only works for so long, but by then, I’m at the edge of the woods. There’s no looking back now. I have to go on. If he finds me, that’s it. I pray and hope he doesn’t remember the hunting cabin. I don’t think Gram ever took him to it, so luck is on my side if I play my cards right.
I only hesitate for a moment before heading down the familiar path. One last look at the quiet town behind me, then I'm gone. I have to be. I can't be at my apartment when Jeffrey arrives or I won't stand a fighting chance. He's bigger, stronger, and smarter than me. He's more vicious. He'll do anything if it means getting what he wants, no matter what the cost.
And no one can stop him, not even the police.
The cabin I plan to hide out in is a two-day hike from the forest’s edge. Grams and I planned to come through the north side of the forest, making it only a half-day hike, but I don’t want to spend any more time driving than I have to. If I drive around, Jeffrey or one of his minions will find me. That’s small town life for you.
The cabin doesn't hold any magical powers or have a hefty stash of weapons or house a savior who can rip me out of this nightmare I've been living in. No, it doesn't have any of that. It's just a quiet place where my grandmother used to take me. It's a quiet haven that Jeffrey doesn't know about. He certainly doesn’t remember it. I try to remember if he’s ever been there. I don’t think he has. Grams always liked me more, which sounds mean, but is true. Jeffrey never really wanted a relationship with her, so she spent most of her time with me.
And oh, how we loved that cabin.
It's a place where I can be alone and I can be safe and I can hide until I figure out what to do.
Right now, I have no idea how I'm going to survive the next few days or even the next few weeks. I know I'll have to return to Ashborne eventually. I'll have to go back and claim my inheritance someday, but I also know that doing so means I'm going to die a painful death at the hands of my brother. Right now, I'd rather be alone in the woods than dead over some stupid money.
The path I'm walking is rugged and bumpy. I hold the electric lantern higher in my hands, wishing I had a real flashlight, but it's late and I’m in the middle of nowhere. It's not like there's a 24 hour supercenter here. I try not to think about creatures that could be lurking in the woods. I try not to think about all the bad things that could happen to me between here and the cabin. I can't.
I just have to get there, then everything will be okay.
It's not long before I'm shivering in the cold and I wish that I had something heavier than my red cloak, but I don't, so I cringe and keep going. The cloak is long and thick, but it's no match for the cool air. I just need to get as far as I can before Jeffrey shows up and starts searching the woods for me. Would he go that far? Maybe he’ll think I skipped town.
Probably.