Bella stood in the centre of a ravine, surrounded by knee-deep snow, and surveyed her surroundings. She was completely unaware of her whereabouts. She could only ascertain that she was in the mountains based on the surrounding terrain. The trees were towering and blanketed with snow, similar to the land underneath them.
She gazed up at the sky to ascertain the time and determine how long she had been outside. It was uncertain. It was late afternoon, and the sun, however somewhat obscured by the trees, occupied the western sky. She observed its radiance low on the horizon through the trees and recognised that darkness would soon ensue.
Alone in an unfamiliar spot, she stood at the bottom of the ravine, where the temperature was already frigid and would likely decrease further with each passing minute as night approached. She turned around, uncertain of her next action, glanced down at herself as she and Tyler reverted to their usual condition, and perceived the odour of blood. She was enveloped in it, encompassing not just her own but also that of numerous others.
She was moreover overheated and perspiring from their extensive running. Neither she nor Tyler knew the duration of their run, only that she had been nearly blinded by the sun’s brilliance at one moment. It was likely around mid-morning or lunchtime when she escaped her captors. She was now drenched in perspiration and, having fled without knowledge of the time, could not even ascertain the duration of her distress; it was an unpleasant sensation. might only conjecture numerous hours.
“Tyler?”
Affirmative? Tyler appeared fatigued to her; their altercations and exertions had exhausted her. Bella was not about fighting or running; it was as if they operated with a singular consciousness, having collectively endured all experiences to ensure their survival.
Our canine companion? She enquired, resting a hand on her abdomen.
Secure. Tyler informed her, “We safeguarded our puppy, as we had previously.”
Bella momentarily closed her eyes and exhaled a sigh of relaxation. She was unaware of their progress. I was uncertain whether Luke and Maddis were aware of it.
She considered it improbable that they were unaware of the triplets. Tyler was the first to be informed during the previous instance. This time is likely to be similar.
She opened her eyes and sighed deeply, recognising that her affliction had compelled her to fight and leave, yet they had lacked the foresight to rescue Macky. They were uncertain whether the man was safe at the rear. Did Mia injure him, or did those men harm him due to her escape? We abandoned Macky in that location. She whispered while anxiously biting her lip. “I just left him.” Tears welled up; what if those dreadful individuals killed him? She attempted to connect with him but received no response, assuming that her distance was the reason for her inability to sense him. The inability to feel or connect with him signified the worst negativity.
“No alternative,” Tyler exhaled mentally.
They were situated at the base of a ravine. She was unaware of her origin, the distance they had covered, their speed, and possessed no knowledge whatsoever.
She rubbed her palm across her face and inhaled deeply to steady herself. Consider Bella. She enquired of herself, what was the initial thing you observed after you ceased running and regained composure.
She surveyed her surroundings; everything appeared uniform, blanketed in snow, and she was already standing knee-deep in it. Directed her gaze downward, searching for her footprints or trail in the snow to ascertain her previous direction. She would need to monitor her own footprints to return to her origin. Fortunately, she had been more accustomed to the cold recently. Returning to the group had facilitated that.
However, she was unaware of the extent of the cold that would envelop the mountains at night, nor whether additional snowfall would occur.
She navigated her return via the ravine, retracing her own footprints between heavy snowdrifts and lightly snow-blanketed terrain, till dusk descended and the sky enveloped her in darkness.
“Tyler, remain receptive to Maddis or others.”
“1 am,” she said, yet her voice still conveyed fatigue, and Bella understood the reason, sensing her efforts to mend their inflicted wounds. Excessive adrenaline combined with the mending process meant that Tyler was exerting herself more than she probably ever had at this moment. She remembered the profound fatigue she had during their last escape, utterly drained; even Karis had gazed at her with concern upon awakening her the next day.
Bella persisted in following her own footprints along her previous path; she was exceedingly fatigued yet compelled to advance. It seemed she had not escaped in a direct path, traversing the valley three times before ascending to its summit. However, there was no alternative but to follow her footprints, lest she become even more lost in this wilderness.
