Chapter Three

I could feel the sting in my lungs as we ran uphill. The burn in my legs was real and very strong with the hill I I was currently hiking up. I huffed in real sharp, only for my exhales to cut the same way. I was thankful that I was in the back so no one paid attention to my wheezing and dying while we made our way to the first sign on the trail.

The rude girl from earlier that was in front kept up with Hart and so did the others. I kept track of the group by the wisps of hair and sleeves that passed by open spots in the green masses of leaves and bushes that were never cut or trimmed down. A mossy forest hid the others well, the only thing besides the passing of a darting teen that had let me know they were still there was their footsteps. They weren't trying to be sneaky so I heard the beat of their footsteps and random pieces of leaves and twigs break under their weight. If we were trying to play hide and seek, they would win every time. If they wanted to run away and abandon me in the woods, they could. With this thought bubbling up to the forefront of my mind, I started picking up the pace and tried to keep up even harder than before. I was wheezing but kept pushing, I had to keep up, I didn't want to be left behind. With every short inhale, that thought grew into reality by the second.

I felt myself almost trip a few times. My boots felt like the laces were becoming undone with every short step I made. The cut of my dress caught my legs every time I tried to stretch them past the one two pace I formed at the beginning of the trail. At this point, I envied the others and especially the boys, who were able to wear shorts and pants whenever they wished. It didn't feel fair.

Fair didn't come around very often once I put thought into it. It wasn't fair that we were forced to wear the same things because some group of old people said we had to. It wasn't fair to charge people for flowers in town that grew on the curb, it wasn't right to punish the kids for speaking at the dinner table, it wasn't right to cast out a kid because they looked different.

It wasn't right to be different. One kid was cast out due to this. Everyone in town hated him. They went out of their way to throw things or pretended he didn't exist. He was hated over something he couldn't control. He was born with a limp, two years ago was when they decided that was the time that he would be banished. The elders decreed that he was unfit for work and was told to pack what he could and leave, to never return because there would never be a place for him. I was never allowed to interact with him, I felt bad even though I never knew the boy's name.

On his way out of town, I gave any food I had to spare at the moment and walked him as far as he would let me. A hug and tears between our last words was the last I could remember of him, those golden eyes and that silver hair, the one kid that never had it fair. The one kid that was hated because he looked different than everyone. God must have wanted to test that boy. This makes me believe he has a pure soul and has to past this test too. I hope he has at least, it wasn't fair that he had to live that way.

I started to think back to how it wasn't fair for me. How it wasn't fair that I had to hide a simple hair clip, how it was unfair that I couldn't keep up with everyone. I caught myself dipping back into my dark thoughts. I wish I could stop complaining about myself when there's people like the silver haired boy. I didn't want to complain, it was like something possessed my mind, a voice in the corner of my head, resting and whispering all the time. This voice I feel is going to cause more trouble than I'd like.

A branch snapped hard under my left foot, it scared me for a moment, bringing myself back to my surroundings. The treetops were splashes of greens and amber browns that popped up every now and again. The roots of the trees laid everywhere and anywhere, it was amazing that no one had tripped yet.

That was until we finally got to the first sign. I was the first kid to trip. In front of everyone and right into a mud pile, covering every surface of my clothing from landing face first into the puddle.

I sat down on the ground and wiped the mud from my face onto the sides of my dress since everything was covered in mud anyways. I was ready to cry now, I could feel the build up behind my eyelids and the embarrassment growing in heat on my cheeks. Everyone's eyes were on me as the liquid dirt ran down my body, into everything that it covered, even my eyes weren't safe. I could see the snotty girl snicker to herself as my vision became a muddy blur, tears welling up into my eyes and falling down my face, washing mud down my neck and chest along with them.

Hart held out a hand for me, taking it, he pulls me out of of the mud pile. Wiping his hand off on his shorts, he looked stressed and didn't seem to know what to do next. I heaved real heavy and turned away from the hiking group.

I wiped my eyes but only smeared mud all over my face. With a sniffle, I started to walk the way we came back, "I'll see you at dinner." I weakly said out loud, my voice broke halfway through and I stumbled as I left their sight What a way to celebrate my birthday.

I was done with today. I was ready to go home, take a bath, and go to bed. I wasn't hungry and I sure didn't want to face the birthday group again. I stomped my way through the forest and cursed lightly to myself when my foot got stuck in a gaping tree root, "Shit."

I bend down and tugged at my boot, it didn't budge and felt like it would snap my foot if I moved the wrong way. Okay, Constance, calm down and move your foot backwards. I tugged at my foot lightly again but guided my leg backwards. My hands that were covered in mud slipped on the leather of my boots, causing me to fall on my back, the wind being knocked out of me and my foot being bent further than it should. I held my teeth close and screamed through them, not wanting to draw attention to myself in the middle of nowhere. I gasp for air and gain back my breath, I hold my head and sit up, looking back to my trapped foot. I slam my fist onto the ground, I was pissed. I gather myself back together and sit back up. I pull myself closer to the tree root and grab my shoe again. Slowly but surely I get my boot out of the tree root, my ankle stinging some as I stood back up.

"Shit," I hissed while leaning against the nearest tree. My foot felt twisted, it was burning and hurt everytime I sat it down. I frantically looked around the green scenery, there was no one and there was nothing to help me.

I sniffed, I didn't want to cry but today was truly the worst day that has ever happened to me. First I couldn't get cake, then I'm the only kid to not get their shit picked up and now this, what else could go wrong today? What else did God want to test me on today?

A tree branch snapped behind me. I felt my stomach sink to my feet. Oh Lord, what were you sending my way now?

My heart thumped in my ears as I starred at where I thought I heard the branch break. I didn't see any movement or sight of anything starring back at me. I stood even longer to make sure I didn't miss anything.

I slowly turn my head back again, making sure whatever it was wasn't waiting for me to look away. I held my gaze for a second, nothing. I sighed in relief.

"You know, they really should make the hiking trail a little more safe than that." I almost bit off and swallowed my whole tongue right then and there.

There was a random dark haired man in the middle of the woods standing in front of me and I had no idea who he was.