Chapter 31
While I crossed the road that had led into town, I would be all alone in the wide-open nothing before I disappeared into the Slipjoint Forest. I had to be quick. If anyone saw me from the edge of town and knew what I'd done, they might give chase. News traveled fast in small towns, so I'd heard.
As soon as my walking stick hit open air instead of the side of a building and my feet hit the steep incline leading to the road, I knew I'd just about made it out of Old Man's Den.
With nothing to block the wind, it reached down my throat and stole my breath in its frozen fist. It hurt, everything hurt as I pushed on. I was coming at the forest at a different angle, but once I was across the road and hidden by the cover of trees -
"There!" a voice shouted from the direction I'd just come.
"No," I said, the word like a squeaky sob.