Stolen and Seduced - Christine Pope Page 0,113

that of the birds and it covers me like a blanket that I never want to take off.

I pull into the carpark and switch off the engine. Sitting still for a moment or two I remember back to the foster home that I stayed at briefly. It was the only one in a long list of them that showed any sort of love or stability. However, it was not to be my final home and when Mr. Peterson died unexpectedly, of a heart attack, I was moved on once more. That was not before I fell in love with this area and I smiled bitterly at what could have been had I stayed here longer.

I sigh. There is no time for memories like these I tell myself as I step out of the car and stretch my limbs. Life is a shit sandwich most of the time and it is better to swallow it quickly rather than savor the bitter taste of it all.

The air is crisp, cold even, and it burns the back of my throat as I run. This is infinitely better than the burn from smog. In the city, the air is thick, you can taste it as it coats your tongue. It is a force that makes your eyes water. Here, though, I am cold as I start my run but the air pushes me forward, invigorates me, and encourages rather than trying to kill me.

I push through the first mile, happy to be able to stretch my legs without the constant gaze of the city. Even with lockdown, there is still activity on the streets—particularly when it comes to exercise. However, out here, I haven’t yet passed a soul. My lips twitch up into a smile and laughter bubbles up. Seriously, I haven’t felt this good in such a long time!

The path is wide and well maintained. To either side, the protection of tall trees tower over me, sheltering as I pound the bitumen below. I crane my neck, distracting myself from the burn in my legs, and view the clear sky above me. There are a few clouds, soft and puffy as they glide across the expanse.

Yes, I am glad that I came out here, that I flouted the rules for some extended exercise.

Returning my gaze to the direction in which I am running; I notice a small offshoot from the main track. I frown slightly and then smile. I am pretty sure this track leads to a small waterfall and I am so desperate for nature that I deviate from the trail.

The path quickly shrinks down to nothing more than what appears to be an animal trail. Only the locals even really know about this place and the waterfall is not spectacular enough to warrant return trips.

Still, it was a place I had been to a few times. It is always quiet there, always a good place to sort your head out. This was especially when it came to living in the foster system and trying to work out why you were the one unlucky enough to wind up being passed from family to family.

I can hear the water before I get there and my fingers uncurl. My shoulders relax even though I am still at a slow jogging pace. A branch slaps out at me and I duck down, arcing underneath it even as I reach up and push the debris out of the way.

The place hasn’t changed. It is still cramped, opening out suddenly to expose the crack in the rock where the water escapes. It cascades down over several granite boulders, splashing out as though angry at being exposed and I can totally relate.

I shuffle along the narrow path as I endeavor to avoid the splashes of wetness. At the edge of the tiny clearing is a flattened rock, the only place in which to avoid the spray and I sink down onto it, my breath ragged from the exercise.

Allowing my head to tilt back slightly, I gaze skyward.

As I do so, I notice that something is off. The air feels thick against my skin, as though mist has descended and is enveloping me. The sensation of vertigo overtakes me and I claw at the unforgiving rock beneath me for support before the world shrinks down around me and goes black.

The last thing that registers is the shining mass in the sky above me.

Nuvul

I look out of the front shield, at the vast emptiness of space and it closes in