Making the run to Marianne's place

Chapter originally written by Phantom Pen on writing . com

As much as Mackenzie hated to admit it, her best bet was with Marianne. She was the one person guaranteed to help, and while she couldn't be certain Marianne was home, she wouldn't be at work on a Saturday and would hopefully only be gone for a quick errand at most. Now, the only question that remained was what route to take.

Thinking carefully, Mackenzie figured that she had three possible courses. One was safe, but extended the length of her trip substantially, another was quickest but incredibly risky, and the third was a toss-up.

If she was willing to add a good mile or two to her trek, Mackenzie could try to make a break for the nearby park. The park was quite large, and the patches of dense trees and other plant life offered ample hiding places and discreet paths. However, there was always the chance that Mackenzie could get turned around, or lost, or accidentally stumble upon people, but that was equally true with the other options.

The most direct route was simple. If Mackenzie stuck to the roads, she could retrace the usual route she takes when she drives to Marianne's place. However, once she was out of suburbia and into the busier part of town where Marianne's apartment complex was located, there would be little to no hiding places. If she was quick, clever, and lucky, she just might be able to make her way to the apartment unseen... however, luck clearly wasn't on her side this morning, so this thought did little to settle her rapid heartbeat.

Finally, there was the route that could either be perfect, or total disaster. Mackenzie lived in a college town, and the campus happened to be between her home and Marianne's apartment. Mackenzie could sneak through the suburbs until she reached the campus, then cut through the open area and cut down the distance of her trip quite nicely, and avoid the city streets. Unfortunately, she knew the campus layout and realized that there would be essentially zero cover. For all intents and purposes, she'd be streaking the college. Since it was Saturday, the campus could be largely dead since nobody would have classes to attend. However, the nice weather might mean the campus is flooded with students enjoying the day...

Mackenzie thought carefully about her options, shivering slightly in the occasional breeze that served only to remind her how bare she truly was. Finally, she took a deep breath and began walking, her path decided.