Aim for the woods

Not wanting to chance anyone seeing her in the park, Christina made up her mind to run for the forest. It would be a slow tricky walk around trees but she’s never seen anyone in there the few times she’d ventured in.

Slightly standing up from her hiding spot, she made one last look around before she started jogging to the corner of the school. The teachers parking lot was over half full, and most teachers had some work to take care of before they left for the day. That didn’t guarantee the path would be clear, but it was something.

Covering her body with her hands, Christina managed a quick pace to the edge of the wall and peeked around. She couldn’t see anyone walking around, and she tried to scan the cars to see if anyone was sitting in them. It looked clear.

Biting her lip in fear, Christina sprinted away from the building and into the parking lot, hands tight across her body to protect her modesty. She heard her bare feet loudly slapping the asphalt of the lot, and felt her face growing redder with embarrassment. Darting between two cars to cover some cover, she didn’t break her stride.

I’m going to make it, she thought. I’m going to make it!

She passed through the first row of cars and raced for the second and final row of cars. Once she was between the cars she dropped her hands from her body and swung her arms to gather speed, her pace picking up slightly.

“Hey! What the hell are you doing?”

No! Christina panicked at hearing the voice behind her, her pace faltering. Wait, no, keep running! Get to the woods!

She left the second row of cars and ran full out for the edge of the woods. A thin swatch of lawn marked the end of the parking lot, and after three long bounds across the grass Christina cut between two trees and into the woods.

Who the hell saw me?

She started to slow down to look, then thought better of it, turning back into the woods and running deeper, the voice yelling but distant enough that Christina couldn’t make out what they were saying

I was far enough away, they can’t identify me unless they see my face. Don’t turn around, keep going. We have to make it home before any cops show up. With any luck they might think this was a stupid dare and not bother…

Now deep in the woods Christina slowed down to catch her breath, and to avoid tripping. The ground was littered with broken branches, dead leaves and roots poking up through the dirt. If she fell she could get hurt, and she didn’t want to be screaming for help like this.

Twigs poked painfully at the bottom of her feet but Christina kept moving. She felt herself trembling with fear and humiliation as she crept through the woods, first further away from the school then turning towards the neighborhood she lived in. She knew she’d be walking parallel to the park she usually walked through, but she was nowhere near any of the borders so she couldn’t be seen.

Unlike the usual ten minute walk through the park to reach Madison avenue, the street running between the park and the street Christina lived on, it took at least twenty minutes of stepping around trees before she started hearing the sound of cars. She slowed her pace, wanting to see the street before she got close enough that anyone could see her.

The street was soon in view, obscured by tree trunks and leaves, but unmistakably the road. She heard a car coming, and she hid behind the nearest tree, watching the car pass.

Putting her hands over her body for the first time since the parking lot, she slowly edged forwards, moving from tree to tree, pausing only when a car passed. More of the street became visible, and then the other side of the road.

I must have gotten a little off course, the street to my house is further right then I was aiming for. I can creep through the woods to get there though. Right now I’m just lined up with the alley-

Wait, the alley! I can cut through there! Crap, dad locked our gate a few years ago and I don’t have a key. Maybe I can jump the fence without anyone seeing me?

If I go to the street then I’m a lot more exposed, much bigger chance of someone seeing me… I won’t have to try to jump the fence though, bound to be faster if I flat out run… Not sure I can do that, might have to sneak my way home if anyone is out…