Night Out(Alex)

Alex had been walking for hours and her head was throbbing as testimony to her plight. Her damp hair hung in ringlets down her back and over her shoulders leaving wet spots on her tunic that the lady in the village had given her. Her breeches were dirty and torn from going through brush and stooping down to look at tracks. Her feet and arms ached from the many cuts and scratches that they had received from the long trek. Over all, the cowgirl was miserable. She knew that she would need to find shelter and soon but the terrain didn’t make for much to pick from. Spotting a tightly knit cluster of trees and vines she prepared for her camp out.

As darkness descended upon the island the rain forest became alive with nocturnal creatures. The birds had long since quieted down for their rest and now came the hum of thousands of blood sucking insects as they sought out any exposed flesh. To protect herself, Alex covered her face, arms, and feet with mud. “So much for feeling fresh.” She laughed to herself to ward off the rising feeling of panic. She had become familiar with the panic attacks at a very young age, the first time she saw an Indian raid. Her head would become swimmy as if she had just been spinning around in circles, her heart would race, and she felt as if the air in her lungs were being squeezed out. Closing her eyes, she concentrated on her breathing, forcing her heart rate to slow – a tactic her father taught her when she began her new school shortly after they had traveled out west.

“Just close your eyes and think about something that makes you happy. Now just breathe.” She could still see her father standing before her as alive as the trees protecting her. He always smelled of pipe tobacco and saw dust. When she was smaller she used to sit on his lap, close her eyes, and savor the smell of him.

Alex’s breathing regulated as she thought about her beloved father but unfortunately the insects had no intent on simmering down. The forest was alive with the thunderous chorus of a million crickets. She couldn’t see all the tiny creatures but she could hear them and feel them, so much for a peaceful night’s sleep. Curling up into a fetal position on the forest floor, Alex closed her eyes and listened to the forest, anxiously anticipating the morning.

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Something sharp kept poking her in the ribs as she slept, she squirmed around hoping to dislodge the pointy object. Again the prodding occurred and Alex roused herself from her sleep. Her mind suddenly updating itself on the situation and her environment. Sensing danger the girl stealthily grasped some dirt into her hand and opened her eyes feigning a groggy head. “Leave me alone, ma, just a few more minutes.”

“I ain’t your ma, now get up girl” more pokes from the pointed object accompanied the harsh words.

Alex sat up, still pretending to be half asleep. There were five men with spears and guns standing around her. They all wore black tunics with an emblem of a griffon embroidered in red upon their right chest. Their breeches were brown and they wore soft leather boots that came up to the middle of their calves. Alex was struck by the contrast of their dress in comparison to the villagers’ she had been staying with.

“Get up, I said or I’ll run ya through, girl!” Realizing that these men were out at night in the hopes of finding something, she thought it best to do as she was told. As soon as she was on her feet, two of the men grabbed her arms, leading her out of her protective cove.

They had only walked a few feet when they met up with another group of men clothed in the same attire. This seemed to be some kind of search party but what they were searching for Alex could only guess. After waiting for a few minutes the group was joined by five more men and together they all began to march through the rain forest, happy with their discovery.