Chapter 1

The waves crash harshly against the cliff face as the tide rolls in. I breathe in the salty air as my hair whips around my face, feeling content and a sense of longing at once as I look to the west over the Pacific. Sighing, I turn and climb back in my car and drive the rest of the way to the trail head on lonely winding roads. When I pull into the parking lot half an hour later, there are only a few cars. A family takes their packs out of their trunk while their two small children run around the car, pulling a small smile from me.

I park on the far side away from the trail head, grab my packs and lock my car before making my way into the forest. I feel a weight lifting as the trees envelop me, despite my heavy load. With finals over, I am now the proud bearer of a Bachelor's of Science in Cultural and Linguistic Anthropology. I'm not sure what the future holds for me, but I am glad that I have made it this far on my own, and I hope my parents would be proud, too.

I hike for a few hours, bypassing the designated camp ground and find a clearing about a mile off the trail. With practiced ease, I set up my tent and get settled in. As night approaches I strap my small knife to my ankle and wander out to gather firewood. My arms are full by the time I turn to head back to my clearing.

A branch snaps behind me and I turn my head, slowing my breathing and listening. I hear nothing else so I keep walking, keeping my steps light and my breaths slow. A moment later a dark-haired man in red and black flannel steps out from behind a tree in front of me and another comes out behind me. I tense, gripping the branches closer, reaching for a larger one within the stack. I turn to the side to keep both men in my sights.

"Hey, baby doll. Want some company?" the man in front of me asks. He's more robust than the other, broader shoulders and more muscular.

"I'm good, thanks." I step back, creating more distance between both strangers.

"Don't be like that. We can have some fun," the second answers. They step with me, strides longer, reducing the distance.

"I'd rather not." I back up too far and hit a tree. When I sidestep the trunk, the first man lunges. I drop the majority of my firewood and back swing a branch at his head. The branch snaps on his head and dazes him. I turn to the other man who just stands there, smirking, and the other man lunges again. I block with my forearm and follow up with a left upper cut to his ribs. I use my smaller size and speed to get around him and jab at his kidneys in quick succession. He drops to his knees and I hit the pressure point in his neck to knock him unconscious.

"Well done, sweetheart," the other man grins. "Now it's my turn," he taunts, pulling out a hunting knife from behind his back. My eyes widen a fraction.

He advances towards me. I briefly entertain running but then I run the risk of being literally stabbed in the back. I don't have time to crouch to find another branch or retrieve my knife before he's right in front of me. I dodge his stab and land a kick to his knee. It buckles beneath him but he stands seconds later. The next minutes pass in a blur of dodging metal and trying to land hits. I can tell that he is getting tired and so am I, which is probably why he slips past my blocks and his blade sinks into my side, above my left hip. I gasp and grip his shoulder before slamming my forehead against his nose. The knife slides from me as I push the disoriented man away and begin to run.

"You can run, sweetie, but I will find you," he yells into the growing darkness. I try to keep pressure on the wound and create as much distance as I can, making my way back to my camp site.

I can feel myself losing too much blood and I need my first aid kit. I have yet to hear his footsteps and I don't dare to look back lest I stumble and slow my already slow pace. My hands find the tree trunks as I go and I focus on getting from one to the next, pushing back the darkness threatening to consume me.

"This isn't what we wanted. We just wanted to have a little bit of fun." I hear him making his way towards me, not too quietly, some distance behind me and to the right. I almost shout for joy when I see my tent coming into view. When I reach it, I haphazardly open the front, reach inside for my light filled pack and keep moving, this time in the direction of the main camp ground. I hoist the bag onto one shoulder and open the pouch, feeling around for the bandages I know are there.

"Come out, come out, sweetheart. You can't get too far, can you? Just give up." I grit my teeth and keep going. I pull out a small package of bandages and rip it open with my teeth, stuffing the wrapping back inside. Pressing them under my bloodied hand, I reapply pressure. I falter as I do so.

I make it another few hundred meters or so before I falter, knees hitting the ground. I can tell that I'm on the hiking trail somewhere between my campsite and the camping grounds before a blanket of unconsciousness consumes me.

I wake briefly to horses whining and briefly skidding to a stop. I open my eyes to a white horse above me. Strong arms lift me and speak urgently in a language I don't understand before we're back on the horse.

"Hold on," the melodic voice seems to say. I feel the horse take off at a gallop and I slip back into unconsciousness, cradled to a warm chest that envelops me in safety.