AllFreeNovel
Share Us
She mutters something I can’t make out as naughty Murphy’s eyes meet mine.
“Sounds like you’re a troublemaker,” I tell him, gently stroking his head.
He barks, letting his owner know he’s close.
“Murphy, you little shit. What did I tell you last time you did this? Lead walking for a month if you so much as—” The woman’s words stop abruptly as she appears in the small clearing before me. “Oh my God, Murphy,” she gushes. “Oh, you’re such a good boy.” She rushes over to me and drops to her knees.
“Are you okay?” she asks in a rush, her eyes darting over every inch of me.
I don’t respond. What’s the point? She can see very clearly that I am not okay.
As she tracks my injuries, I study her.
If I had to guess, I’d say she was probably in her late thirties. Her brown hair is a little faded, her roots showing some grey she’s yet to cover. She’s wearing a tank with Murphy’s lead hanging around her neck, leggings, and walking boots. But none of those things really capture my attention. It’s her eyes that draw me in. They’re the most brilliant blue, even in the shade under the trees. And they’re so kind. Kind, caring, and the sight has me breaking down in an instant.
“Oh, sweetie. It’s okay. Everything is going to be okay,” she says, gently pulling me into a hug. “You’re freezing. Here,” she says, untying a hoodie I didn’t see wrapped around her waist.
I wince as the soft fabric brushes over the cuts on my arms, but I happily push that aside for some warmth.
“We need to get you out of here, sweetie. Can you stand?”
I nod, shifting around, ready to push to my feet.
“Here, let me and Murph help.”
I nod, putting all my effort into moving instead of talking.
With her arm around my waist and Murphy’s support, I manage to stand upright. Together, they lead me out of the woods, which it turns out I was almost at the edge of.
No words are said as I’m led to an old Land Rover and helped into the passenger seat.
Murphy hops in at my feet.
“Murph, get in the back,” the woman demands, “give her some space.”
But he just sits there and stares back at her, totally unmoving.
“He’s okay,” I whisper, reaching out to tickle his ear. “My hero.”
“He has his good days, don’t you, boy,” she praises, giving him a treat from her pocket before closing the door and rushing around to her side.
“I’m Trudi, by the way,” she says, turning to look at me.
“Evie.”
“Okay, Evie. We’re about forty-five minutes from the hospital. I’ll drive as gently as I can.”
“No,” I blurt. “I need to go to London. I can… I can give you an address.”
“London?”
“Yes. Are we far from—”
“About an hour. But I really think—”
“I know. Trust me, I know how this looks. But there are people I need to get to. People who can keep me safe. Please, I’ll do anything. They’ll pay you, for your time and your fuel. I just need—”
“Hey, now,” she says softly, reaching over to wipe my tears. “I’ll take you wherever you need to go as long as you promise me they’ll look after you.”
