Astrid twisted her neck, brushing something gritty off her cheek as she eased herself up to her hands and knees. Why couldn't she see anything? What was this stuff suffocating her? She pulled the fabric over her head until she finally saw grass, trees, sunlight, blue sky. Fresh air!

The parachute lay in a tangled mess around her as she rose to her wobbly feet, brushing the dirt and sticks off her body. She ached all over from her unconventional landing which she couldn't seem to remember very clearly. She must've hit her head after hitting the ground.

She couldn't have helped it, really. As she fell closer and closer to Earth, she couldn't see any clear landing spot amongst the dense trees. Finally spotting something that looked like a cliff on a mountain edge, Astrid had angled herself towards it. Now, obviously, she'd only just made it to the tiny patch of bare dirt – a few yards one way and she woulda gone over the edge to sharp rocks below. Whew!!

Where to now? Had her pursuers seen where she'd landed? Astrid untied her bag and looked for her compass. Not that it would help any – she didn't know where in the world she'd landed. Hopefully still in the States, she prayed.

She folded the chute as best she could, thinking it might come in handy if she had to spend the night out, and started trekking through the sweet pines and dense undergrowth.

******************

After getting nowhere all day it seemed, Astrid found a good tree to call home for the night before the light of dusk faded too much. She didn't dare light a fire; Indian smoke signals were not a good tactic for remaining hidden in the forest.

As she easily climbed the tree, she thanked her dad for raising her in the country and forcing her to play outside all those afternoons after school. She thought back on all those times her older bro and his friends would go camping out in the sticks and she begged to go with. The skills she learnt were certainly coming in handy. She tried to forget that it was actually Michael who taught her how to select a suitable tree and tie herself to a high branch, making sure her can of pepper spray was handy as he said bears hated it just as much as creepy guys.

Sitting alone in the quiet forest, the sound of crickets chirping and the occasional owl hooting, Astrid had plenty of time to ponder. Which she really didn't like right now. Maybe she should've kept walking through the night. No, she knew there were way too many nocturnal critters out looking for dinner, just waiting for a cute girl to happen along.

The temperature was dropping, and wrapping the chute more tightly around her, Astrid pulled out her diary to write stuff in the light of the moon streaming through the tree tops.

Being out here in the woods brought back way too many fun memories of growing up with Michael. She had always envisioned them doing things like that for years to come. How could he have just thrown all that away? Didn't he care that she would never go back to trusting him, that they could never go back to who they used to be together? Her tears fell freely as she wrote more words on the illuminated pages.

Remember you telling me everything?
All those afternoons we shared our secrets
Remember us laughing and crying?
You and I were always together
And I never thought that it would end
Coz you and I were the best of friends

Tell my why walking away
is a right for you
something you had to do
Tell my how breaking my heart
is an easy thing
Are you listening?
Tell me you know how much love hurts

Her tears subsided, and Astrid carefully tucked her diary back in her bag before she could drop it. The hum of the forest night symphony lulled her to sleep as she dreamed of Michael; the sweet, gentle Michael who had helped her catch a big bass and who rode bikes with her to the beach during the summer holidays.

Then she awoke to sunlight sparkling through the leaves above her, and the realisation of the reality in which Michael was no longer her friend.

***********************

Astrid eagerly munched on chips as she rode the bus to Pennsburgh City. That morning she had continued her march until she came across a dirt road, and after following it for a couple of miles she reached a small town. She bought a few essentials from the tiny grocer, then hopped on this bus that carried her out of nowhere. She thanked her Father in heaven she didn't have to spend another night out in the bush – she hadn't realised how dependent she'd become on hot showers and real bathrooms. But hey, she was tough. She stared out the window as trees gave way to open fields, which gave way to white picket fences of suburbia, which quickly gave way to skyscrapers.

Getting off at the central station, Astrid decided to scout the area for unfriendly faces, as her day to day habits now consisted of constant looks over her shoulder.

She spent the next few days wandering around, enjoying the city sights and sounds, shops and restaurants, parks and touristy places. There were so many beautiful trees that lined the streets of this city, and the inhabitants were a friendly bunch, often saying polite things about the weather or offering directions.

Maybe she could stay here for a while, get a job, or maybe even enrol at the university and study something. Start a whole new career. She always wanted to be a hairdresser! No wait, a fighter pilot! Actually, on second thoughts, after her recent punch out at 10 thousand feet, she scratched high altitude thrills off her bucket list.

While sitting in a café considering her options, a cheery voice broke through Astrid's thoughts. She glanced up to see a smiling woman in a floral dress, mid-fifties and on the chubby side. "Well, hello Deary, I hope you don't mind, but the rest of the tables are all taken. Might I please join you here for a spot of tea?"

"No, that's fine," Astrid replied with a smile of her own.

"Oh thank you! I've been out and about trying to find just the right thing to give my husband for our 25th anniversary...but Oh, you probably don't want to hear me prattle on," she sipped her tea and lowered her head, obviously abashed at imposing too much on Astrid.

"Oh no, not at all; I don't mind listening to your story. In fact, it would be nice having someone to talk to." Was Astrid lonely? She was grateful to be safe for now and not being chased, but a life on the run felt rather isolating sometimes. That's probably why she was contemplating settling somewhere and making some friends; friends who wouldn't know her past and just accept her for she was right now.

"Well, I'm Rosalind Harris, but you can just call me Rosy! And how has your day been, Sweetie?" Rosy gave her a genuine smile, her eyes twinkling behind her retro cat eye frames.

"It's been pretty good, thanks! and I'm Samantha," Astrid beamed, and the next half hour was spent in laughing and swapping stories. Rosy was such a nice motherly figure, Astrid couldn't help relaxing and sharing general things about herself.

After a while Astrid stood, "Could you please just watch my spot while I duck to the bathroom?"

"Sure, Sweetie! I'll be right here when you get back."

Sure enough, she was. From across the café, she could see Rosy happily sitting there minding her seat. As she walked around the tables, she bumped into a man coming the other way.

"Sorry, sir," she apologized even though he wasn't watching where he was going.

When Astrid sat down again, their conversation resumed and Astrid drained the last of her coffee. After a few minutes, she started feeling a warm sensation in her stomach as her vision slightly blurred. Perspiration broke out on her forehead, and her stomach clenched as a sharp pain shot through her.

"Are...are you alright, Sammy darling?" she could barely understand Rosy's concerned questions. She tried to nod, but she fell forward instead, almost banging her head on the table.

"Here, let me help you up. Do you have a car parked nearby? We'll call a cab to the hospital..." Rosy's voice faded as Astrid's vision darkened around the edges.

She was faintly aware of stumbling down the steps onto the street and being helped into a cab. Rosy bustled in beside her before telling the driver something. Before she gave into the tug on her eyelids completely, she caught a hazy glimpse of the driver.Was...was he the same man she bumped into just before? Then all she knew was blackness.

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Oh no!!! another cliff hanger x) haha! so what do you all think of Pennsburgh City and Rosy? Thanks for reading!