Gone (Parallel Trilogy, Book 1) Read Free Page A

good place to be and running away didn’t seem like such a smart idea. I turned around to go back the way I had come, but then realized I couldn’t see my pen marks on the trees in the mounting darkness, and if I just started walking I risked becoming completely lost.
    A sudden feeling of panic crept up my throat and I found it hard to breathe. Turning in slow circles, squinting into the dark, I wasn’t sure which way to go. I thought I had planned so well, but I hadn’t thought to bring a flashlight.
    “Stupid, stupid, stupid,” I whispered. A distant howl made me scream and I slapped my hand over my mouth, not wanting to draw the creature to me. I looked up at the sky, as if doing so would make the sun appear. The gray clouds briefly parted and the moon shone, dimly lighting the area. Taking advantage of the faint light, my gaze darted around.
    Nothing promising in view. I took several steps in one direction, then in another, fearful that the moon would be covered in clouds at any moment, extinguishing my only source of light.
    Forcing myself to calm down, I concentrated on thoroughly studying each direction. After a moment I thought I saw something. Peering more intently into the dark, I smiled.
    Yes.
    A small structure stood a short distance away.
     
     

Chapter Two
     
    Hurrying toward it as best I could among the bushes and fallen tree limbs, I reached it just as the moon hid behind the clouds. Gentle snowflakes settled on my cheeks and I felt doubly glad that I had found this tiny hut.
    I knocked on the wooden door, not wanting to walk in if someone was home, although the place looked abandoned. I waited a moment and when there was no reply I knocked again, this time using my fist.
    Still no response.
    “I guess no one’s home,” I muttered.
    The snow flurries thickened as my hand grasped the doorknob. It didn’t budge.
    Despite my jacket and gloves, I began to shiver. Perhaps it was more from fear than from cold, but whatever the reason, my words came out in a stutter. “Who would lock the door out here in the middle of nowhere?”
    I walked around the small building, examining the structure. The hut was a square, each of the wooden walls about ten feet long. There was no other entrance and the only windows were tiny ones on either side of the front door—too small for me to crawl through. Then I considered breaking the glass so I could reach in and unlock the door, but I wasn’t sure I’d be able to reach the lock. Besides, if the window was broken, cold air would come in.
    Using all of my strength, I grasped the door knob and shoved my shoulder against the door. After several tries the door burst inward. Quickly closing the door behind me, I grimaced as I realized the space offered little warmth.
    Peering into the complete darkness, I inched forward, but after only a few steps I bumped into a table. A table with nothing on it. I decided to explore the room as best as I could, not being able to see anything. As I moved toward the nearest wall with my hands outstretched, I stopped, frowning, remembering when I was little and I’d walk around with my eyes closed, just for fun, to see if I could find my way. But this was no child’s game and I didn’t know what dangers might be lurking. The thought made me pause and I had to swallow my fear and force myself to keep going. As a precaution, I left my gloves on.
    Holding my hands out in front of me, I shuffled forward, wanting to avoid tripping over some unseen hazard. After a few steps my hands touched the wall. Flattening my gloved hands against the hard surface, I explored the wall but found nothing but the wall. Sliding my feet slowly to my left, I continued to explore.
    After a moment I reached the place where two walls met. Something thin and wispy tickled my cheek and I screamed, then pushed away the cobwebs. The idea of a big hairy spider watching me, or worse yet, getting tangled in my hair, made me shudder. I patted my head to make sure my knit