Caroline groaned as she became aware of her body once again. Her muscles were sore from the fight and laying on a hard, cold surface. Sitting up she was reminded of the bit on her leg. Examining it in the dark cave she found the bite not too deep, but without proper care, it was at risk of infection.
"Caroline to ninja," Caroline put her hand up to her ear. "Is anyone there?"
"Are you okay?" Jay's voice crackled in the earpiece.
"Mostly, yeah," Caroline replied. She was still processing the whole situation. "I lost the vehicle, it was taken. I found a good place to hide."
"Who was it taken by?" Lloyd asked. Caroline wondered how many ninja were listening.
"I'm not sure," Caroline replied, "I was looking for a clue, but I found someone who said I was on his property. We had a fight and I think I broke the vehicle as I was driving through the trees." Caroline was aware of the lie, but she didn't know how the ninja would react if they found the truth. She didn't want them coming after her, it was dangerous for them.
"So, you just ran away?" Lloyd asked. He knew there was more to the story. Caroline couldn't think of anything fast enough, so she remained silent. "Why were you in the forest? That's the forest we found your old house in."
"Wait, I was in that forest?" Caroline's heart began to race. She promised herself she would never go back there. She didn't blame herself for the time she went with the ninja because she didn't remember, but she should have recognized it.
"Yes," Lloyd confirmed. Caroline scolded herself. She had been so focused on finding Jennefer that she had blindly made it back to her old home. She paused. Was she meant to go to the forest? Was it her destiny to find out what her father was doing and stop him?
"Is there a river or stream near my location?" Caroline asked, looking down at the dog bite. Taking out the pocket knife she had in her pocket she began cutting away the ripped pant leg.
"Yes, but it's a mile north of your location." Cole was the one to answer this time. "Do you have any supplies with you?"
"Uh, yes. I was able to grab my bag before jumping out," Caroline lied. "I just need to refill my water. Then I am going to find the nearest town to replenish my supplies." Looking at the clothes she had on she wondered what she could use to wrap the dog bite.
She had her green sweatshirt on, which was full of filth, and a plain black t-shirt underneath. Taking the t-shirt off, she cut it and wrapped it around her leg before standing up and testing her weight on it.
With her sweatshirt now her shirt, she limped her way out of the cave. Blinded by the light she blinked a couple of times before focusing on the area around her. Once the coast was clear Caroline limped out and used the compass on the end of her knife to find North.
Caroline ended the radio call with the ninja and slowly made her way toward the water source. She was grateful that her path led her away from the forest and pondered her situation as she walked.
She had no supplies and no transportation. She lost her sister's trail and has no idea where she might have gone. She bumps into someone who knows her last name, suggesting they might be connected to her father. Seeing that they were able to come so quickly to the forest, her father and their old forest home are somehow connected.
Caroline rejoiced at the sound of flowing water a few hours later. She finds that it is a decent-sized creek and she takes off her makeshift wrap and her shoes and socks. Ignoring the sharp pain the water makes, she washes out the wound and neatly wraps it back up with the shirt already covered in dust.
With her wound taken care of, Caroline found a new problem. She looked around her as her stomach began to ache, realizing now that it was time for it to complain about its needs. Groaning, Caroline began searching for something to eat.
Caroline searched the landscape, wondering what she could find this late into the autumn season. She remembered the skills Jennefer had taught her and was finally able to locate some berries.
They were a little old, but she gratefully picked them and ate as many as she could. She was so concentrated on the berries she didn't notice what was going around in her surroundings. The moment she had gathered every edible berry she paused as a bush to her right rustled. "Is anyone there?" Caroline whispered, wondering if those guys had somehow found her again.
Something shot out of the bushes and Caroline dropped the berries in her hand. She put herself in a defensive position only to be met with a bunny hopping away from her location. Taking a deep breath to calm herself Caroline looked up at the sky and decided she should find a place to take shelter.
Caroline struggled to find anywhere to take shelter for the night. As the sun disappeared behind a mountain Caroline found herself shivering against the growing wind and her leg throbbing with overuse. When only the light of the moon led her onward she decided to settle down at the base of a large tree close to the water's edge.
The night seemed to last forever. Caroline went in and out of sleep and by the time the sun rose she felt sore from the rocky ground and tired from the lack of sleep. Groaning, she pushed herself up, knowing she needed to get to a town to find food and shelter.
Caroline knew, by experience, that if she followed the water it should eventually lead her to a village or town. Caroline tried her best to keep moving forward, but with the rough terrain and her injury, she had trouble doing so. As the day slowly passed she became hungry and thirsty.
Knowing the water was probably not safe to drink, she drank. She gazed into the water, wondering if she could reach in and catch a fish to eat. As she continued to walk she began to doubt herself. Why was she hiding from the ninja? Why doesn't she just ask for help?
By the time the sun was at its highest, walking had become too much to bear. Caroline sat on the muddy river bank, tired and hungry. The wind from the previous night had not seized and it blew angrily at Caroline, stinging her face.
Ready to give up, Caroline reached towards the earpiece to contact the ninja before spotting something in the water in front of her. Moving closer to the edge of the water she saw a school of fish just beneath the surface close to the edge of the stream.
Hunger driving her forward, she waded into the water with her shoes and socks still on, eying the fish. The fish were deeper than Caroline thought and she began to doubt if she had even seen them in the first place. She stood still, waist-deep in the water, watching.
There was a SPLASH and a fish came hurtling out of the water. Caroline lunged for it without thinking, her stomach rumbling at the thought of food. She stumbled forward, losing her footing on the rocks underneath her, and fell face-first into the cold water.
The fish was long gone. Caroline struggled in the icy water, pushing her head out of the water to catch some air. She panicked as she realized the current was sweeping her away and she searched for the bottom of the creek with her feet.
Caroline turned her body so she could see where she was headed. She hadn't thought the creek was very deep when she was on land, but struggled to find any sort of foothold to keep her from getting swept away in the fast current.
Giving up her fight with the water Caroline struggled onto her back where she took deep breaths. She felt her movements begin to slow as the chill of the water and her weakness began to drain her. She closed her eyes, thinking all was lost.
A sharp pain hit Caroline in the head and she struggled in the water, blindly grabbing onto the unknown source. The rock was barely coming out of the water, covered in algae. Caroline managed to make her way on top of it and look around at her surroundings.
The creek had suddenly become wider, drowning Caroline's hope of swimming to shore. Looking downriver she noticed the water disappear and she heard a soft thunder of water against rocks.
Caroline watched the waterfall, wondering how big it was and how she could get to safety. She tried to think of a plan but her mind was all foggy and her body was numb with cold. Caroline finally did the only thing she could think of.
"Help!" She cried, her voice horse. "Help!" Tears rolled down her wet face, knowing she should have called the ninja. "Help," Her voice barely over a whisper she felt defeated. Taking a risk Caroline took one of her hands off the rock and looked at it.
She knew that her elemental power took concentration and energy, but she had to try. Reaching out in front of her she tried creating a platform on the water that she may be able to jump on. A flickering blue square came into view. Caroline's hand shook and fear shot through her as she felt the water rush up onto the rock and push her off.
The barrier wasn't enough. As soon as Caroline had landed on it, it disappeared, submerging her in the icy water once again. She held her breath for as long as she could and fought her way to the surface before she felt her body drop.
Something hit her hard in the side, and she knew no more.