Freak of Nature

Chapter Twenty

Kaitlyn crashed through the woods, the cracking branches beneath her feet filling the dark silence. The green-tinted night spread around her as far as she could see. She had been on the run for thirteen minutes and eleven seconds. Scanning the forest, she could see the body heat of several startled animals. There wasn’t a human form in sight. If they were chasing her, they weren’t close—at least, not yet. 

Faster. 

She had to get out of the woods and into civilization … a town. There had to be one near here, somewhere. They would be combing the woods for her for days, but she didn’t plan on being there that long. 

Recalling the phone Lucas had given her, Kaitlyn came to a halt, swung the bag off her shoulder, and dropped it to the ground. Unzipping the side pocket, she slid out the smooth, thin phone. When she pressed the round button on the bottom, the screen came to life. 

A small square on the screen said ‘Maps.’ Not knowing what else to do, she tapped it. She was surprised when it opened to a map. She had spent extensive time with Frank learning to read the terrain and navigate maps, so it didn’t take her long to realize the pulsing dot was her location. When she moved forward, the dot moved with her. Genius. 

There was a major highway approximately fifteen miles due north. She stuffed the phone back in the bag and took off in that direction. The undergrowth was getting thicker, and the hills steeper. Reaching up, she grasped hold of a branch to help pull her forward, and then another until she made it to the top. She broke free of the thick shrubs and trees, finding herself standing on the edge of a cliff over a stream. 

A wave of dizziness washed over her, and she stumbled back, losing her footing. Had they caused her to malfunction remotely? Closing her eyes, she tried to steady herself, to wait for the dizziness to pass.

Instead, like a tidal wave, her memories came crashing back. 

It was too much. She wanted to grab the sides of her head and scream, but as images flashed through her mind and emotions spun her around, she breathed deeply and pulled herself back up the slope. She had to keep moving. 

Memories of a young girl streamed through her mind. A young, dark-haired girl stood outside in a raincoat and yellow boots, waiting for the bus. She turned and smiled at a woman with dark hair, pale skin, and bright blue eyes. It hit Kaitlyn that the woman was probably her mother, and the girl Kaitlyn herself. The next flash was her, slightly older, sitting cross-legged under a Christmas tree. A tall, slim man with curly blond hair and grey eyes handed her a wrapped box. The girl squealed when she opened up the box, finding ice skates, and threw her arms around the man. “Daddy!” 

Daddy. The man was her father. He was wearing a red sweater with a snowman on it. His jaw was chiseled, and his eyes were the same color as her own. 

Keep moving. The influx of memories weakened her. She wanted to drop to the ground, curl into a ball, and wait for it to stop, but her pursuers could be gaining on her. Lucas had given her a chance, and she wasn’t going to let him down. 

She seemed happy as a child. She laughed and smiled a lot. Athletic; she raced horses, played soccer, practiced karate, surfed, and later, rock climbed. 

Kaitlyn ran faster in the shadows of the trees, pushing herself. Keep moving. 

And then she was a teenager. School and parties. Boyfriends, dances, and kisses. She gasped when she saw Evan for the first time. His blond hair was shorter, but his green eyes sparkled just like in her dreams. They walked arm in arm through a park, so natural and happy together. He turned and kissed her. Kaitlyn couldn’t help but wonder if his kisses made her feel the way Lucas’s had.