Run My Darlings, Run
Chapter 5
“Hans! Hans!” The whimpers awoke me. “Hans wake up, please! Don’t leave me here alone!” It was Liesel, crying like a wounded animal. I groaned in pain. My head pounded, my body ached and my blood flowed everywhere. The hole in my leg seared, as though on fire.
“Hans! Are you ok?” Liesel cried.
“Does it look like it?” I muttered sarcastically.
“No. you’re covered in blood and have got cuts everywhere.” Liesel said.
“Thank you for that lovely description.” I groaned.
Nausea came over me, and I threw up on the ground next to me. Liesel studied me.
“Now you have vomit all over your face as well. You look awful - like a monster or something.” I groaned a terrible groan and growled like an animal in reply, making Liesel squeal in terror.
She hurriedly stood up, nearly tripping over her feet. “I’ll get some water,” Liesel decided. “You can clean yourself up a bit. It’s a miracle the wolves haven’t found you yet – I heard them all through last night.”
I instantly jerked upright. “Wolves? Last night? How long have I been out?” Liesel thought for a moment.
“All yesterday afternoon, all through the night, and through half of the morning.”
After studying me with concern, she trotted off to find water. I lay back down uncomfortably, and studied my surroundings. Liesel must have dragged me into the forest, because there was no sign of the train track anywhere – just the occasional sound of one hurtling by.
I was in a small clearing. Birds flew quickly past and insects chirped. A padding of heavy paws made me shudder. Wolves. Ever since Mama told me the story of Little Red Riding Hood and the wolf I had been terrified of wolves, even though I was twelve now I knew that wolves didn’t dress up in your grandmother’s clothes and pretend to be her so they could eat you up.
Liesel returned with her cupped hands full of water. With a bunch of moss she gently wiped my wounds. The blood started flowing again as the water made contact with the gashes. Wincing, I shifted slightly, making Liesel smear one of the blood stains on my cheek.
“Oh Hans,” she sighed, “keep still!”
“Sorry,” I grumbled. Her face softened, and she didn’t say anything the next time I moved.
After she had finished, my skin was as smooth as a polished stone, and the blood was barely visible. You only saw it if you knew it was there. The only things visible on the skin were deep purple bruises and the ragged edges of cuts. Rocking back on her heels, Liesel blew out a sigh of relief.
“Finally done!” she said happily. I slowly sat up, light-headed. Dizzily, I smiled at Liesel.
“You did a great job Blume.” Flower. My pet name for her.
“You know I’m getting too old for that name,” she said, blushing. She busied herself with dividing the nuts she had collected earlier.
“Are they poisonous?” I asked.
“Not sure, they might be. Can you check them?” I grunted in reply. Liesel tossed a few nuts over to me.
I picked a few up and smelled them.
“They’re poisonous. Throw them away.” Liesel hesitated. “Now!” She obeyed and threw them down a small hill. Staring sadly after them, she turned and looked at me.
“I don’t know anything about surviving in the forest,” she said in a small voice. “I could have killed you or myself.”
“It’s not your fault Liesel, it’s not,” I murmured, embracing her tightly. After standing for a while, she said one thing. One thing that I knew could only come from someone that didn’t understand.
“Hans, when are we going home?”
“Hans! Are you ok?” Liesel cried.
“Does it look like it?” I muttered sarcastically.
“No. you’re covered in blood and have got cuts everywhere.” Liesel said.
“Thank you for that lovely description.” I groaned.
Nausea came over me, and I threw up on the ground next to me. Liesel studied me.
“Now you have vomit all over your face as well. You look awful - like a monster or something.” I groaned a terrible groan and growled like an animal in reply, making Liesel squeal in terror.
She hurriedly stood up, nearly tripping over her feet. “I’ll get some water,” Liesel decided. “You can clean yourself up a bit. It’s a miracle the wolves haven’t found you yet – I heard them all through last night.”
I instantly jerked upright. “Wolves? Last night? How long have I been out?” Liesel thought for a moment.
“All yesterday afternoon, all through the night, and through half of the morning.”
After studying me with concern, she trotted off to find water. I lay back down uncomfortably, and studied my surroundings. Liesel must have dragged me into the forest, because there was no sign of the train track anywhere – just the occasional sound of one hurtling by.
I was in a small clearing. Birds flew quickly past and insects chirped. A padding of heavy paws made me shudder. Wolves. Ever since Mama told me the story of Little Red Riding Hood and the wolf I had been terrified of wolves, even though I was twelve now I knew that wolves didn’t dress up in your grandmother’s clothes and pretend to be her so they could eat you up.
Liesel returned with her cupped hands full of water. With a bunch of moss she gently wiped my wounds. The blood started flowing again as the water made contact with the gashes. Wincing, I shifted slightly, making Liesel smear one of the blood stains on my cheek.
“Oh Hans,” she sighed, “keep still!”
“Sorry,” I grumbled. Her face softened, and she didn’t say anything the next time I moved.
After she had finished, my skin was as smooth as a polished stone, and the blood was barely visible. You only saw it if you knew it was there. The only things visible on the skin were deep purple bruises and the ragged edges of cuts. Rocking back on her heels, Liesel blew out a sigh of relief.
“Finally done!” she said happily. I slowly sat up, light-headed. Dizzily, I smiled at Liesel.
“You did a great job Blume.” Flower. My pet name for her.
“You know I’m getting too old for that name,” she said, blushing. She busied herself with dividing the nuts she had collected earlier.
“Are they poisonous?” I asked.
“Not sure, they might be. Can you check them?” I grunted in reply. Liesel tossed a few nuts over to me.
I picked a few up and smelled them.
“They’re poisonous. Throw them away.” Liesel hesitated. “Now!” She obeyed and threw them down a small hill. Staring sadly after them, she turned and looked at me.
“I don’t know anything about surviving in the forest,” she said in a small voice. “I could have killed you or myself.”
“It’s not your fault Liesel, it’s not,” I murmured, embracing her tightly. After standing for a while, she said one thing. One thing that I knew could only come from someone that didn’t understand.
“Hans, when are we going home?”