A Shephard- Sarah Main story Chapter 2

Part 2 - Taking Stock

Coming up for air, she takes a deep breath as she bolts up from where she was leaning against, and promptly hits her head on the surface behind her. Heavy panting following for a while, as she stares straight ahead, wide-eyed. Not really understanding why she needed to breathe, or so much, she starts to calm down and look around anxiously, ignoring the dull pain of her head.
“Wait, not needed to breathe? What am I thinking?” she mumbles to herself, even more confused now. Why was she leaning on this rusted hatch door, why is she thinking about herself as a person when-

“Wait, a person? Who-”

Her ever more confusing spiral of thoughts was immediately stopped as she noticed movement in her peripheral vision to her left. It was a man, a tall lumbering figure dressed in mud soaked fatigues. She almost called out, when she noticed that he was just, something about him was wrong. The way he shuffled away from her, completely ignoring her. The way his hands dangled from his wrists, like he was smashing them against something repeatedly. The low groans and gibberish he started mumbling as he rounded the corner and out of her vision. She let out another sigh, this time of relief. She really needed to sort herself out first before confronting another horror here.

‘Another horror? What does that even mean? Who-where am I?’ she wondered .

Still sitting against the rusted monolith of an entryway behind her, she looked out beyond. Rusted out vehicles and equipment, long overgrown with local fauna. A fenced barrier that had long since stopped serving it’s purpose, full of holes that allowed what local wildlife to come and go as it pleased. A distance away, a large complex of bricked buildings, all significantly dilapidated. It seemed to be early morning, as light could be noticed coming beyond the hills that surrounded the area.
Why was this all so new and strange for her, but somewhat familiar? Had she forgotten who she was, or was this the first time she even “was” ? The last thought seemed crazy, but none of this made sense. She continued to sit, watching the sunrise crest over the closest hill. A shadow of a tree slowly moved across her face as she looked onward. Her dark grey fatigues blending with the shadows. Looking beyond with her short hazel hair and matching color eyes. The warmth on her face as the shadow passed and the rays rested on her cheeks was refreshing. Not the warmth she was used to, but comforting in her own right. What was that warmth she was used to? It was like chasing a marble as it rolled around corners- almost grasping the idea only for it’s slick surface to shoot it away. Increasingly frustrating, it was like she was a child, dealing with these concepts for the first time but somehow knowing others.

These thoughts came to an abrupt end as a low groan interrupted her thoughts. The shambling figure was back, and in her rambling thoughts he was much closer now. Quickly, she got herself up and started to move, but her legs still felt asleep and tripped over herself. Some of the still wet mud met her side as she looked back now in horror. She thought to herself ‘I just got here, it isn’t fair!’ as the tall figure approached as started swiping at her clumsily.

She screamed.