Prologue
The desert was dark and silent with barely any light from the sky above. Everything was stillness and emptiness. There wasn't a sound aside from the quiet wind blowing over the sand. But there was someone, or something else. The night air was cold; the desert sand burned beneath the soles of her bare feet. She was on foot, walking along the highway that ran parallel to a riverbed. It was late at night, the moon hung heavy above her head. Her breath came in puffs. Her skin felt hot from the sun. She took a bottle of water out of her pocket and gulped the last of it. She had to leave the road; they could find her. The bush would give her some cover, and maybe she could find a stream.
She walked for hours.
The wind picked up; dust particles blew against her cheeks. She was getting tired and hungry. She stopped for rest, leaning against a tree. She knew about venomous snakes and spiders. She didn't want to die, not now when she found out how lucky she was to be alive. She had escaped a day ago. If she stopped for too long, they might find her. If they found her, they'd kill her.
She closed her eyes for a second, trying to calm her breathing. There were footsteps nearby. Someone had been following her. Had they seen her? Had they heard her? She opened one eye and saw only trees.
The noise grew closer. She crawled under some brush, ignoring the sting of thorns on her skin, listening carefully. Was it just another predator or was someone else coming after her? She held her breath, her pulse racing.
They moved around, but kept to the side of the road. She relaxed. That must mean there wasn't anyone close by. Maybe they hadn't seen her yet, but she'd heard them too. She had no choice but to wait until morning. She closed her eyes again. She didn't want to sleep anymore; she was so exhausted. But she couldn't risk moving, they'd see her if she did. She would wait until sun up, and continue. The road had to lead somewhere. She closed her eyes and tried to think of her parents. She couldn't remember their faces. She thought of the kids from where she was held. They needed her. They wouldn't make it without her. She would never abandon them again. They need her.
She lapped some water from a stream and rubbed it on her hot skin. The sunburn was bad, so bad. It hurt. She put water in her bottle, so she would have it for later. The ground was dry, and her feet ached, but she continued. A pair of dingoes followed her at a distance; stalking her. Risking being noticed by human predators, the girl picked up a stone and threw it at the canines. They backed off with a yipe. They didn't attack....not yet. Maybe they knew their prey was already dying.
She was afraid of her human hunters more than the predators that lurked in the darkness. They had been following her since before sundown; they would keep track of her. She hoped they would be gone when dawn arrived. If she could evade them long enough, she might make it.
If nature didn't kill her first that is.
