More Fractured Tales stories!
He came awake slowly… realized that he had survived the first night of his self-imposed solitude… and was grateful.
Getting to his knees, he rolled up his bedding and placed it to one side.
The sky was just beginning to lighten as he stood and looked around.
It had been almost dark when he arrived… and he’d been too tired to pay much attention to his surroundings.
Now, as he looked around… he saw that he was in a natural cave at the top of the mountain… a good distance from the highway and civilization.
It was hidden from view on the access side… but fairly open on the other side… where he had made camp.
On clear nights the moon and stars should provide enough light to facilitate moving about safely.
On cloudy nights, he would have to resist moving around much… injuries must be avoided at all costs… and he didn’t want to use a light unless it was an emergency.
The natural shelf where he’d slept last night was not five-star luxury.. but he hadn’t realized it would be quite so cold up here…
However, some dry grass or moss would create a barrier between his body and the cold stone.
He didn’t plan to sleep much… and if he was too comfortable, he might sleep too soundly.
That was something he must avoid… for no place was entirely safe… so he would sleep just enough to keep him going.
He had slept last night… because he had been completely exhausted… but he was well-rested now… and he needed to be alert.
Pulling his supplies up the mountain… even with the temporary pulley system he had rigged up… had been a slow and difficult process.
Today should be a little easier… but there was still work to do… starting with erasing – or confusing – his tracks from the previous night.
Removing the pulley would be his first task… it was dangerous to leave any sign that would alert others to his presence here.
He wished he could have done it last night… but felt it would not be safe to attempt it in the darkness… and the new moon had provided very limited light.
Meanwhile, he mentally allotted space to stack his supplies at the end of his ‘bed’ for now… until he had time to better explore his new living quarters.
It had not been easy to find a sanctuary. Oh, there were lots of places he could hide out… but they were all available to others as well… though, in all honesty… he didn’t know if anyone else was looking for an escape.
