Princess SOS by Sara Page Read Free Book Online Page A

clicks and chirps of the local wildlife. My ears strain, ready to pick up the slightest disturbance.
    I’ve yet to see him during the morning. Yesterday, it was what, two, three hours before he showed up? If I go now and I’m quick, I can get back before he comes back. I circle around the pod, slowly, anxiously, my eyes scanning my surroundings.
    Go. I should just go. Which way did I find water last time? I should probably avoid that area. I think it was to my right so I point myself to the left. I do one last, thorough sweep of the area and the area I’m planning to explore. Nothing moves, nothing twitches.
    You’re wasting time. You’re already away from the door.
    Realizing how vulnerable I am has all the little hairs on my body standing on end.
    If he wants to get you he’s going to get you.
    Father help me, I gotta get out of here before I freak myself out so much I don’t chance it. I take off running while trying not to look back.
    My slippers skip over the blue-green grass until I make it to the line of trees, but I have to slow and take my time as I enter the forest. I pick my way carefully over the branches, rocks, and uneven ground. If I would have known I would be roughing it, I would have worn better shoes.
    If I would have known this was going to happen, I would have never gone up in Vrillum’s ship.
    The forest is quiet, eerily quiet, and the deeper I go, the cooler it gets. I actually find myself shivering. I wrap my arms around myself and sniff the air. I don’t think I’ll be able to find water with my nose this time. The forest is misty, the air thick with moisture. I’ll have to keep an ear out for moving water or hope I just stumble across it like last time.
    My slippers are taking a serious beating. The ground is soft and mud clings to my soles. The deeper I go, the more my feet sink. The canopy overhead thickens. The tree branches seemingly begin to intertwine with each other. Leaves on top of leaves. It grows darker and darker. Between the lack of light and the mist, it feels entirely too creepy for my liking. I decide to turn around and make my way back the way I came.
    Maybe I should have marked the way I came.
    I was hoping to get lucky again, to stumble across water quickly. The chance I could get myself lost never even crossed my mind. At first, I have my own tracks to follow, my footprints left in the mud. But as I walk out, and the ground hardens, my footsteps disappear and I’m left just to guess.
    If only I could have walked in a straight line, I wouldn’t need to worry, but with so many trees in the way, and so many obstacles that could trip me, I picked my way around, choosing the easiest paths. Now, I try to choose the easiest path back, but I have an uneasy feeling. Things don’t quite look the same. And after walking for some time, I realize I’m lost.
    The trees should be thinning out, there should be more light, but it’s remained just as dark. I stop and try to get my bearings. I spin in a slow circle, looking for something that seems familiar. All I see is trees and more trees, mist, and more mist.
    Just as I’m about to choose a new direction, the path that seems the least misty, I hear the cracking sound of a branch snapping, breaking the eerie silence.
    My heart flutters. I spin around, but I don’t see anything. I don’t feel comfortable. My heart is racing a mile a minute. There're too many dark, misty spots where something could be hiding. Suddenly I feel like I’m being watched. It’s probably the space demon.
    The urge to flee is almost overwhelming. I decide to stick with my first choice and head down the least misty way. I make it about a dozen feet when I hear another branch snapping behind me. That’s not a coincidence.
    I cast a fearful glance over my shoulder, but it’s hard to look back and keep moving forward. There’s too much I have to watch out for. My toe snags on a branch and I go down on one knee. I scramble back upright and rush forward.