Chapter 21. The Forest Is Our

“The water’s still out,” I sighed. “I must have a busted pipe.”

Not ideal if I wanted to cook fish in the house or take a bath tonight. I searched the storage room for tools so I could look for the pipe. I had no idea what to do but I had to do something or suffer without running water. No, luck finding the busted pipe. The house was dry.

I waited until the sun lowered in the sky before I travelled to the lake to grab my dinner. It had been a slow day and I couldn’t stop thinking about Marcel. The night we shared and the promises he made.

I’d taken care of myself this long and I could do it again but I hated the idea of leaving him. He was obnoxious and he stalked me but I couldn’t shake him. I’d also made friends here. I had a job and a home I was slowly fixing.

I made a life here that was just mine. My brother didn’t know where I was and neither did his friends. The shadow of fear didn’t loom so large here. With Marcel, the shadow became a little smaller.