The night became her refuge, but also her danger. She was so exhausted that she couldn’t even move. Where she fell, there she stayed. Her eyes slowly closed, and sleep covered her like a blanket. She fell asleep right in the middle of the forest, in the darkness, embracing loneliness.
The light dew that fell on the ground made everything around her damp. The small drops that fell on her woke her up. The light and pleasant smell of grass attracted her attention. Despite everything, it was quiet around her - only the singing of birds broke the silence. A sharp pain from waking up engulfed her entire body. Light rays of the sun broke through the dense forest. Memories rolled in, as did the pain of losing her home.
Trying to get up, she felt pain and fatigue, barely sitting down on the cold and damp grass. With sleepy eyes, she looked around. She saw the place where she fell and realized that her body was covered in bruises and scratches. Her legs ached from loading and descending.
With difficulty rising on her legs, trembling from weakness, she looked at the slope once more and quietly said:
- Is it worth going back?..
Clutching her sweater in her chest into a fist, she continued to repeat these words in her head, not finding an answer. She stood like that for a few more minutes until she gathered the strength to move away from the mountain. Turning around, feeling empty inside, she slowly moved further into the forest.
She walked carefully and slowly, because she had never walked so far before. She did not know how much time had passed, but suddenly her stomach growled loudly. The girl hugged it with her hands and crouched down a little, feeling completely powerless.
Looking around for something edible, she found nothing for some time. But, walking a little further, she finally noticed some blueberry bushes. Approaching them, she carefully began to eat a little at a time, with greedy gratitude for each berry.