Read Online Flecks of Gold by Alicia Buck - Free Book Online Page B

her? What had I done wrong when I tried to follow him? I attempted to recall the pattern he had made, but I still couldn’t understand what I’d missed, so I gave it up.
    Instead, I studied the lacings in the objects I passed. Rock, bush, lizard, spider, funny-looking insect, and so on. I even caught a hare’s pattern before it vanished in the underbrush. It was actually fun. I tried to quiz myself on the lacings I’d seen, but that was problematic since I had to find the object again to double check the pattern. I still didn’t have a clue what good knowing these patterns would be, but the only other thing to do was feel hot, sore, and generally miserable.

Chapter 5
    I was getting really good at seeing patterns in the things around me. In fact, I started to get bored of the same bushes and bugs, so I tried to think of other ways to see patterns. I got out all the food in my bag to look at their lacings, and then started sneaking glances at the things that passers-by carried.
    By dark, I was still walking. My swift stride had turned into a halting shuffle. My feet were killing me. I considered just dropping where I stood instead of reaching the village, but there was too much traffic, so I put one foot in front of the other, hoping to see the village over the next rise. It took several rises before I actually saw it, but when I did, the sight was spectacular to my travel-weary eyes. It was certainly bigger than Iban. Lights shone in the buildings, which were at least two stories high. From the hill where I stood, the town looked like a huge maze surrounded by tall walls. I was afraid that once I got into the city I would get helplessly lost.
    Despite my slow shuffle, I was soon surrounded by buildings. A few people still traveled on the road, though I guessed it had to be something like 10 p.m. All I wanted was to find a bed. I stopped a passing man and asked where an inn would be. He directed me quickly and then hurried off, leaving me more confused than before. I walked the way he had first pointed, hoping a light would descend, telling me the right path to follow. But no heavenly beacon showed up to light a trail, and I found myself in a very dark, narrow alleyway.
    I looked around in confusion and tried to retrace my steps, but I kept twisting into dirtier, more rundown paths. There were fewer lights here, and I started to get the heebie-jeebies. If this were a movie, I’d get jumped from behind any second now. I tried to hum the Jaws theme to make myself laugh, but the sight of two disgustingly dirty men killed the amusement like a snapped stick.
    The men advanced with sickening smiles. I glanced quickly behind to see if I could run that way, but found I had unconsciously backed myself into a dead end. While they were still a few feet away, I sloughed the bags off my shoulders and shifted my feet to a fighting stance. If I could maneuver them toward the wall, I would abandon my packs and run like a wild thing.
    Despite my height, two against one wasn’t good odds, and I wasn’t stupid enough to think that I could incapacitate two men without getting hurt. Besides, I’d never actually harmed someone on purpose before. When I was sparring in the karate dojo, I wore pads and controlled my strikes. The only other time I had hit a person with full force was when I’d punched Joe. But that time I hadn’t been stranded in an unknown desert and forced to walk loaded up with supplies all day. My arms and legs felt wobbly with exhaustion and fear. I summoned what was left of my strength.
    “Can I help you with something?” I attempted to mold my face into an unconcerned expression, but my lips trembled a little. They didn’t answer, just took up positions on either side and slid closer. Well, okay, I knew that wasn’t going to work . When they were only two arm lengths away, I took a deep breath and yelled, “Help!” at the top of my lungs.
    That put them in motion. I sidestepped the man with a dirty gray shirt