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Trips home usually bore less daydreaming, and this one was no exception. The book she carried was not the most contraband item that she had ever snuck home with, none the less, she dreaded the thought that she would be caught, or worse, that her collection would be found. She had quite a few things stowed away, mostly odds and ends. A compass she won in a daring contest with a friend, a small knife she found in the forest, a few coins that she had collected over the years. More than a few pretty rocks, and leaves adorned her cache, hidden in a pile of boulders a the edge of the field. Over the years the pile had accumulated as the massive chunks of stone had been pulled from the fields to spare the plow blade's edges. She would stop at the rocks first, to deposit her latest treasure, and then circle around to the house. The walk home had seen the sun sink to just above the horizon, and with the dark clouds above, it was as dark as a moonlit night. Jenna stopped at the gate, and cautiously looked around the farm and fields. The windows of the house glowed with the light of candles. Something didn't seem right, even though all evidence showed that the coast was clear. She glanced quickly off towards the fencerow, towards the rock pile. Something in her told her not to go. She waited a moment longer, before creeping between the rungs of the fence, and making her way to the barn. She could hear Beckley stirring in his stall, having detected her return. She started to smile, when another sound startled the wind from her lungs. Granted she had heard her father cough many a time, it was the last sound she wanted to hear. Her hand went quickly to the book. "Jenna?" Her fathers coarse voiced drifted from the field. His tone was even and plain, and yet so sinister. Her heart pounded in her chest, this couldn't be happening. She slipped the book out of her belt silently. She couldn't let her parents get it. She let it drop, and took off running towards the house. She looked quickly back over her shoulder to see the dark figure of her father chasing after her, from behind the old wagon at the fencerow. He didn't stop when he passed the book. Amidst her fright, she rejoiced in his not seeing it. She stopped at the door, knowing her mother would catch her inside, and spare her no more mercy than the raging bull her father seemed. She dropped down and covered her face with her arms, as her father bore down on her. She cried out as her father lifted her to her feet by a handful of her hair. She was thrown through the door, as her father kicked it open, splintering the jam. "stupid girl, running off again, he said, pushing her to the floor. "stop!" was Jenna's cry, not that she for a moment believed he would. Things rarely went as far as this, and never had she seen her father so angry. He slapped and shoved her bluntly all the way to her room. She was roughly thrown in and the door slammed shut behind her. "If I see you again before the sun sets tomorrow, I'll skin you alive, brat" her father bellowed through the door. She pulled herself back to the edge of her bed, and leaned against the post. Her lip and nose bled, and she was sore all over. She breathed a sigh of relief as she heard the door to the other bedroom slam shut. She sat silently, letting the sting subside from her mind. She ignored the muffled voices of her parents arguing on the other side of the house. At least it's over she thought, relaxing a bit. "ugh, but I'll be sore," she said quietly to herself. As her mind cooled, her thoughts returned to the book. She had to get it, there was no question about that. Thoughts of running away surfaced again. Could she? The act itself was simple, and yet daunting. She would be leaving everything she knew behind. Yet, what was there that she would miss. She had a few friends, and Beckley, not to mention. She sighed to herself. If she snuck out to get the book, she'd be surely caught returning, if she didn't get caught on the way out to begin with. She had been here before. This wasn't the first time she had fought with herself over this. "make up your mind Jen" she scolded herself. She had to run away. She couldn't take this anymore. Her room had a small window, and she had been out it before. Looking up at the moon, faintly visible behind the clouds, she thought about her next move. Once she was out, the window was too high to get back in. After some time, she got up, almost on instinct. She knew that it was now, or never, and she was determined to go through with it. Lacking anything to pack, she went straight for the window. Sore and tired as she was, she was soon padding her was silently along the side of the house. Cautiously, she slipped across the lot, and around the back of the barn. "god, don't let him catch me" she whispered, looking up briefly. With a nervous sigh, she ran across the lot, towards the fence, stopping only for a second to snatch up the book. She dropped into the tall grass at the fences edge, and listened. All was quiet. She hesitated only a second, before stealthily making her way across the field, to the pile of old rocks. Even in the dark, she located her stash, and quickly transferred the contents to her sashel. "Jennifer!" her fathers voice boomed across the fields. Her heart raced in her chest. She didn't even look back. She wasn't getting caught. She wasn't going back. She darted off into the woods, low to the ground, clutching her treasures against her chest. "don't ever come back, you damn bitch." she heard faintly through the brush. "I won't," she said, her voice shaky and uneven. She had done it.. She was free. Oh, but what now? She kept going, not even knowing where she was headed. She crossed another farmers field, and then a small stream, and a road. It dawned on her that she was in the middle of nowhere, and would have to rest soon. She found herself quite mournful at the loss of her bed. Hesitantly, she began contemplating how she was going to spend the night. She could sneak into a farmers barn and find shelter there. That didn't sit well with her for a number of reasons, but she didn't dismiss it entirely. She looked along the way for anything that might make a reasonable shelter. She doubted she would have trouble finding a depression beneath a tree, or some such, but that would be an uncomfortable way to spend the night. She was determined to keep good on her last words to her father, though. If that meant sleeping in a strangers stable, or a foxhole in the woods, then that's what she would do.

She kept to open spaces when she could, as the dim moonlight gave her little to see by in the woods. Just as well, she could barely hold her eyes open, let along keep walking. Passing through a field of high weeds, she stumbled, landing quite comfortably on the fronds. For a moment, she thought of getting up, but nestled quite snugly amongst the thick foliage, she decided to make the best of her accidental discovery. Pulling the weeds down around her, she found it to be quite hospitable, considering the circumstances. She adjusted the parka over herself as warmly as possible, and without a thought, drifted off to sleep.