Ally' Escape

Realization

After dusk had finally fallen and settled into night. The girls slowly rose from their hideout and looked around them. After confirming there was no-one in sight, they made their way towards the skiff moored in the bay. The girls all placed their bags into the skiff and all, but Ally climbed in. As Ally was untying the rope, she heard horses. Mira motioned for the girls to lay down in the boat. After nodding at Ally, she joined them. Ally quickly finished untying and as carefully as possible, pushed the boat forward into the canal. Ally waded in before diving under the water and began slowly pushing the boat out as she swam. She continued to look behind her periodically to ensure their safety.

They were barely 15 yards from shore when the call rang out. “The skiff! Its floating away!” Ally risked a look behind to see four horses galloping towards the shore. Another yell echoed across the water. “It's those girls! Quickly get after them!”

Ally swam with all her might pushing the boat. Since they had been discovered, Mira and Gwen each sat up and grabbed a paddle and after Linny pulled Ally into the boat they rowed as quickly as possible away from the shore.

Once safely in the boat, Ally glanced behind and saw that the men had entered the water and one was swimming after them. Fortunately there wasn’t another boat nearby so they weren’t able to row after them. It didn’t take long for them to get nearly all the way across the canal and away from the men chasing them. The girls did a collective sigh of relief as they finally slowed their aching arms and let the current push them down the canal and towards the shoreline. The girls looked for a place to land and moor the skiff as they did so. Spotting a small beach nestled within a cove, Ally pointed it out to the rest of the girls and they again took up their oars and steered towards the beach.

After beaching the skiff and pulling it under some trees, the girls flipped it onto its side using the oars to create a small shelter. Mira instructed Linny and Gwen to gather some felled limbs and whatnot to disguise the skiff and and she began finding drift wood and dried fallen limbs to create a small fire. Once that was completed she lit the fire and looked back at Ally.

Since Mooring the boat Ally had taken it upon herself to watch to canal for anyone who had been able to follow them. She jumped as Mira placed a hand on her shoulder.

“Come on Al. You’re shivering, you need to go sit by thefire. I’ll watch for a bit. Besides I think Linny needs to see that you’re ok.”

Ally nodded, but before she did as instructed, she looked back at Mira. “ I’m going to have to go back. All those other girls… Whatever is going on we must try and stop it.”

“We will talk about that later Ally. Go warm up and then get some rest. I’ll wake you in a bit.”

Ally walked over to the makeshift shelter and sat herself by the fire feeling the warmth across the front of her body. She grabbed her pack and stripped her wet clothes off and threw some dry ones on.

Trying to be brave for Linny she smiled at her. “We did it Linny. We got away. We still have to be mindful as we move forward and find somewhere safe to stay. We will stay here tonight then hide the skiff and move on. But we all need to remember this location ok? Something happens, we get separated. Come back here. Now, who’s hungry? I think we have a little bit of food left.”

Ally rummaged through her sack before pulling out some bread and after breaking it into four, handed a piece to each of the girls before sending Linny togive one to Mira.

“Something doesn’t sound right Ally.”

Ally glanced up at Gwen. “What do you mean?”

“I don’t know, the things those guys were saying, what is going on back there?”

Ally looked back to ensure that Linny wasn’t close enough to hear before leaning forward to Gwen. “I know, I can’t leave those other girls there but I can’t go back until I know that Linny will be ok and we are safe here.”

Gwen nodded. “First things first we find a safe place. And we get away from this coastline. We’re too close right now.”

“I agree now get some sleep. Mira is taking first watch. I don’t want Linny to have to do one. She’s still so weak. If you don’t agree I’ll do double.”

“No, we split it three ways. It’ll be fine. I’ll take second. You need some good sleep so you don’t get sick.”

By this time Linny had returned and the three girls huddled under a blanket beneath the makeshift shelter and fell asleep with the warmth of the fire before them.