Lara felt an awful sense of reality hit her.
The words, "I think they're looking for you" sent a chain of reaction of synapses firing in her brain along with the introduction of neuro-transmitters that her endocrine system hadn't tasted for a month. It all led to a panicked Lara to reemerge from its hibernation while the six-year old girl had become sucked back into her bottle.
Lucy turned to look at her, realizing the little girl had instantly retreated and sent the eighteen-year old adult back to the top.
"Hon, I'm not going to let them take you, I promise that. We're going to find a way hide you."
The two walked into the cinder block house. Lucy fell into her chair and put her hands on her face. Lara sat on the bed with her hand to her temple, experiencing a head-ache, after having spent a month indulging in her six-year old girl. Thoughts began racing through her mind as she was rushed into the flight-or-fight response.
The thought that the police were on their way, and apparently hot on her trail, sent a shock into her psyche.
Lara began to panic and breathe heavily. Her "real Lara" was still shaking off the cobwebs, trying to regain control.
"Lucy?" Lara asked.
"Yes, Hon?"
"If the police find out that I'm here with you, they'll arrest you for harboring a fugitive. I don't want that to happen to you."
Lucy got up from her chair and got down on her knees in front of Lara.
"They're not going to find you Honey. I'm not going to let them get you. I know these woods better than anyone. I can find a place to hide you. You will be alright!"
"No, Lucy! They're going to tear this place apart! My DNA is all over this place! I can't let them arrest you!"
Lara got up and started pacing nervously.
"Baby, please stop talking that way! What's got into you? Go get that backpack over there. We'll start collecting some food and supplies, and then I'll take you someplace where you can hide until they go away!"
"Lucy, no!" Lara insisted.
"What do you mean no? You listen to me! I've got this under control! You just do as I say, and they won't find you!"
"You have to tell them that I was here, but only for a night, and that you had no idea who I was." Lara directed. "You tell them that I washed myself and brushed my hair. That will explain why they find my strands of my hair here. But I left the next afternoon, and you have no idea where I went, and have not seen any sign of me. OK? You got that?"
"What? Got What?" Lucy argued in panic. "Lara, please! It took me so many years to finally find you, and there's no way I'm going to let you go now. I'm committed to protecting you, you hear me? I'm committed to protecting you!"
"No! They've been catching up to me all this time. And now here they're coming for me again! They'll never stop coming! Do you understand?"
"Lara! No!" Lucy cried out. "You don't understand! They don't know these woods. They don't know all the places I know! I can protect you, they will never find you! Listen to me! I will protect you! You have to trust me!"
Lara began crying, pacing nervously like a race horse about to be let out the gate. Her anger was heating up, born out of the frustration of not being able to get away. As much as she wanted to believe Lucy, she could not. Somehow, the police had become a monster haunting her nightmares, constantly chasing her. She had created this life of wandering, and now it was turning into a life of running.
Lucy grabbed a hold of Lara's shoulders, trying to shake some sense into her. Lara wrestled and tried to wriggle herself loose. Lucy did all she could to restrain her, but Lara was determined to get free, and her youth and stronger will prevailed. Lara ran out the door towards the dirt trail that led down to the lake, naked and barefoot.
"Lara!" Lucy yelled out as she ran out the door behind her.
Lucy ran down the trail after her but couldn't keep pace. She saw Lara disappear down the trail. Lucy kept running, but couldn't catch her breath and had to stop.
"Lara!" She yelled out again.
Still, Lucy persevered, walking and jogging, walking and jogging, hoping that when she got to the lake, she'd find Lara there.
But when she got to the lake, there was no sign of Lara.
"Lara!!" Lucy cried out once more.
"Please come back!"
There was no answer.
"Lara! Please come back to me baby! Please come back!"
Lucy dropped to her knees and cried.
