CHAPTER TWENTY

I take time to rest up. I eat plenty of food, drink plenty of water, and sleep. I sleep until I can figure out what to do. I guess part of me is still hoping Caleb will come back before I leave.

By the next morning though, he's still gone. I search the forest around the cabin, but I don't find any trace of him.

He's not coming back. Or at least not anytime soon.

That breaks my heart, it really does. All I want to do is be with him, but I don't know if I'll ever see him again. I don't know where he is. I don't know if he ever wants to see me again.

But in this uncertainty lies the truth. I have to carve out my own path. I have to chase my own destiny. I can't just wait on Caleb. I have to go after this myself.

So, after some thought, I gather some supplies. I fill a backpack with food, things I'll need to heal myself, a couple of canteens, and other things that I could possibly need for this journey. I try to take in my surroundings so I know how to get back if I need to get back.