Chapter 1
“You can have Becky...just bring me a few more hits.”
Those were the last words Becky remembered hearing her mother speak. Her mother had been in bed, Becky’s father passed out beside her. She was begging her dealer for more drugs, willing to trade her daughter’s life for just a little more. Her mother was so desperate for another fix that she was willing to trade her blonde haired, blue eyed teenager to a 20 stone drug dealer. Somehow, at 16 years old, Becky managed to run away that day to her Aunt's house. That was nine years ago today.
Once she'd earned some money, one of the first things she did was dye her hair black. It was not as a symbol of depression, or an attempt to fit in with the crowd, but to take away that angelic look so many men seemed to find alluring. Her hair had turned every shade of the rainbow since then, but it finally landed upon a dark shade of brown.
Her parents were now both in prison on drug charges. They had attempted to smuggle in heroin from Bali, ending any futile attempts either one of her parents made at reconciliation. She had no use for them anyway; they’d only given her life, and then tried to take it away. Today she celebrated her own independence day, and decided that it was time to actually start living.
Becky had worked hard after that day, finishing school, training to be a nurse, and providing for both herself and her aunt Janey. Janey eventually passed away from Breast Cancer when Becky was 21. Becky had learned a lot of hard lessons in life, the first one being you cannot depend on anybody but yourself. Through her own hard work she’d paid off Aunt Janey’s remaining bills, bought herself a car, provided her own home, and had made a decent life for herself. She knew now that she could finally relax, take a little time off, and learn what life was really about. Becky had endured a terrible childhood, but she’d learned through the love of her aunt that life wasn’t always tragic. She was ready now to see what the bright part of life was.
Settling into her dinner in a staff room at the hospital, Becky wondered where she should go. She wanted peace and quiet, to get away from work, her mobile, the internet, all of it. Utter peace and quiet were all she wanted and she thought the country might be the best place to get it. Yes, perhaps a camping trip, she thought.
“Oh, hello Dr. Kade, how are you this evening?” Becky asked as she heard the door open to the staff room. Smiling at the man, she made room for him at the table and looked at a few travel brochures she had collected over the past few months.
“Going on holiday are you, Becky?” Dr. Kade asked as he sat down, observing the brochures in her hand.
“Yes, I’m just not sure where. Ow, I do wish this pain would go away!” Grabbing her jaw she wondered how prawn salad could make her jaw ache so much.
“What’s the problem, my dear?”he asked. Dr. Kade was in his late 40's, and always insisted on calling Becky “my dear”. She thought it was an endearing affectation and allowed him the use of it. They often shared the same shifts and dinner times and she’d grown quite fond of the man, though more in a fatherly way than anything. He was always there to give advice and to lend a hand when she needed it.
“I think I have been grinding my teeth at night. It’s making my jaw ache and my teeth hurt. I’m even starting to develop headaches from it, and that’s what finally convinced me it was time to get away. I’ve never been on holiday and I guess my body is finally telling me it’s time to have one.”
“Yes, it sounds like it. I think you also need some pills for that jaw, to help you relax when you’re asleep, I’ll see to it for you. As for holiday where do you plan on going?”
“Oh, I want to go camping. I’ve never been and so many people rave about it I thought it might be something worth trying. I’ve purchased all the gear I need; I’m only left with deciding where to go. I need to decide quickly as well, my leave starts next Monday!”
“Ah, I may have a suggestion. A friend of mine has a place out in the country. It’s secluded, with lots of woods, hills and moors to climb, if that’s the sort of thing you’re after. I can give him a ring later, if you’d like and see if you may go there?” Dr. Kade offered.
“Oh, that sounds just like what I’m after! How far is it from here?” Becky asked.
“Only about a quarter of an hour, not far at all really. I’ll draw you a map if he approves. I’ll let you know before our shift ends, alright?”
Becky agreed and having finished her salad, went back to work, delighted that she’d managed to address two problems at once. She was also feeling more positive than when she’d first gone into the staff room, the memory of her childhood momentarily swept away from her mind.
“Becky! Oh good, I caught you before you left. My friend says you can use his place as long as you would like, and this is the prescription I told you about. Get it filled at the pharmacy before you go home. It should help you sleep and help ease the pain. Oh, and this is the map with the directions.” Dr. Kade handed two slips of paper to Becky, who took them, her good mood from earlier returning in a flash.
The night had been a rough one, with two stabbings and six sick children being brought in. Her good mood had evaporated through her shift, but knowing she had somewhere to go and a bit of pain relief in hand helped to bring a smile back to her face.
“Thanks Dr. Kade, I’ll see my regular GP when I get back from my holiday. I really do appreciate this. I’m sure it’s going to be wonderful!” She gave him one more smile and waved as he walked away to answer a telephone call.
Heading out to her car she looked over the directions, wondering if she could look up the property on the Internet. She’d like to see it before she went, and hoped she could find it. Sometimes it was easier to find your way when you’d seen where you were heading to first. That was the brilliance of today’s technology; you could actually confirm places even existed before you went there!
Pulling into her driveway after the 15 minute drive, she tried to remind herself to get the medicine filled before she went to sleep, and started making lists of everything she’d need.
Two hours later she had everything packed, had her medicine in hand, and was staring at her laptop at the vast woodlands surrounding her friend’s property. Lots of trees, hills, and open spaces, just as he’d claimed. No mobile tower or television towers in sight either, just open fields and grass. She already loved it and couldn’t wait to get there. Popping one of the pills into her mouth, she got into bed, hoping she could get to sleep despite her excitement.