They walk closer. I need to make up my mind. Are they dangerous? Should I wait? See who else comes along this track? Go back and turn my walk into an adventure story? No, no… Now, I want to leave the lie of the Saved. I’ll trust these walkers.
I get up and step towards the track.
‘Who are you?’ says the woman in trousers.
I need to say something. I haven’t prepared a speech. They look at my peejays, my hair, my face. Their eyes go up and down.
‘Please,’ I say. ‘I need you to help me.’
I step closer. The woman in the skirt looks me right in the eyes. She has a kind face.
‘Are you lost?’ she asks.
After a second, I say, ‘Yes.’
Without thinking, I step up to her. She opens her arms, I rush to her and we hug. I feel the warmth of her body, I smell her clothes. I’ve been saved.