“I can’t believe you told them my secret…now I have to hide, again!”

Didn’t he understand?!

She could slap herself for having made such an error of judgment. She had told him her secret in the vain belief he would have kept it.

Such a foolish action on her part.

She was so tired of running, never setting roots, something her secret and past made quite impossible.

But she had truly believed she could have trusted him with such a secret, the burden of carrying it for so long had become nearly unbearable.

And now he had told them! Everyone now knew!

Which meant only one thing. Running.

She was so tired but she didn’t have any other choice.

She could never face anyone in this village again. Even to so much as step outside would incur their wrath. Or worse, their pity.

She didn’t know which was worse.

“I’m sorry.” He sounded true.

But his apology was of little use now. He had destroyed her trust, not just in him but in very idea that she could ever trust another human being with her secret ever again.

She turned her back to him. She wasn’t angry at him, she was angry at herself.

She had been so stupid. And so in that moment she came up with a plan to leave.

Leaving what had once been a haven to her was hard, but she would do what she had to to survive.

Darkness. She would leave under cover of darkness, save any looks of pity or words of anger.

All she had to do was wait until the sun had dipped below the horizon and everyone had retired to there homes for the night.

Oh she still had a few hours to wait, and she had no doubt those same people were probably waiting for her outside. But she wouldn’t give them the satisfaction.

What would it matter any more anyway. With her secret exposed she was as good as dead anyway.

She turned back to face him calmly.

“Please leave me.” Her voice was calm, steady. She was in control.

His shoulders were slumped and his head was down. He looked like a little boy who had gotten his hand caught in the sweet jar.

A memory she was sure she would remember once she was, once again, on her own.

Just by herself, as was safer. She had mistakenly lowered her guard these last few weeks, and had now paid the price.

Her secret was not his burden to carry, it was simply hers, as it would always be.