Heather took the small compass with a smile and a nod of thanks. She doubted she would really be able to use it to much effect, but it was nice to have. She shone the flashlight ahead of her, towards the trees, and she bit back a little gulp of nervousness. "Thank you.. I'll try to be back swiftly."<br/><br/>She let her footsteps carry her away from the safety of the camp and into the cold of the forest, sneakers crunching among the twigs and leaves as she walked. Her first thought was to get as far from the group as possible. Away from the tragedy and horror of today. Away to somewhere she would have some small semblance of privacy.<br/><br/>Heather was the type to bottle her feelings up, to hide away emotions and build a facade of strength. Around everyone else she had to keep that up. Maintain the cool collected persona. She numbly picked up branches as she walked, seeking only those big enough to be of any use, while still small enough to carry.<br/><br/>She forced herself on like that till she could no longer hear the sounds of Anico and Helen back at the camp, nor see the light of the fire or the headlights of Adam's car. There, alone in the trees she stopped and leaned against the trunk of one tree and drew in a long trembling breath. She fought against it for a moment before giving in and allowing herself to simply cry.<br/><br/>Life as she knew it was gone. Her dreams were gone. This was the reality she was stuck with. She doubted it would be a very pleasant life and she struggled against the creeping suicidal thoughts that wormed their way into her brain. She was stronger than that. That was weakness. She just needed a moment to cope, and so she let herself cry silently.<br/><br/>If a moment stretched into an hour, she didn't notice. If the cold made her body sluggish and trembling, it didn't matter. For now, Heather was lost in her repressed emotions.