Chapter Text
Her feet were aching. She had lost her shoes a while ago and now nothing but scattered mulch separated her bare feet from the rock-strewn ground as she scrambled through the darkness.
She dared not slow down.
She willed her legs to stretch longer as thorns scratched at her and as branches tore at her clothes. The darkness was suffocating. More dense on her lungs than the ceaseless sprinting. At times the forest grew so thick that she could barely keep from knocking into obstacles that appeared to jump in her path from nowhere.
But she dared not slow down.
It was getting closer. With every futile step she ran; with every rattled breath she took; the creature was catching up with her. But that wasn’t the worst part.
It was playing with her.
She knew this land well. Had played in this forest since she was a child. She could tell when she was running in circles. But it couldn’t be helped. Every time she tried to deviate—tried to take a new path—glowing red eyes would appear through the darkness. Always at a distance, but always in her way.
Corralling her.
Tear sprung from her eyes unbidden. Logically she knew she couldn’t cry. Knew it would only slow her down. But she was past rational thinking.
She was drowning. The night was too heavy as the darkness pressed upon her. She pushed herself faster. Willing herself to just make it out of this God-forsaken forest.
There was a light ahead. A sliver of moonlight casting a silver glow upon the forest floor.
A clearing!
Just make it there. She chanted to herself like a mantra. Just see the sky again. Then you’ll be able to breath.
A snapping branch behind her announced that the creature was close. She could practically feel its presence upon her like an oppressive shadow. She pushed herself harder.
Almost there.
With all her strength, she burst through the edge of trees and into the clearing like a drowning man bursts through the water’s surface. She fell to her hands and knees, gulping in the much-needed oxygen.
This is where I die. She thought, dread coursing through her, as she waited in defeat for the creature to finally descend upon her.
A moment passed.
And then another.
She sat up tentatively and looked around. The clearing was empty. But…the creature wouldn’t have just stopped its pursuit, would it?
Behind her, a sudden rustling gripped her attention. She whipped around and focused her gaze as she readied for the creature to finally show. She braced herself as the rustling stilled and a shadow slinked out of the bushes.
Oh, it’s just a cat.
And that's when a twig snapped behind her.
“Gihee”
She didn’t even have time to scream.