“Don’t hurt her!”
“If she falls, catch her!”
I stop abruptly at the end of the roof and almost fall forward. Waving my arms, I regain my balance. I need to get down so I decide to jump onto the closest man. Catching him off guard, we fall to the ground together. I waste no time pushing off his back and race toward the gate.
“Get her!” a man commands. “Watch her—she’s a tricky one!”
Three men stand in front of me. One slowly approaches, expecting me to jump, so he keeps his posture upright. How does he know? How doIknow what he expects me to do?
I fake an attempt to turn left, and when his body shifts to follow, I twist and head right. I jump-kick one man in the chest. He didn’t see my attack coming. Honestly, neither did I. I acted on instinct. He leans forward, clutching his chest, so I plant my foot on his shoulder and grasp onto the iron gate.
I climb, swing my leg over, and freefall. Landing on my feet, I don’t turn to take in my surroundings. The vision in my head disappear, but I keep running. Anywhere is better than here. Right?
I ignore the pain to my feet and legs as I dart over tiny pieces of gravel and sticks. I propel myself forward.
The gate squeaks as it opens behind me, startling me, urging me faster. Thudding footsteps follow. There are more of them now. The footfalls are heavier, louder, like a stampede of horses. That means they shifted.
Fear tingles up my spine. If they catch me, they will tear me apart. I hear growls, shouts, and curses in my head. What thehell? My body screams with pain, my lungs burn, but I refuse to surrender.
Get around her!
Cut her off!
Catch her from the right! I veer to my left.How the fuck is she so fast?!
Shut the fuck up and get her!
He will have all our asses if something happens to her!
Snarls penetrate my mind, and I sense their determination. I squeeze my eyes shut. I have no idea what lies in front of me. Tall grass brushes against my legs. Focusing on their directions, I do the opposite of everything they attempt.
Then, a vision of a wide-open space opens before me. Hope fills my chest.
Until I trip. Falling forward, I quickly scramble to my feet and keep going. The wolves are after me, even closer. How do I know they’re wolves? I shake my head. I just know that I need to escape. They will hurt me, maybe kill me.
Fatigue threatens to immobilize my muscles. I’m not sure how much longer I can run.
Cut her off from the left. Don’t let her get any farther away!
My heart pounds from equal parts exertion and fear. My feet pummels dirt, then gravel. Suddenly, I hit a wall. A literal wall. I hit the ground, stunned, breathless, on my back. Shit!
A sickening cold sensation creeps through my veins. I’m so fucked. I scramble to my feet, barely swallowing the threatening panic. I put my arms out to feel what is in front of me.
An image pops into my head of a house covered by overgrown weeds and vines. Gliding my hand along the siding, I walk around it. The wolves are closer still. Gaining speed in desperation, I stumble over bushes and other brush.
Eventually, I locate a recessed window, boarded over with wood. I grip a panel and attempt to pry it off with my fingers, butit won’t budge. I anchor my leg against the wall, and after a few tries, the board gives. A loud crack echoes in the night air, and yet again, I fall backward, landing on my ass.
Find her!She has to be here!
Gripping the windowsill, I squeeze into the opening and crash inside. I wheeze, pant, and hide in the room’s shadow.
Retrieving the cloth from the waist of my pants, I wipe the disgusting fluid trickling down my neck and covering the hole. I crawl toward a rim of light—must be a door—and listen for the men and wolves chasing me. Yet, the rapid beating of my heart drowns out any other sounds.
I open the door slowly, praying it won’t make a noise, and find a hallway. I have no idea if I am going in the right direction. It just feels right.
In my mind, a kitchen appears ahead. My tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth. I desperately need to drink some water. A cool surface brushes my fingertips, followed by the tangy smell of metal. I pat around and realize I found the sink. Grasping for the faucet, sickly wet air escapes the hole in my throat as I sigh. I wash my face and drink the cool water.
Immediately, I choke. Water spews from the hole in my throat. I slide down the cabinet to the floor, trying to catch my breath between coughing fits. Finally, after what feels like forever, I take a deep breath. I return to the sink to clean myself as best as I can. My mouth is still dry, but instead of drinking, I simply rinse my mouth.
