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1
EVIE
Exhaustion like I’ve never felt before seeps through my bones.
Tears stain my cheeks, but they’re nothing compared to the blood running down my skin.
I’m covered in the scratches and deep gouges left behind by the thistles and thorns I’ve run through.
And my feet…
I can barely stand. The pain is like nothing I’ve ever experienced.
Give me a ridiculous pair of stripper heels and tell me to dance for twenty-four hours straight. I’d take that over this hell any day.
I’m soaked from head to toe; the rain that started earlier has barely let up in all the time I’ve been running. It mixes with the blood, turning pink and pooling at the ground.
Stumbling forward, I just about manage to catch myself before I fall flat on my face.
It’s dark. Unbelievably so, and cold.
My entire body shakes, my skin is covered in goosebumps, and my teeth chatter.
But there’s nothing I can do about it.
There’s no shelter, no blankets, no nice warm bath to soothe my aching muscles.
I’m out here, alone, with fuck knows what prowling around me.
We’re in England. It can’t be that bad. There are no wild bears, lions, or tigers.
But there are the men in masks.
The sun might have set and the hours ticked by, but that doesn’t mean they’re not still out here searching.
They came here for me. To take me to my rightful owner to embark on a life of Christ knows what. I can’t imagine that they’ll give up easily.
I search my black surroundings for any sign of light, movement, anything.
But there’s nothing.
Nothing but raindrops and the wind that whips around me, ensuring I’m frozen to the bone.
The fear of them returning with search dogs flicker through my mind.
I need to keep moving.
But I can’t.
My body is shutting down, no matter how much my brain pushes me forward.
Slumping against a thick tree trunk, I slowly slide down until my arse hits the wet and muddy ground beneath me.
Wrapping my arms around my legs, I curl myself up into the tightest ball I can and let the tears flow.
With my emotions ripped to shreds and my body not far behind it, my sobs soon fade out, overtaken by exhaustion.
Every noise, every howl of the wind and large drop of water startles me.
