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Instead, I head for the nearby woods, praying that their cover will grant me a better chance of escape.
"Hey!" Damon shouts, his voice echoing through the air.
I risk a glance over my shoulder and see him barreling towards me, eyes locked onto mine with predatory intent.
My blood runs cold, but I push myself harder, adrenaline fueling each desperate stride.
"Fuck," I mutter, running faster.
As I plunge into the darkness of the woods, my breathing comes in ragged gasps as I navigate the uneven terrain.
The shadows seem to close in around me, and every snapped twig feels like an accusation from the trees themselves.
But still, I run, my lungs burning and my legs screaming in protest.
"Can't let him catch me, can't let him catch me," I repeat like a mantra in my head, the thought giving me strength even as fear threatens to swallow me whole.
I hear Damon crashing through the underbrush behind me, his footsteps crunching on the dry leaves and twigs underfoot.
His presence is a constant reminder of the danger snapping at my heels, the relentless force that won't stop until either of us is defeated.
"Come on, Diana!" I say to myself, pushing my body to its limits as I weave through the trees, trying to put as much distance between us as possible.
I wish desperately for a hidden strength, an untapped power that might save me from the nightmare closing in.
"Please," I whisper into the darkness, my voice barely audible against the sound of my own ragged breaths.
"Please, let this be enough."
But even as I run, hope feels like a fragile, fleeting thing, and the shadows loom ever closer, threatening to consume me whole.
The world narrows to the sound of my pounding heart, my ragged breaths, and the relentless pursuit closing in behind me.
I force my legs to propel me forward, desperation giving me strength as I burst through a thicket of branches, and suddenly, there it is – the river.
"Jump or die," I tell myself, knowing that if I don't make this leap, Damon will catch up to me, and the outcome won't be pretty.
So, without a moment's hesitation, I jump.
The icy water slams into me like a vengeful fist, knocking the breath from my lungs as it engulfs me.
My body feels heavy, weighed down by my sodden clothing, but I refuse to let it drag me under.
With all my remaining strength, I kick to the surface, gasping for air and choking on mouthfuls of frigid water.
"Can't... give up..." I rasp, my voice barely audible above the roar of the rushing river.
Panic claws at my chest, threatening to consume me, but I fight against it, using every ounce of my stubborn determination to stay afloat.
Numb with cold and exhaustion, I glance back toward the riverbank, searching for any sign of Damon.
There he stands, hesitating at the edge of the water, his dark eyes scanning the turbulent current for any trace of me.
"Come on, Diana," I tell myself, turning my face away from him and focusing on the treacherous waters ahead.
"You can do this. You have to."
"Where are you, Diana?" Damon yells, his frustration palpable even over the clamor of the river.
