Prologue
426 Words
Tuesday 1 December
~*Unknown POV*~
I can hear him chasing me.
The sounds of him crashing through the forest behind me are not subtle in the slightest. He wants me to know that he’s coming after me.
Bastard.
What he did… I shake my head with a huff. He has the audacity to call himself ‘Leader’? No leader would ever do what he did. What he still wants to complete.
Run.
I continue running through the scrub, trying to avoid the low-lying branches, trying to remain as quiet as possible. I know there are others here. They always warned us to avoid this area, but desperate times call for desperate measures.
He left me with no other choice.
He’s been chasing me all night.
The full moon filters through the tree-tops, lighting my way in patches. I must avoid the brightest spots, but use them to help me evade him. It requires constant concentration. One little slip and it’s all over.
I can still hear her anguished cries.
The memory of what happened, what he did, repeats in my memory like a terrible home movie. It will haunt me until the day I die. Which won’t be too far away if he catches me, so I push harder, never looking back.
Run.
I can see that the light is shifting. Becoming brighter. Dawn is on its way.
Have I really been running all night?
He hasn’t let up. I can still hear him.
Them. I hear THEM. There’s more than just him now. They’ve joined the chase.
His commotion has attracted them. Did he have to be so damn loud?
Do I have the energy to keep evading them all until daybreak? I must.
I have to keep running.
For her sake.
Dawn is coming quicker. I’m running out of time. I must find help soon.
Refuge.
I keep running.
Is that a break in the trees ahead? There’s more light coming through there than the rest of the forest. Have I found a road? Maybe a driver will stop for me?
I can feel myself getting weaker. I’ve pushed myself too hard. But I had no choice.
Run.
I need to keep running. I must escape, must evade. Must run.
Refuge.
I need to find refuge. I must find safety. Who can help?
Help.
Find help. I must find help.
It is a road up ahead, but I’m slowing down. There’s no more energy left.
Run.
Refuge.
Help.
I’m so sorry, kid. I never expected things to go the way they did.
- Writer
