Chapter 9 Escape Gone Wrong

My legs were running as fast as they could, my breath coming out ragged as I tried to inhale as much air as possible. My lungs and legs burned with every step I took. Branches and leaves whipped harshly against my face as I raced through them. I could feel the thorns cutting through my dress and my flesh, but I didn’t care. This was my only chance to escape from my written fate, and I needed to get as far away as possible. The sounds of my footsteps pounding on the forest ground and my heavy breathing were the only things I could hear. I glanced over my shoulder, checking if he was already coming for me. Relief washed over me when I noticed that there was no one coming after me. By the time I refocused my gaze on the view in front of me, my foot had already got caught in a root that was sticking out from the ground. I tripped, and a cry escaped from my throat as I rolled over the wet slope ground like a snowball. A thud echoed through the air before my grimace followed. Everything seemed to blur for a moment as sharp pain shot up from my leg, radiating up my spine. A whimper escaped my lips as I stood up to my feet. Luckily, I didn’t sustain any severe injuries except for the few cuts sustained all over my body. I turned around, staring at the steep slope that I had just rolled down. There was no time to waste. Without another thought, I took to my heels again, even though I had no idea where I was heading. As I ran deeper into the forest, the air thickened, the stumps of the trees appeared bigger, and some twisted unnaturally . The forest seemed to be darker and eerily quiet, with no sign of life. My steps faltered slightly as my eyes scanned my surroundings, a red blaring sound echoing through my head. I felt cold shivers racing through my spine, the hairs on my body standing on their ends. I looked back again, and there was still no trace of Damon. Part of me was grateful, while the other was getting scared of the spooky forest. I cautiously walked, heading further into the woods. ’Should I turn back?’ one part of my mind echoed in my head. ’Hell nah, if I should go back, I will get captured by the arrogant Alpha. And he is going to punish me for trying to escape,’ the other part of my mind reasoned. ’But this place is so creepy... maybe I should turn back and take another route.’ With that, I decided to turn around, but immediately I did, I heard eerie laughter coming from all directions. I turned around, but I couldn’t see anything. My panic level skyrocketed, cold beads of sweat forming around the back of my neck. I was never a fan of horror movies. Being here and hearing this evil laughter made me feel like I was in one. "Who is there?" I yelled, my voice dripping with fear. But there was no answer. My lips stretched into a silent cry. ’Father Lord God, please let this be my imagination,’ I prayed for the first time in my life. My head snapped to my right side when I heard the rustling of the bushes. My legs suddenly backed away, moving on their own. My eyes fixated on the direction the noise was coming from. But right then, I felt something wet dropping on my face. I froze in my spot. There was no sign of rain, so where did the liquid come from? My hand shakily touched the spot where it had landed. When I brought my finger down to see what it was, my breath hitched when I saw it was a black liquid. Its pungent smell hit my nostrils, almost making me throw up. It smelled like it had decayed for a long time. But why did this liquid fall from the sky? As if time had slowed, I slowly raised my head, staring at the sky. AAARRRGGHH! A blood-chilling scream escaped from my throat, echoing through the eerily quiet forest. My body trembled as I stared at the lifeless bodies hanging from the trees; their bodies seemed to have decayed for a few days. When I turned around, staring at the canopy of the trees, I noticed dead bodies hanging on every single branch of the trees. I felt dizzy, the world almost tilting in my eyes. ’If you dare collapse right now, I’m going to kill you myself,’ a female voice echoed through my head. I had no idea what it was, but thanks to it, I was able to regain consciousness. Without another thought, I dashed around, retracing my steps. The laughter came again. "God, please, please, protect me," I cried as I ran so fast that my feet were barely touching the ground. A root caught my foot, causing me to fall to the ground, but I quickly scrambled back on my feet again, running with all the strength I had left. I could feel the adrenaline pumping through my veins. The pounding of my heart pulsing in my ears, my ragged breath filling the air. My body was drenched with cold sweat. My feet skidded through the dirt, forcing me to come to a halt when I saw something in front of me on all fours, backing me. Its tattered black rags swept through the dirt. My heart hammered in my ears. ’Now what the hell is that?’ I thought, backing slowly away from it. But my eyes didn’t leave its body for a second. When the creature turned around—black eyes, wrinkled skin, long black nails, black rotten teeth, brown unkempt hair—I couldn’t tell the real color of the hair. Was it black hair turned brown from dirt, or dirty dark brown? Well, that wasn’t the pressing matter for now. The creature, a human, is supposed to rise, straightening her back. She cracked her neck, her eyes gleaming with pure bad intention, didn’t leave my body for a second. Her lips widened into a chilling smile.