Chapter 1
Run. Just keep running.
I kept telling myself to keep running. I could hear the dozens of Malachi's men chasing me, but I knew I had to be close to the Kingdom's border soon. It seemed like I had been running for miles and miles, which I'm sure I had been.
You're nearly there-to freedom.
My legs were becoming more and more tired, my lungs were burning from the chugs of air I kept taking in, but my will to get away from the pits of hell were just enough to keep me going. The footsteps behind me were getting closer, but this was my only chance for freedom.
I could see that ahead of me was a clearing. What that clearing held, I had no idea. But I knew that I was going for it. Once I focused my eyes a bit more, I could tell what it was: a large canyon.
You can make it...you have to.
It was so big though. And who the hell knows what is at the bottom. God why did I have to go this way? No turning back now, though.
Only 50 steps until you have to jump.
If I were at my full strength, there would not be a second opinion on the matter. I would be able to jump this without thinking twice. But I had been locked in a cage for so many years, not even fed fresh blood. Just raw meat. Basically something to keep me alive and fed.
25 steps until the cliff.
Shit this wasn't going to be easy, but I had to put all of my last bit of energy into it to make it.
10 steps now-you better get ready.
I looked ahead of the canyon and could see a bit of grass with some bushes on the other side. Surely I could make it. Hell, at this point I would rather die in the ravine if I didn't make it than to be found by Malachi's men and taken back to that monster.
Well, here goes nothing.
I used every ounce of my power to propel myself off of my right leg to jump. The stretch was a lot more than I thought it was, and for once I felt like I was flying. I used my arms as much as I could to give myself some more air, but I could tell it wouldn't be enough.
That is, until I landed on the very edge of the other side with a huge thud. I rolled about another 15 feet to the edge of the bushes where I stared at the sky and thanked the powers above I had made it. I instantly heard footsteps coming closer on the other side of the canyon, so I rolled farther into the bushes and prayed they did not see me.
"Surely she didn't make that jump?"
"Doubt it, she would have needed help."
"Well, I guess we can just inform his Majesty she fell to her death. He should be happy with that."
"Yeah, except that he wasn't the one to kill her."
I heard the footsteps leave, so I peeked as hard but as quietly as I could through the bushes until I could tell they were gone. I laid on my back and began quietly sobbing, so thankful I was finally out of that hellhole.
I hurt all over; every bone felt like it had been broken. Which, quite possibly, could be true. The pain became so terrible I began to loose consciousness. But not before I heard someone speak:
"Looks like we found who came through the border!"
Then everything went dark.
I prayed in my head that these vampires would hopefully be just a touch nicer to me than the last ones.
