Preface
The trees cracked and snapped around her, but Violet ran as hard as she could. There was no way to know if she could outrun them; she only knew she had to try. They were cornering her, on the hunt like wolves. She was the precious prey and they would rip into her as if she was their last meal.
Her breath was ice in her lungs. Her legs felt as though they might snap in half. Her head thrummed to the same beat as her racing heart. This was her only chance to get away. This was her last attempt to live.
The echo of their coordinated shouts vibrated through her like a freshly struck tuning fork. They were closer than she thought. The sound was long and loud, like a wolf's lonely howl, but more guttural. Shivers ran down Violet's spine as the panic settled deeper in her chest.
She was going to be punished for her crime; they would ensure the vengeance fit perfectly. They would rip her apart without hesitation or guilt.
Violet leaped over a fallen tree, the air from the force shoving her hair back. For a moment she felt free until her feet hit the ground with a thud. A snarl from behind followed by a similar thud cemented the truth. This was a fight she wasn't going to win. Death was on her heels.
A howl pierced her ears close enough to whisper a secret before teeth sank into her shoulder. It was an immediate, horrifying pain that made Violet lose her balance. Slipping on a loose rock, both bodies went tumbling off the side of a slope, barreling down the rocky landscape littered with claw-like bushes.
The final landing was a meadow, but Violet shrieked out in pain at impact. A sharp rock stuck out of her right thigh. She grabbed her leg above the wound and rolled to her side, unable to breathe as her face turned bright red.
It was as if her cry was a beacon calling the demon, because he sauntered over to stand over her. His teeth still bore the red of her blood, staining his smile.
"What are you waiting for?" Violet pushed through gritted teeth.
The ringing sensation in her thigh held her mind hostage from a plan for survival. She hated that he stood above her, mocking her in her last moments. She hated all of them. There was a time where she might have believed they were good, but that was long gone.
The man knelt down. "Ready to die?"
Violet sucked in one last, violent breath, slowly closing her eyes. She awaited the pain that would overcome all other pain. She was ready to die.
There were so many things to consider in her last seconds, but she chose to think of the past few weeks closely. They were the days that had changed her the most. Her final thought though, was her mother. She wished she could see her one final time.
The monster gave a tiny, but deep growl of warning. There was a grunt and a rush of air before a warm, soothing light consumed her. She was finally dead.
