Deeper
"Huh... Huh... Huh..."
Sarah heard her own breathing as she ran, sweat poured down her head and into her eyes, stinging them.
"Huh... huh... huh..."
Her breath was becoming shorter by the second, pain erupted from her ribs and knees, but she couldn't stop, stopping would mean death.
"Shh... shh... shh..."
She tried to change her breathing, hoping to quiet herself as she fled the terror behind her. Finally, risking everything she stopped behind a tree and tried to catch her breath.
Heaving, she resisted the urge to cough, knowing it would not only give away her position but also would lead to dry heaving. There was no time for weakness now, no time for pain.
It took several moments but her breath returned to her while her adrenaline kept her alert and ready to flee once more at a moments notice.
Sarah dared a glance around the large oak tree she hid behind, hoping against all hope she wouldn't see anything.
She peered through the darkness, fog floated between the trees illuminated by the dim moonlight overhead. The light among the shifting smoke made the forest look alive, but she knew it was a lie; only death remained beneath the branches of these trees.
She was about to let out a sigh when she saw them... several bodies shifting between the trees, steadily making their way towards her.
"Noooo..." She pleaded silently; "No... please..."
Her pleas were worthless as she witnessed no less than a half dozen silent figures coming continuously forward. Unrelenting, never stopping and emotionless they seemed to float through the haze.
She couldn't wait any longer, she couldn't bare to look into their horrible eyes again or stand to be touched by their cold, lifeless hands.
She bared her teeth and clenched her fists, running again at a full sprint deeper into the forest, knowing it was the only place to go.
The moonlight dimmed further as the canopy above her grew denser, no lights could be seen. Sarah plunged deeper, brushing aside the tree branches she could while others stung her with sharp nicks to her arms and legs.
All she could do was run, until she froze once more...
Before her, moonlight flooded down from a small break in the trees and there she saw them... arms; white, dead arms emerging from behind the trees. They reached for her, gnawing the bark with their nails, clasping with determined desperation to grab hold of her.
Sarah wanted to scream but she couldn't, unable to move any part of her body. She could only stare in horror as the hands continued to clamor towards her, making no sound as they pulled the bark apart and worked towards her slowly.
