Opening…
Rain falls in thick curtains, making it harder to see what's ahead of me as I run through the trees, every step a gamble. Mud clings to my bare foot. I lost one of my shoes a while ago.
Thunder roars somewhere above me, followed by brief flashes of lightning, my only source of light in the darkness. Pain shoots through my side, followed by a warm sensation. I press my hand against the source of the pain and feel the warmth of my blood against my fingers.
Oh no.
I've been shot. When or where, I don't know, but I can't stop.
Not now.
After a while, I stop and lean against a tree so I can catch my breath. I'm not asthmatic, but I haven't run this much in years, so I can barely breathe. I close my eyes and breathe through my nose. It's almost impossible with the rain pelting my face. As my breathing begins to slow, I realize that it's not just rain running down my face. It's tears, too. I'm crying.
Why did this happen to me? How could a fresh start have turned into this? I'm now a fugitive on the run, and my daughter wants nothing to do with me.
Another gunshot rings through the air.
I flinch instinctively. The sound echoes through the trees, making it impossible to tell where it's coming from. But I know they're close.
Close enough to be aiming right at me—
POW. POW. POW.
One of the bullets tears through the bark of the tree I'm resting against. I duck out of the way and stumble forward, slipping on a wet branch hidden beneath the mud. I fall face-first into it, but I don't stay there. I force myself up, the mud getting into my wound and causing me to wince in pain.
I hate that I don't know where I'm going. I hate even more that I don't know where my attacker is. Whoever they are has complete control over the situation.
A predator hunting its prey.
I'm completely defenseless, and it's only a matter of time before they catch up to me. I only have to hold out until daytime.
Let's hope I can.
