OPEN NOVELLA CONTEST - LONG LISTED
Safety was never an option.
She has nowhere to run. Nowhere to hide. Nowhere safe to reside. No matter how far she runs or how quiet she hides, they always find her. She will never be free of her hunters. Theresa k...
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Stars spread across the sky like pieces of broken glass, glinting slightly. The moon casts shadows, monstrous ones, across the ground, helping the monster hide. Theresa bites down on her tongue. No, she tells herself; I am not a monster.
Crouching in the ditch beside the road, she observes her surroundings. There aren't many options that come to mind as she stares at the village ahead of her. Her first option is to turn back, but that would mean running into the Hunters from the last village. Her second option is to walk through this village; well, run. But that isn't a great option either. She will only gain more Hunters. Her third and final option is to try to skirt around the outside of the village, but she'll be discovered either way.
Rolling open meadows fall across the land for as far as she can see, even with her extra vision. Well, everywhere but behind her, where the woodlands end. Limited options call for poor decisions, though, right? At least she has an excuse. Not that anyone would miss her if they caught her. No one would care. But she's too cowardly to die. And unfortunately, she wasn't born with the best mind, either. Somehow, she always ends up in these impossible situations, and there is no one else to blame.
Shakily, she pulls her tattered gloves over her fingertips with her teeth, not caring as her fingers graze them. They are bones, after all, the one thing she can't destroy. Well, not the one thing. She has tried many times to destroy herself, but her curse is not that merciful. Once her fingertips are covered, she pulls the hood she wears over her head. It does nothing; holes in the worn fabric, and rips down the side. It's meant to hide her ears, be some form of protection. It works, but not for long. Someone always spots her, the one villager covered in grime, trying to hide in the shadows. For someone who has spent her life hiding, she isn't very good at it.
Either way, she has no other option. She needs to get through this village; hiding in the woodlands any longer would be a death sentence. Anything would be a death sentence. Her life is a death sentence.
Letting a slow breath out and straightening her fingers, Theresa closes her eyes just for a moment. This time, she allows herself to see the faces of those she killed. A reminder of the monstrosity that she is, and of what she can do. It brings the tremors back to her hands, but it keeps her morals rooted. Opening her eyes again, she sets her jaw, ready to travel through the village, whatever its name is, and not hurt anyone.
Flicking her head side to side, she checks that there are no travellers making their way down the road. Slowly, she straightens her knees; her figure appearing on the road like a phantom of the night. If the villagers knew who she was, that is what they would scream. Monster, monster, monster.
She clenches her fists, begging herself to stop trembling. Theresa keeps her head low as she enters the outer part of the village. Luckily, there aren't many lights in the windows; most of the residents are asleep. It'll make it easier to sneak through. Keeping to the shadows and along the sides of the cottages, Theresa sinks her teeth into her tongue. She can't make a sound, no matter how small. Staying still and hidden might be something she rarely achieves, but moving quietly is another thing entirely. It's like her body knows where to step without thinking, her long legs moving with grace and precision she has no control over. It reminds her of a deer, making its way through the woods, unbeknownst to the hunter who notches his arrow.
