An Agent Named Nicolas Flint

Case One Part 2

My body forced another break. This time I found a small gully to sit at the bottom of, because my lungs burned and legs shook. That thing easily killed Nicolas. Running felt pointless, and yet I still wasn't dead. As I let the cold night air cool my face I wondered over that fact. I was still alive. Surely, I wasn't outrunning something like that? So why was I still alive?

When I stopped, I placed Jenna in my arms and against my chest. That thing, that Witch I decided to call it, wanted her back. I would never trade her life for my own. While I rested and listened, I thought of a theory. The Witch could kill me at any time. But it wanted me to give up. To hand over Jenna because it found my fear amusing. That bitch might not have any plans on letting me escape from those woods and that thought nearly made me lose all hope. I'd turned off the flashlight to not give away my location, while staring off in the never-ending darkness thinking over what I was going to do. In the end, I wondered if Jenna would ever forgive me for using her, as it was clear that the Witch was only letting me live because I still had her.

Getting to my feet, I kept her on my back again to continue off into the woods. If that Witch came again, I would give her Jenna only if she killed me. My death would mean something because I used everything I had to protect a little girl, even if it didn't matter in the end. I wasn't being brave. I was terrified. And using a small child to justify moving forwards. With no weapons and no hope of escaping, I was going to face that Witch.

With accepting my own death, my fear felt manageable. It's a strange feeling knowing something terrible was going to happen but you don't have any control over it. The Witch's powers could be anything, and yet I walked ready to face it with shaking knees.

By some miracle, the woods started to become lighter. I couldn't believe it. Not only was dawn approaching, but I spotted a hanging candy. Then another. A light feeling started in my chest as I followed the line of color until I reached an opening in the woods and nearly cried when I saw it was the hiking trail.

My clothing was dirty and torn, and my body ready to collapse. I'd made it. Well, almost made it. The trail gave me a second wind as I started walking along it, convinced I was going to live. That was a mistake. Sensing something at my back, fear struck my entire body killing any flames of hope in my chest.

Slowly turning around, I looked until I heard a noise that directed my attention to the tree line. Floating above the hiking trail staring down at us was the Witch in the smaller form covered in rags.

"You bitch." I hissed so angrily, I thought I tasted blood.

I wasn't nearly out of the woods. It let me get this far. It gave me hope just to take it away. I wanted to kill the bastard for not only what it put me through but what it did to Nicolas. As I thought of Jenna on my back and the people left behind in the cabin, my rage grew as I stared down the monster that caused all of it. I suppose it was not the expression it wanted. The Witch let out a cackling laugh when I first looked up but the sound faded as I glared upwards fuming. I was unarmed but the Witch almost looked unsettled by my expression.

Clearly enraged over my reaction, it outstretched pale, bony arms to the side of its body. More laughter burst out as a new crackling sound surrounded us. Flashes of light burst in the sky and the air started to smell different. My chest tightened and I know a storm was coming and that this creature could control it. A loud crack erupted from the sky as a flash of light came crashing down a few meters away, blowing a tree to pieces. My body tensed from the noise and light, but I refused to react. I wasn't going to give this Witch the satisfaction of getting any more fear from me.

More lighting strikes crashed around us as a gust of wind picked up, spreading the smell of fires from the trees. I still stood my ground with a small child on my back, yet unable to do anything but glare. As the lightning died down, the Witch floated closer, face twisted in a snarl. It was done showing off. The next strike would take my life because I stopped being amusing. I wondered if I should put Jenna down so she could avoid getting killed. The eyes inside that fleshless face made me realize a quick death was better than handing her over to the Witch.