The red and the soldier

Chapter seventeen

As Anna stumbled through the darkness, fear coursing through her veins, she heard the distant sound of voices and knew that it was only a matter of time before she was caught. Heart pumping, she stopped and listened, trying to locate the source of the sound. Suddenly, she saw a flash of movement in the corner of her eye, and she turned just in time to see a group of soldiers closing in on her.

"Don't move!" one of the soldiers barked, aiming a rifle at her. Anna froze, the weight of the weapon in her hands suddenly seeming insignificant. She was unarmed, alone, and surrounded by enemies.

One of the soldiers stepped forward, his eyes narrowing as he sized her up. "What are you doing out here all by yourself?" he asked, his voice heavy with suspicion.

Anna tried to keep her voice steady, hoping that if she could just get out of this situation peacefully, that she could continue on to Igor. "I was running," she stammered, her heart pounding so hard she felt as though it might burst. "I was trying to escape."

The soldier shook his head, his expression hardening. "Escape from what?" he demanded. "And why do you have a weapon?"

Anna felt her hope dwindle as the soldier's words sank in. She had no way to escape, no way to explain herself. She was at the mercy of these men, and she knew that whatever she said, it wouldn't be enough to spare her their wrath. " it's just a wood"

The soldiers closed in on her, and Anna closed her eyes, ready for the worst. She was about to be caught, about to be taken back to the place of her torment, and there was nothing she could do about it. She had fought so hard, had suffered so much, and it was all for nothing.

Tears threatened to overwhelm her, but she fought them back, determined not to let them see her weakness. She was strong, she had to be strong. She had to keep her dignity in the face of this defeat.

Anna's heart was pounding in her chest as the soldiers surrounded her, their guns raised and pointing directly at her. She knew that she was in trouble, that she was caught. She had been traveling for days, hiding in the forest, doing everything she could to escape the grasp of the karama state. But it was all for naught.

The soldiers were rough, their eyes hard and cold as they looked down at her. "Well, well, it seems like you're hiding something ?" one of them sneered, his hand resting on the gun he held aimed at her.

Anna tried to remain strong, to not let her fear show, but it was difficult. She could feel the tears threatening to escape her eyes, could feel the humiliation and the fear washing over her. She had never felt so vulnerable, so helpless.

"What is a woman doing out here all alone?" the soldier sneered, a cruel smile on his face. "You know it's not allowed."

Anna's heart sank. She knew that she had to stay strong, that she couldn't let them see how much they were getting to her. But it was hard, so hard to listen to their words, to listen to them mocking her.

"Like I said I was running " she said, her voice steady despite the fear that was coursing through her veins. "I just escaped a mad man who was holding me captive ."

The soldiers looked at each other, their eyes hard and cold. Anna knew that they didn't believe her, that they were onto her. And she knew that she had to do something, had to find a way out.

But...........

Anna knew that it's all over, that there was no way out. She had tried everything, had done everything she could to avoid this very moment. But it was as if fate had intervened, as if the universe had decided that she was not meant to succeed.

She stood there, surrounded by the soldiers, their guns aimed at her, their eyes cold and hard as they looked down at her. The shame and the humiliation washed over her, the knowledge that all of her struggles had been for nothing.