Lily

o n e

in which she runs

The sound of my laboured breath reached my ears, my legs ached - begging me to stop, my eyes were dry from all those tears that I shed earlier, and my throat - parched.

But I didn't listen to my body, even when my sight began to go blurry.

I didn't listen to my body, even when I felt my stumble, too much out of breath and too tired to keep going.

I did not listen. Instead, I pushed myself, to run harder.

I couldn't stop now. He will find me otherwise.

Even I knew that running wouldn't stop him getting hold of me. He still would catch me. He always managed to find me and dragged me back - punishing me until it satisfied his cruel soul. But I prayed for this time to be different. I no longer, want to be caged in that place which only reminds me of unpleasing memories. This time, I had vowed to myself that things were going to end differently. I was going to go farther away, to a place where he wouldn't even imagine me to be. To a place, where he just couldn't walk in as he would please.

"There she is," I heard the voice of a man shout, and against my better judgment, I spared a glance back - only to regret as I watched those men catching up faster and closer than before.

"Damn it," I mumbled to myself and pushed myself to run harder, faster.

My bare feet were now bloody and dirty, with small stones hurting my feet's skin. The moist ground of the winter forest didn't help at all, as it stuck to my skin and on my toes.

I was running away. Away from the devil and the future he had already planned out for me.

I didn't know when and how, but somehow, I managed to get them off my back, but I didn't slow down. Not until I finally realized that I was now way too deep into the forest, and the fact that it was slowly getting darker as the night began to settle in, didn't really seem helpful to me.

I leaned against a tree, watching as the twilight sky began to pave way for a darker background.

Minutes went, but I still stood there. My breathing still labored and my muscles aching terribly. My tiny body wasn't made for such runs and having starved for days now, it lacked the energy to keep me upright and alive.

Pushing myself away, I began to stride further into the woods. Though it wasn't the brightest thing to do, II preferred dying at the hands of some wild animal, than through that of the very man who wouldn't let me live in peace.

The night had already settled in and the pitch darkness around me - neither provided me with the warmth I was dying for, nor did it make me feel comfortable. My legs seemed all wobbly and by now, I was almost dragging my feet.

I have no idea how but by some heavenly soul's grace - I found myself, reaching the end of the forest and standing in front of a house, which looked grander, beautiful and mysterious under the moon's light. Though it didn't seem forgotten, it didn't seem well taken care of either. 

The unhinged gate creaked as I pushed it, and even though my body was ready to give up now me - I felt this renewed energy to push myself for a couple of more steps as I watched the pathway that led to the huge house in front of me. 

My eyes twinkled as I imagined what this place would've looked like during its glorious days. By the looks of it, it was much more magnificent in size and beauty than any other of the modern mansions I ever stepped into, which were, by now - quite a lot many.

Acres of land must have, once, made it a property worth dying for. But I still had no idea why was it located smack in the middle of a dense forest like this?

I had no energy to ponder over, so instead, I allowed my eyes to wander around and about as I struggled with reading to the main entrance. The wind was quick to ick its pace and my body shuddered a very eery kind of coldness settled upon my bones.

I glanced around but no one and nothing was present, yet I felt as if there were eyes on me. Raising my head, I came to a stop and tilted my head, unsure whether I had truly seen someone linger by the window at one of the top floors. The huge and widely sprawled building did look a lot like some kind of old palace, but it wasn't, surprisingly, in shambles already.

Slowly, I made climbed my way on those many steps of the entrance of the huge building. The eery feeling still lingering on me, but I chose to ignore it. All I wanted was a place to stay and survive. Surviving was going to be hard because now, I wasn't just simply starved but also out in the cold, with the least favored dressing on me and my body was beyond exhausted.

I struggled with pushing the door, but nonetheless, the heavy door did manage to open and I, now limped my way inside. It was pitch black inside and with nothing on me, I decided to take a few steps - cautiously, before letting myself fall onto the ground like a sack of potatoes.

The only thing I hoped and prayed for was for no rats, insects or reptiles come to greet me. Wishful thinking, considering I was not only taking shelter in a place which was abandoned but also located wonderfully right in the middle of the forest. Yet, I did stop myself, not that I could as my body finally decided to take away the reigns from me and make me collapse on the hard, cold ground immediately.

The last thing I felt  I heard were footsteps. Or maybe, my exhausted mind was making up these noises. Whatever it was, I would not know until the next morning. A morning, that I would get to see only if I survived the night.