A Deadly Chase

Leaves rustling in the wind were the only noises the forest made, as she ran away from the town. Slipping on the wet grass, the young girl tried to run faster, not daring to look over her shoulder to see if she was being followed. Her ragged breathing showed just how scared and alone she felt.

The moonlight illuminated the path she had chosen into the depths. One of the many escape routes her people had to use every so often. Still, she didn't know if they knew about it, if he'd had time to tell them. The traitor had caused this! They had trusted him, given him food and shelter, and this was how he had repaid their kindness. By dooming them all to death at the hands of their enemy.

Tripping over a tree root, the girl crashed down onto the hard ground, pain flaring in her shoulder. She gasped aloud, cursed her fate, and scrambled up before taking off again. She managed a quick look over her shoulder to see that she was being followed after all. Giving a small moan, she turned her head forwards, but only to crash into a tree as an energy burst drove her off course.

A loud snap echoed in the night air, and she screamed. She hadn't forgotten about the already injured shoulder, but when she'd run into the tree, she'd bent the arm till it had broken. Trying not to cry out again, she slowly got up, nearly passing out when the pain spiked suddenly. Stumbling forwards to find the path again; she was roughly grabbed from behind and held in strong arms.

Roaring as she tried to pull away, the girl was suddenly lifted from the ground, the broken arm swinging uselessly at her side as it still sent flashes of sharp pain up the nerves. The creature turned to face the way she had come, holding her out like rag doll to a child. Another one had chased her, and was now coming forward, grinning with blackened and broken teeth. His long white hair was blown back in the breeze, the odd leaf or two tangled in it.

The one who held the girl let her drop to the ground. Looking up at the creature before her, she pulled the uninjured arm across her swollen stomach. She could not help the tidal flow of words coming from her mouth as she begged for the small life inside of her.

The creature roared with laughter, telling her that she would be a very nice meal indeed. Jumping forward, its hand latched onto her chest and started to drain the life away. Pain, pain so terrible it made the broken arm feel like the tiniest twinge of a headache compared to the burning. She could feel the young life die before finally her own started to drain away. Looking into the eyes of the feeding wraith, she felt no remorse for any of her life's choices, just the final acceptance of her fate.