I'm not sure where I am going, but I question why I keep fighting, why bother running? She whispers in my ear, 'Run, just run, don't stop.' Her voice always so sweet like butterscotch, so melodic like a siren's song and it is damning every time I hear it especially now as I'm running for my life. This morning I would have given my soul to hear her voice one last time, to see her smile and her bright ever green eyes but the rain pelting against my face blurs the world around me; offers no such sanctuary and is a reminder – she's gone.

The voice I am hearing; is the life and death situation just whispering in my head to give me some sort of hope.

The surrounding forest quakes visibly from the ear piercing screeches that sonars by me. Drips of blood tickle down my ears but I refuse to give into the pain – not like this – not ever. Behind me, it follows. A beast of a creature known as a demon. Its bat-like wings flap powerful enough to send gushes of leaves and debris flying pass me and even at me, some pecking at my back. It is an ugly creature, with gnarled teeth that are needle-like dripping with yellow saliva that sizzles when it touches the ground. Red eyes with no pupil, bald skin and head that is ashy in appearance. It walks on bent back legs with three talons for toes and black claws for hands. The worst bit of it all…it can shapeshift into a human and without the proper attention, a human can mistake it as another person.

If I hadn't distracted my mother…She would have known.

Just hours ago I was walking down the streets of a nearby town, searching for a new location to escape too after my mother's death when I saw a young man ahead of me with a wicked smile and black glistening eyes. And I knew it. A demon.

Humans don't see their black eyes. They don't smell the sulfur. They can't sense the immediate danger. They can get pulled in with temptation. While we, get repulsed. With a blink of my eyes this man tore from his human flesh and into the monster of old, red eyes gleaming at me from seven feet tall. The very sight twisted my insides and I leapt into action – which unfortunately for me was running.

The demon's wings tear at the tops of the tightly knitted trees, screeching louder as it gets angrier that it can't reach me. One would think I am safe but reality has it, if I stop, he'd just shapeshift again.

Greens and browns blur pass me, my speed faster than the average human, as I bolt around this tree and that boulder. Up ahead I see the gray sky and its long beckoning horizon. The sound of waves crashing just barely reaches my ears between the screeching. My legs have never ached so much in my entire life but normally, I wouldn't be running.

My mother and I would have had this beast killed by now; but she is gone and all our weapons were taken. I was left alone, without protection in a world full of monsters and humans. With me caught in-between. We were meant to kill monsters, a long lineage that dates back to the Greek Gods. Back when Artemis, the goddess of the hunt, granted my family with particular abilities. Back when my ancestors left and ventured around the world to gain more abilities from other strong female tribes such as the amazons and the Valkyries. Back when demons, vampires, werewolves and more ran from us instead of chased me.

But they wanted my mother and I…They wanted us because my father was…

The world ends below me, a clash of salty hard air stings my cheeks and I'm tumbling pathetically down towards the black water below. Above me I hear an angry shriek, it prolongs as I smash face first into the water below. Everything tingles painful like hot nails being sprung into my flesh. The current is strong, tumbling me here and there like a rag doll; all around me is darkness, no light shines above. The air is quickly leaving my lungs; I've always been a terrible swimmer.

At my sides my arms wail in random directions, I don't know which way is up and which way is down. Golden brown locks of hair tangle up in my face, I claw to release my sight from my hairs hold but as I do so, I am thrown back and my head meets something hard. A crack echoes in my ears along with a crumble. Suddenly, my body is silent and unmoving even against the current.

The edges of my vision blurs. I see my mother and father standing before me, my mother's eyes green and my father's a celestial blue. He smiles as bright as the sun; the last time I saw him was when I was six…and he was killed as well.

'I'm sorry,' is all I can think, 'I failed you.'

My father reaches for me, a welcoming hand open and upright as if beckoning for me to grab. He's always been strong, toned and sun kissed. With little energy, I reach for his hand and as I do…my vision blackens.

'I'm sorry, Furiae.' They both whisper…