She moved swiftly amongst the trees, dodging a stray branch here and there. Gemma's heart pounded fiercely against her rib-cage, threatening to break free. Fear enveloped her like an ill-fitted corset, too tight and crushing. The moonlight reflected upon her wild eyes which darted behind her every so often, wary of any attackers who could suddenly ambush her.
"How could I have been so foolish," she chided herself. It had only been a few days since her incident with Kartik, yet she could not get him out of her mind. Forced or not, that kiss lingered upon her lips like a warm memory that refused to go away. That feeling that caused her heart to pound just a tad faster, her lips to curve into a slight smile, and her body ringing in a warm, tingly manner...she hated it. Gemma despised the torrent of emotions it brought on, none of which she could discern. What is it that she was feeling? She could not even fathom what it was-making her as confused as ever. She willed it to either explicate itself or leave, she couldn't handle all these dizzying emotions.
And thus she had left to confront Kartik and put her hormonal emotions to rest and finally get on with her life. Gemma would show him, she had planned, that she had absolutely no feelings for him-finally bringing everything back to normal. She lifted her fingers to her lips as if to feel any trace of his...No, she thought as she ran, he was a conceited fool! And now it was his fault and his effect on her that resulted in her running for her life in the overbearing forest, in which she was sure her screams would not be heard.
She had only entered the heart of the forest for the littlest of time when she heard the uncharacteristic hiss in the forest. "It's only some forest animal...only some forest animal," Gemma had squeakily reassured herself, quickening her pace with the quickening of her heartbeat. The leaves that littered the forest floor crunched under her boots as her strides grew longer and brisker. "It's gone-it's nothing, you silly girl," Gemma had laughed nervously to herself, willing herself to calm down. She was consoling herself just fine until she had heard that chilling hiss again...whispering her name.
The hairs on the back of her neck stood as if they had been electrocuted and her breath was cut short. "Gemmaaaaa..." the unknown predator had whispered...her name! Her legs were frozen for that long, agonizing moment. Her brain had screamed "Run!" and that was exactly what she did, ignoring all rational thoughts in her head.
And here she was know, the smartest girl ever, alone in the forest at the darkest time of night, running for life from whatever that chased her. "This is all Kartik's fault," Gemma seethed, if only she hadn't acted so rashly just because her feelings confused her.
"Kartik..."
And although she "hated" him, she wished more than ever that he would find her before the "creature" behind her did. She'd rather sacrifice her pride than her life...sounded rational enough.
Gemma spotted a clearing before her and her heart leapt at the site. "Yes! Perhaps I can fi-", but her thoughts were cut short when a cold, emaciated hand snaked around her wrist.
She screamed.
