This is the English version of Aurora. Have fun reading and please keep in mind that English is not my native language. If you have a minute, please leave a review and give me some feedback on what you did or didn´t like.

For the German original check my other stories.

Big thanks to Adina Barth, who created the cover and to all the beta readers, who are noted above the chapters they helped to translate.

beta reader: Jade Augustine

The Fog

Meg ran. Panting, she dodged a tree and ducked under one of its branches. Then she made a turn. Sharp to the left. However, she didn´t remain true to her new direction and changed course soon afterwards. Further forward she went. Her heart was racing, but not just for natural reasons. It was a sign, a warning to the prisoners of the nightmare, the playballs of the Entity. Run, it said. And Meg did as commanded. She ran.
A look over her shoulder confirmed her hope. The Hillbilly had lost her. Forcefully and ruthlessly, he sought among the leaves and bushes, with his big hammer wildly hitting the branches aside. Like a wild beast, he showed no signs of exhaustion; the lack of success only seemed to reinforce him, indeed, to enrage him. If only he had turned around just then, maybe he would have had another chance to spot Meg's heel as it disappeared behind a rock. But he did not.
Panting, Meg leaned against the cold stone and slid down the moss-hung surface. Her heart still beat in an uncomfortably high rhythm and the fugitive gasped for breath. At first, she put her head back, eyes closed. Then she let it fall forward on her bent knees, arms wrapped around her legs. As her body trembled with adrenaline, Meg felt tears begin to form between her eyelids. During the chase, her mind had seemed to have snapped, escape had become her supreme and only priority. Now that Meg had left immediate danger, all the emotions, all the fears and worries, like ice-cold downpours, plummeted over her.
Her terror of the beast was only exceeded by her panic for the iron hooks of the Entity. As hideous devices of torture they had been distributed throughout the area. Built solely for the purpose of inflicting pain on the survivors. Meg had already experienced the bite of the hook on her own body several times. It was a pain so inconceivable that at the moment of suffering it was hard to believe. The minds simply needed a moment to realize the shock, and only after staring for a few seconds at the metal spike breaking out of one's own chest did the pain begin to take hold.
Sometimes Meg had screamed loudly and in panic, but in most cases her mouth had filled with blood right away and her scream had been turned into breathless choking. Each time she had lost consciousness after a few moments.
This was the true purpose of the hunt. That's what the killers were here for. To hang people on hooks on which they were then sacrificed to the Entity. The Entity was the real reason why Meg was afraid of the hooks. If you were sacrificed, you were taken. The Entity fed on the hope of the sacrificed, sucking it out of them. It was much more than physical pain. The alien tortured the mind, he mutilated and raped the soul, only to take the victim back to the campfire after a felt eternity. Externally intact, internally devastated. Ready for the next hunt.
Meg desperately tried to fight back her tears. There was no time for that. Her friends needed her. The generators had to be repaired, unless they all wanted to end up on the hooks. But Meg was afraid, so terribly afraid. Ever since she'd been stranded in this perverse reality, fear had been her constant companion, gnawing and consuming her. She wanted to be strong, but a single tear ran lonely down her cheek. Then a second and finally a third.
Meg remembered her gym teacher from school. Jason Matthews. He had been in the military and his methods were as hard and relentless as the army. But they had been exactly what Meg had needed.
"You are a machine, Thomas!", He had yelled at her: "A machine made to run! Move your ass!"
Meg did not know why, but this man had brought out the best in her. Under his leadership she had become an athlete. She had become successful, had won her school and herself trophies. The hard training had paid off. It had not only steeled her body, but her will as well.
Meg opened her eyes. Her thoughts wandered to her mother. Vanessa Thomas. She had been so proud of her every time. The single mother had never missed a race, not one. She had always smiled at Meg from the stands, loudly cheering with her hands up in the air. Only when her illness had become so bad that she could no longer manage to appear in public, she had stayed away from the sports events. This was also the time when Meg had thrown her university plans overboard. Her mother had cared for her so lovingly and tirelessly, Meg could have never left her alone. And so, she had stayed, working a low-paying job and taking care of her sick mother. Vanessa had stayed strong, fighting the disease.
And just as her mother, she had to stay strong now, fight and look ahead. Meg pulled herself in a jolt. The tears on her cheek had dried. A slight tremble quivered through her limbs, but Meg was in control. Her legs were firm and secure. A long, high-pitched scream echoed through the cold night, followed by the screech of a chainsaw.
Claudette!
It was Meg's only thought. With a determined breath, she broke away from the rock and started running in the direction of the sounds. The athlete tried to keep a low pace, she did not want to be in a hurry. She had to save power.
Her heartbeat increased and stomping footsteps approached from the left. Meg ducked and disappeared behind a tree. His uneven running rhythm gave the Hillbilly away. With a crash, he broke through the undergrowth, tirelessly pushing ahead. In his right hand he held his big cattle hammer, brutal and merciless. The metal head flashed in the moonlight.
The Hillbilly had lifted his left arm up to hold something on his shoulder. Terrified, Meg recognized a lifeless body as the killer marched past her, only a few feet away. Blood ran down the beast's back, apparently coming from Claudette's motionless figure. Had she not known better, Meg would have already declared her friend dead. But the killers did not kill. They sacrificed. Meg's gaze followed the Hillbilly´s path and stopped at a rundown shack where the hunchback disappeared with his prey. Meg sighed in despair.
The basement.
After a short while the monster reappeared and ran tirelessly out into the night. Meg was about to sneak up to the old wooden hut as a light lit up in the distance and the sound of a siren rang through the dark forest. The exits were activated. Dwight and Jake had repaired the last generator. There was hope. The killer turned, let out an angry growl and limped in the opposite direction towards the signal. Almost he discovered Meg. Almost
When her heartbeat had calmed down again, Meg allowed herself to take a deep breath. She had held it in since she had jumped quickly behind a bush. But now the way was clear. With hasty steps she ran into the shack and looked around. To the left of her was a staircase leading down into the depths.
Claudette, I'm coming, Meg thought and rushed to the steps. Keep going. Do not let him get you. Be strong. Keep going.
The athlete's legs began to shake, her fear of Claudette drove her faster and faster. With a stumble she turned a corner and entered the large, rectangular room. There were four hooks in the centre, one for each survivor and the foremost was already in use…
"Claudette," Meg gasped, almost sobbing.
The dark-skinned girl lifted her head slightly, her eyes clouded by tears and pain. She had heard Meg, but she could not see her. Two hands grabbed her by the hips and gave a quick jerk. Burning fingers tore at her shoulder and blood broke out on her blouse. Then her feet hit the ground, but her legs were too weak to carry her. As gently as she could, Meg let Claudette down on the ground.
"Stay with me" she whispered barely audible. Her eyes fell on the gaping wound in Claudette's shoulder. The fabric around it was dark and heavy with blood. Medicine was needed. Claudette would not survive if the bleeding did not stop. Meg looked around desperately. There was a chest in the far corner of the room. Hurriedly she rushed to the container and tore it open. Her hands immediately dove into the dark interior of the chest and reached for an object. A determined pull brought out a first-aid kit. Hope sprouted in Meg as she opened the lock of the box. With shaky legs she sneaked back to Claudette, knelt down and put the head of the wounded in her lap.
"Meg?" Claudette asked weakly, but louder than the athlete would have expected. It was a good sign. "Hey", she whispered reassuringly, "I´ve got you. Hold still."
Hastily she searched for the necessary utensils to create a bandage. In seconds she had found what she needed. Claudette groaned and grimaced in agony as Meg went to work. "We have to get out of here," Claudette gasped painfully, tears running down her cheeks.
"Immediately", Meg replied, "The guys fixed the last generator and ... Claudette?"
The injured had fainted. The white bandage was red, soaked with blood. Meg cursed and hope disappeared as fast as it had come. Her pulse jumped as a heavy foot shook the top of the stairs. Fear grabbed Meg's heart. The air was squeezed out of her lungs and desperately she struggled for a breath. As if frozen to stone, her eyes remained fixed on the bottom stairs leading upwards. Heavy steps came down. Irregular and brutal, just like the beast.
The tip of chainsaw was the first thing, that appeared in Meg's field of view, then a crippled arm, an abnormally ugly face, and a deformed body. The Hillbilly slowly circled around the corner, his merciless gaze sticking to the two innocent girls. His victims. His gifts for the Entity. There was no way out for the survivors. The only route was over the stairs and they were blocked by the killer. Yet again the basement had become a death trap and robbed the girls of their last bit of hope.
"Please," Meg whispered as the Hillbilly took a step towards her. The creature stopped and the shapeless face looked at Meg, lacking any sign of empathy.
"Please," Meg shouted on the top of her tired lungs and wrapped her fear-shaking arms around the unconscious Claudette.
"Please," she pleaded, leaning over her friend's body before she burst into tears, unable to make further noises. Deserted by all hope, she curled up on the ground. Panic had taken hold of her body and crippled her ability to resist. Meg could barely move. Claudette was her only anchor of sanity and she held her tightly.
She missed the angry thunder that went through the world, but the Hillbilly heard it. He raised his head and looked to the ceiling. The grip on his hammer loosened and the chainsaw fell to the ground. Meg did not notice.
Another thunder shook the forest and the Hillbilly roared as if burned by a glowing iron. Furious, he picked his chainsaw back up and with a cruel jerk woke it up to screeching life. Then he turned towards the two girls.

"What was that?" Dwight asked, his eyes fixed on the dark sky. Then he looked to Jake, who just shrugged and moved on.
"I hope they're fine," Dwight muttered, continuing his way through the forest. "We left them behind."
"We had to," Jake replied grimly. He liked it as little as his comrade, but the Hillbilly could only be stopped by the gate. The Entity did not let him through. Silently, the two went on. After a short time, a glow appeared between the trees.
The campfire.
Silent as the night, the two headed for their destination. David was the first to see them, as he was already facing the direction, they were coming from. Ace and Nea followed his gaze. Feng, who was apparently marching nervously up and down the campfire, even ran to meet them.
"Dwight, Jake, thank god you're back" the young Asian girl shouted in her high- pitched voice. Jake did not answer and instead fell tiredly onto a tree trunk. Silently he lowered his head.
"Tough hunt?", David asked. Dwight just nodded as he passed Feng and dropped onto a tree trunk as well. His hand trembling with exhaustion, he straightened his glasses. He did not dare to look the others in the eyes. They had come back without the girls. Dwight knew he didn´t have a choice, that he had had no chance. He still felt guilty.
"Where are Meg and Claudette?" Feng asked.
Nea and David exchanged a knowing look. Ace looked into the fire, Dwight to the ground. Finally, Jake replied, "We don´t know. The gates were open, we had to go. The Hillbilly was right behind us. "
Concern spread over Feng's face. It was a cruel routine to leave people in the fog. The survivors helped each other as much as they could, but in many situations a rescue attempt was hopeless or the killer forced them to leave the arena. However, this fact never alleviated the guilt. Dwight rested his head on his hands, his eyes still fixed on the same spot of earth. Feng noticed this and sat next to him, one hand gently on his arm.
"I'm sure they made it." she said comfortingly. Dwight only nodded. "I do not know anyone who can run as fast as Meg," Feng continued. Nea and David exchanged another look. They knew that with each passing second the chance of survival shrank. Meanwhile, Ace scratched his beard and finally took his eyes off the fire. He looked at Jake, who shook his head in denial, whereupon Ace stared back into the flames. Meg and Claudette had not escaped. They all knew it.

David walked slowly down to the lake. It wasn´t a long way. Just two minutes from the campfire and one arrived on an idyllic shore under a dark night sky. The moon poured its silver light over the landscape and was reflected slightly distorted in the waves of the calm water. The leaves of the trees remained silent, there was no wind. Only the soft lapping of the lake could be heard.
David paused for a moment, looking over the surface of the water. Then he bent down and took off his boots. First the right, then the left. The lake had obviously been made for the survivors. On one hand, he served them as a source of drinking water, on the other as a bathtub to wash the sweat from their haggard bodies. David's shirt followed, revealing an impressive male torso. Strong muscles showed under the skin, the large chest raised and lowered under powerful breaths.
He hadn´t told anyone that he would go to the lake. Why would he? He would not be missed at the campfire. The survivors often wandered alone into the forest and escaped the oppressive mood around the flames. The forest was her psychotherapist. He listened to their worries, helped them keep a clear head. And nobody would ever get lost. No matter how far and in which direction you marched, you would always end up back at the campfire. That's how the Entity set it up. Nobody got lost. Nobody escaped.
David opened his belt. Without haste, he pulled his legs out of his pants and threw the clothes carelessly on the ground. Then he put one foot in front of the other. After a few steps he reached the water. It was pleasantly cool. Not cold. Each step let him sink deeper under the surface. When the water reached his chest, David leaned forward and dove into the lake.
He worked his arms and legs, pushed himself powerfully through the water. His breath kept going faster and faster until his lungs burned. But he did not stop. It was a pleasure to spend one's power, without feeling the cold breath of death in the neck. Every move helped him to forget. The hopeless situation he was in. The life that had been taken from him. Not that it had been a great one. David had been secretly sure for a long time that he had made the wrong decisions. He had always been aggressive and thoughtless and had paid for it more than once. But what were these everyday problems from his previous life? The Entity was a completely different matter. An opponent he couldn´t grab, he couldn´t punch in the face. Maybe the survivors were trapped here until the end of their days. Maybe longer. It was hopeless.
David's limbs burned under the strain and he paused, panting heavily. Being physically active has always been his method of coping with stuff. Feeling his own body distracted him. But it did not solve any problems.
"Impressive," David heard a voice and his head shot to the right. There near the bank he discovered Nea. She was also naked, only up to her hip under water. The blue-dyed hair clung to her head and her small breasts glistened wet in the moonlight. The reeds had hidden her earlier and David had marched straight past her into the water. It did not bother him.
Without a word he waded towards her, plowing through the water with his broad ribcage. Nea sat at a shallow end of the lake, her back against the shore. He sat down next to her, towering over the small Swede like a protective brother. Silently, David followed her gaze to the moon. "He has never moved," she said after a moment of silence. "I watched him. From the first day. And there are no stars to keep him company. "
David didn´t say anything. The realm of the Entity was not on Earth or any other planet. They were no longer in their old world. Reality was nothing more than an illusion. Arbitrarily set by the Entity. But Nea already knew that. She also knew that Meg and Claudette were being subjected to the Entity´s greedy ordeal at the very moment she was sitting at in the water. After they hadn´t turned up at the campfire for over an hour, their fate had been clear to all of them. "Dwight has taken the last hunt pretty bad," Nea finally addressed the topic. David looked down at her.
"This place is made to take away our hope," he replied. Nea nodded. "I know, but it does not help to worry about things you cannot influence."
David looked out at the lake. "Not everyone is as strong as you are, Nea," he said. Then he looked again at the Swede. A lonely tear had formed on her cheek. Shining slowly in the silvery moonlight, it slowly drifted down and finally dripped into the water of the lake. Unseen and unheard.
David had seen Dwight, Claudette, Feng, even Meg and Jake shed tears of despair or fear. But never Nea. The brave Swede had always been a rock, apparently indifferent to all the agony and mental pressure.
"I miss my parents, David," she said softly. David sighed. If there was one thing for which he had absolutely no talent, then it was words. Certainly not comforting ones.
"Do you think they miss me too?" Nea asked, "Do you think they're looking for me?"
"Of course they do," David assured her.
"I don´t know," Nea replied. "They always thought that one day I would just leave. With some skater. They probably think that's what happened. Why should they be looking for me? "
"Are you serious?" David asked: "They are your parents. They're worried sick about you right now, believe me. "David didn´t know if his words were the right ones. Nea looked up at him. After a moment she shook her head and buried her face in her hands. Then she quickly breathed in and out.
"No point in bothering," she said, now the old girl again. All feelings were again hidden behind a facade of disinterest. David did not answer. "Let's go back to the campfire," Nea finally decided and got up. David followed her wordlessly. Silently, they dressed on the bank, before they went back the way they had come.

Ace poked around in the campfire with a stick. His eyes were fixed on the embers, only rarely did they rise to one of the other survivors gathered by the fire. Dwight had gone to sleep a little while ago, obviously plagued by guilt. Feng sat opposite of Ace on the other side of the fire. The young Asian had tried to comfort Dwight. Without success. Rather, his mood had rubbed off on her and now she was sitting there on the log with a depressed expression and worried look. Jake had sneaked into the woods. It was his way to deal with everything. David and Nea were also nowhere to be seen and Ace didn´t know where they had gone. He didn´t care. The two understood each other well, grumpy and taciturn as they were. Ace did not want to interfere with anything.
Claudette and Meg were missing as well, but Ace knew exactly where they were. He sighed, causing Feng to look up. Claudette was one of the friendliest and most sensitive people Ace had ever met. And he had met a lot of people in his life so far.
Yes, mostly mafiosi and other dubious figures, a thought sneaked through his mind. Ace nodded imperceptibly. Still, he was sure that Claudette was the last to deserve a fate like this. Or Feng, the poor thing. Ace didn´t know anything specific, but apparently the relationship between her and her parents had been icy before Entity had kidnapped her.
Even Dwight had certainly never harmed a fly in his life. It just wasn´t his way. Ace could accept it if an old swindler like himself or a paid thug like David were banished to hell. But not someone as innocent as Claudette.
The sound of footsteps tore him out of his thoughts. Nea and David had returned. Because of their wet hair, Ace could easily tell where they had been. David sat grumpily on a tree trunk, Nea next to him. They were both as closed as ever. A barely perceptible grin flew over Ace's lips. He knew guys like David and Nea. They liked to play the hard and the insensitive, the daredevils and the indifferent. But in fact, behind these facades lay the purest chaos of feelings. After all, they were just like everyone else here.
"What the hell? No! ", Dwight cried in alarm, tearing everyone out of their thoughts. Feng got up and tried to see what had shocked the boy so much. After a moment, there was a shock on her face as well and a few seconds later it had reached all the others.
A black mist pushed forward between the trees. Thick and unnatural it surrounded the campfire. The sight was only too well known to the survivors. It was the fog of the Entity that would drag four of them into a hunt. But it was too early for that. So far, the survivors had had at least one day off between hunts to recharge their batteries. Jake also jumped out from behind a tree, the same horror on his face as on everyone else's. The next moment, the fog had already enveloped the survivors and deprived them of their sight. Just a few seconds later, the whole haunt was over. The campfire appeared in front of Ace. Right on the other side was Feng, looking around desperately. David, Dwight, Nea and Jake were gone. Meg and Claudette now lay bent together on the dusty forest floor next to the flames.

Jake opened his eyes. He hoped to discover the campfire, but his ears had already told him the truth. There were no crackling flames in front of him, only an endless cornfield steeped in an unbearable stench of rotting carcasses. Jake felt like bending over, picking up stones and throwing them wildly into the three times cursed cornfield. But he knew better. There was no need to attract attention. A killer had been sent, with a clear mission: to find, catch and sacrifice.
Jake began to walk. He had already spotted one of the antennas, which revealed the location of a generators, towering high into the dark, starless sky. Five were needed to power the exit gates. He had already found one. With controlled breaths, Jake tried to calm himself as he slipped through between the plants. The field provided many opportunities to hide, especially as it was easy to break line of sight. Repeated turning and long-range evading manoeuvres had already more than once saved his life here. But there was no real cover at all. Jake had to be careful.
His path led past a tree in the middle of the field. On it hung the carcasses of numerous farm animals, especially cows, which had been cut open by a chainsaw from top to bottom. With thick ropes they had been tied to the branches of the old oak tree, their bodies bled dry. The tree was one of the main sources of the stench, and Jake held a hand over his mouth, coughing. The generator was only a few steps away. One of the advantages of the unspeakable smell of course: it covered the living prey.
Jake reached the first generator and knelt in front of the machine. With his right hand, he pushed one of the pipes aside, which only seemed to hang loose on the construction. A look inside told him everything he needed to know. Jake turned his head around, searching. The required spare parts were always to be found nearby. That is how the Entity set it up. Over there lay a handful of screws, on the wall he spied a half-used cable roll and in the cornfield, there was ...
"God, Dwight, do not sneak up on me like that," Jake hissed in a carefully muted voice.
"Sorry," Dwight replied sheepishly and immediately knelt next to Jake. Together they would be much faster. Jake grabbed some of the screws and began to fix the loose tube.
"Killer?" Jake mumbled. Dwight shook his head. "No idea, but it can´t be the Nurse. We would have heard that already. Nor the Hillbilly. Maybe the Trapper? "Jake worked silently. Dwight talked too much when he was nervous. Jake, on the other hand, only became quieter than he was already.
"I hope it's not the Wraith. I hate the Wraith."
"Dwight, watch out! "Jake shouted, but it was too late. With a crash, the generator exploded and sparks flew in all directions. Dwight and Jake both raised their hands protectively in front of their faces. Then silence returned.
"Fuck, sorry," Dwight whispered, noticeably at the end with his nerves. Jake gave him a blaming look, causing Dwight to stare at the floor, embarrassed. "What are you waiting for, get out of here!" Jake hissed, giving Dwight a rough push. At the same moment a lullaby touched their ears. The two boys exchanged a look.
The Huntress!
"Quick, move," Jake urged, hoping that the killer had yet to discovered them. A glance over his shoulder showed him two long rabbit ears, which wandered across the field, sticking out of the grain plants. Cursing silently, Jake slipped behind the big tree with the animals, Dwight not far behind. An unpleasant heartbeat set in.
Meanwhile the Huntress was approaching for the generator. In her hand she held a big axe, the metal already stained by earlier hunts. But the blood was old and dried up. She had not caught anyone yet. Carefully peering around, the Huntress walked around the generator. She could not find anyone. Then her attention turned to the machine. For a moment, the tall woman tilted her head and just stared at the generator, almost as if she was asking him where her prey was hiding. Then she screamed frustrated and rammed one foot against the structure. Sparks flew around again.
Jake, who had been watching her all the time, bit his lower lip. This wouldn't be easy to fix. In the meantime, Dwight was sitting next to him, his hands pressed to his mouth to muffle every sound. The Huntress went off singing again. But suddenly she paused. There was only a reasonable hiding place nearby. Turning around she now relentlessly went for the tree, her axe ready to kill.
"Run," Jake cried out.

Feng hurried around the campfire and knelt next to Meg and Claudette. The two were breathing heavily and kept their eyes closed. Their bodies were cramped as if in pain. Feng exchanged a look with Ace. It was uncommon for victims of the Entity to reappear at the campfire so quickly. But what did he care? The only important thing was the return of the two girls.
"Meg?" Feng whispered, gently touching the athlete's arm. Meg cried out and Feng jerked back. Panicking, the redhead lying on the floor opened her eyes and looked around. First, she saw Feng, then Ace, and finally the campfire and Claudette. Her body relaxed and she closed her eyes as she broke down into silent sobs. Feng could not blame her. Worried, she glanced over her friends, looking for injuries, but she couldn´t find any. Luckily nothing had changed in this regard.
Claudette now tried to get up, but quickly broke down under coughing and tears. Ace grabbed the botanist so she did not fall back to the ground. He gently guided her to one of the tree trunks and handed her one of the glass bottles, the survivors used to transport the water from the lake to the campfire. They had taken the bottles from the arenas, from a place that was supposedly called Autohaven. Gratefully Claudette reached for the bottle and plunged the water down. She almost choked on herself. Then she wrapped her arms around her upper body. "I'm cold," she whispered in a trembling voice and Ace immediately reached for a blanket, also a souvenir from the hunts.
"Don´t worry, it´ll pass. Come here to the campfire," Ace comforted her and threw the blanket around Claudette's trembling figure. Then he noticed that it really was cold. His breath produced small clouds of mist and the temperature had dropped noticeably. As far as he knew, this had never happened before.
Meg, with Feng's help, had now settled on one of the trunks as well. She clearly was at the end of her mental strength, gazing completely lost into the campfire. But she also noticed the sudden cold and exchanged a look with the Asian girl. Then all four looked at the campfire as the flames suddenly flickered, almost as if they were about to go out.
"Damn, what's going on here?" Ace asked, looking for fuel. "I have no idea," Feng replied, before she gave a low cry of terror. The reason for this was the black fog, that had returned and threatened the survivors again.
"What? No! That's too early," Ace protested, but within the glimpse of an eye the fog had already swallowed him. Fear took hold of Feng. There were only four survivors around the campfire and the Entity called for another hunt.

The dark mist receded and Meg felt the ground of the forest under her fingers. The Macmillan Estate.
"No," she thought, "No, no, no! Why me? Why again?"
Her entire body trembled and panic threatened to overwhelm her. Anxiety wrested control of her limbs and Meg could do nothing but remain on all four. Shivering and gasping for breath, she remained in the grass between the trees, her eyes closed and her face turned to the ground. She had to deal with her fear. It did not help to stay here. It just did not help.
Clumsily she got up, grabbing a branch for support. Her stance was uncertain and her legs still did not quite want to obey her. But she forced herself. She forced herself to go and search for a generator among the trees. She had to try. She wouldn´t allow the Entity to get its hands on her. Not again.
Suddenly the arena trembled and a muffled thunder shook the floor. Meg would have fallen over, had she not been holding onto a branch. The strange phenomena of course did not detract from her fear. On the contrary. Meg's heart raced faster and faster. Her breath went in and out irregularly and her limbs were shaking more and more. Again, she threatened to lose control.
Meg leaned against the tree and tried to fight back the tears. She had to be strong. She just had to. Only after a while did she become aware of her wild heartbeat. Panicked, she tore her head up and peered into the trees. Adrenaline rushed through her body and a cold shiver went down her spine.
Meg and the Nurse discovered each other at the same moment. Both paused briefly. Then Meg took off. Her fear had culminated in despair.
She just had to get away. Flee. Escape. Away from the killer. Meg ignored the path she took. She just had to get away. As far as possible. While dodging a root, a branch hit her painfully in the face. It didn´t matter. The Nurse's screaming approached menacingly and Meg ran even faster, even more panicked. She no longer planned an escape route, did not look for a hiding place. She just had to get away. An unevenness in the ground caused Meg to lose balance, almost falling. She caught herself only to be knocked down by the next hurdle, a protruding root. Her body hit the ground, where little stones tore the skin on her knees and palms.
Confident in victory, the Nurse shrieked again and appeared behind her prey, the bone saw raised high over her head, ready to strike. Meg turned on her back and pulled her hand up in a hopeless attempt to protect herself. Struggling, she tried to crawl away, to escape certain death. She was blind with panic.
Another thunder went through the arena and the Nurse stopped in the middle of the attack. She looked up at the sky, then back in the direction the sound had come from. Finally, she turned back to her prey. The bone saw slipped out of her fingers and clattered to the ground. The cruel killer dropped her shoulders and looked down. Then another thunder echoed through the forest and suddenly the Nurse seemed to be alive again. She looked around briefly and then made a shooing gesture towards Meg. Hastily she picked up her bone saw from the ground. Then she looked back at Meg and again signalled her to run away. When the girl, paralyzed in fear, still did not obey, the Nurse gave a shrill shriek. That worked.
Meg scrambled to her feet, fell twice, and rushed through the forest. Again, she wildly crashed through the underwood and didn´t look back to see if she was being followed. She only knew that she had to get away from here. Far away. A cold wind blew in her face and made her gasp. Wind? Here? No matter, just keep going! Meg stumbled again, but she caught herself. Her heart was beating fast as her legs began to burn. Soon she would collapse, completely exhausted, and when that happened, she would have to be safe.
The athlete ran on and on until she finally reached the tree line. Quickly she left the trees behind and found herself in the middle of a meadow, where she went to the ground. Meg struggled for breath, lying on all fours, her limbs trembling with exhaustion. But she had no time, she had to go on. Groaning, she got up again and looked around, gradually able to think straight again.
She was on a grassy hill. To her left a narrow dirt road led along the edge of the forest and above her greeted the moon and thousands of sparkling stars. But what caught Meg's eye was the bright lights of the city, stretching out at the foot of the hill. Cars drove as small points of light along the rectangular streets and countless windows competed against the starry sky. In the distance, Meg heard the siren of a police car while a cold breeze blew around her legs. Somewhere, an owl called and the fresh smell in the air told Meg that it had rained recently. On the horizon, a bright glow announced the rising sun.
She was back.