She ran through the crowded mall, ignoring the shopping bags that she left behind her, blocking out the thought that they might be following her, a creature solely of instinct… for now at least.
The air burning in her lungs, the look of terror on a young girl's face, the muscles in her legs screaming in agony; those were the only sensations permitted to her now. All else, self included, must fade away behind her.
She pushed herself harder, faster, further; her years on the Mouth of Hell serving her well as she ran through the mall doors and into the blessed cool of the outdoors.
She continued onwards, something buried deep insider her – an instinct long forgotten – guiding her unheeding footsteps towards sanctuary.