AN: Not quite Usagi/Mamoru, but it is, if you look hard enough.

55. - - Panic

When she turned around with fear in her bones she realized he's still behind her. Her steps as heavy as lead echoed on the cold marble floor and Usagi could literally feel dread running through her veins. A drop of cold sweat trailed down her spine and slipped into the hem of her shirt, leaving her skin bristle and trembling.

Her breathing was coming out in short intervals, and she was afraid she'd suffocate, while pressing one hand to her chest in despair. She couldn't get enough air in, as if something massive and big was standing on her chest, and kept pushing down. Down, down, down.

The hoop around her heart squeezed more in, and from the corner of her eyes she caught a shadow moving. She jumped where she was standing, in fright and turned her head sharply to the left, her wide eyes meeting dark blue eyes, the color of storm. The hand holding her bag gripped the handle even tighter, till her muscles screamed out in protest, and then the pain spread through her nerves like a virus that destroys anything in it's path.

Shivering, she turned around to face the person behind. More and more she was going out of breath, and she was sure that panic was now riding through her mind. Restless and fickle panic that danced fast, like tango in her stomach, and at the same time stomped around her heart.

"Usagi, you're still running away." Words came to her and she shivered all again, now shaking as a fallen leaf on the harsh wind. No, she thought, no. I'm finally stepping forward, she wanted to scream, but her mouth remained tightly closed. She blinked once, then twice, and pressed her hand against her chest even more.

I need to breath, she half thought, half screamed, while the murmur of her heart blocked out all the other thoughts.

"But you know, there will come a time when you'll have no place to run anymore." Finished the image of devil a few steps behind her, and Usagi lost that little air left in her lungs. With a muffled scream she pulled her legs from the spot she was standing on, and hurried to the doors. They closed after her small figure, with a quiet, agonizing and a very broken sound.

Yes, she's always running away, she thought, even from love, and continued running.