The Devil's Due: Chapter VII
--EKB
John Bradshaw Layfield was running for his life. Blindly he went, plunging headfirst into the never-ending darkness. The surrounding forest was eerily silent as death, the only sound that of leaves crunching and fallen branches snapping underfoot like skeletons as Bradshaw pushed on. Every muscle and nerve in his body screamed with fatigue, and his lungs felt as though they would burst with every sharp intake of breath he drew. Still, he didn't dare slow or stop for even a fleeting second. He was out there, Bradshaw knew, he was somewhere in that all-encompassing blackness, looking for him. Hunting him. The thought only incited Bradshaw to pick up his pace, running blindly into the darkness ahead.
Run, keep running--don't look back.
There was no way of knowing where the forest ended, nor what lay on the other side--but presently, that knowledge wasn't something Bradshaw had time to concern himself with. He had a plan in mind, and it was a simple one--keep running. He would keep running until he reached the other side of the forest, keep running until he reached civilization. The first town he came to, he would seek refuge. Anyone in their right mind, seeing the condition he was in, would help him. It was a decent plan, at least, one better than surrendering to his grim fate at the hands of the Lord of Darkness. It was only a matter of getting there--wherever there was--before the Undertaker found him.
He kept moving, staggering forward into the forest with no clear destination in mind, praying to God that the other side was not that far off.
Presently, his foot snagged on the protruding knob of a tree root, sending him ungracefully forward. He hit the ground hard on his hands and knees, but was quick to claw his way back to his feet.
Keep running. Just keep running.
The thought occurred to him, somewhat abruptly, that he had been traipsing about in the dark far too much that night for his own liking. He doubted he would ever be able to handle sleeping in complete darkness again. Just a day's time before, Bradshaw would have found the notion laughable.
Now, he found, there wasn't a damn thing funny about it at all.
* * * * *
He'd traveled in silence a good few minutes now, his frantic sprint now a steady jog. Still, he trekked forward, ever-forward, not stopping. The calm, assuring voice in the back of his mind had guided him thus to this point--keep moving, don't stop, don't look back--and he wasn't sure if it was his own subconscious speaking to him, or if it was something else entirely. His mental state at present was more than unstable. Of that much, he was still aware.
Gradually, the grade of the land grew steeper, and Bradshaw scrambled up the incline, fingers digging into the moist earth. He raised his eyes to the path above and ahead. At the top of the hill, he could see sky--a clearing through the trees. Perhaps, he prayed, the edge of the forest. He felt the slightest little thrill of faith that maybe, just maybe, he was going to survive this night after all.
He reached the pinnacle after what seemed like years and at long last, Bradshaw stopped running. He leaned into the trunk of a nearby tree to catch his breath, effectively winded by his marathon sprint, and paused to survey his surroundings. A break in the clouds revealed the thinnest sliver of a pale crescent moon hanging in the night sky overhead. Out ahead, there was a wide expanse of open, grassy plain that stretched downward to a valley.
Down below, he could see lights. There were the sketchy outlines of buildings, half-obscured by mist. A town. Civilization. Thank God.
He had made it out of the forest. He was beaten, wounded, and weary beyond comprehension, but he was alive. By God, he was alive. He could feel his heart soar with renewed hope. Still, Bradshaw knew he couldn't afford to stop now. An entire forest's distance between himself and the wrathful Lord of Darkness was nowhere near far enough in his opinion.
He needed to keep going.
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Author's Note: Hello, there! Adir here. I just wanted to take a moment to say a sincere 'thank you' to everyone who has read and reviewed this story thus far. Special thanks, especially, go to wrestlefan4, Dark Kaneanite, Taker's Hidden Soul Mate, Nefatiri, Seraphalexiel, and...pretty much ANYONE who has left reviews, feedback, PM's, or anything to that effect. I truly do appreciate it.
That being said, this is nowhere near the end of this tale. My condolences to poor Bradshaw, though he may be out of the woods in a manner of speaking. Expect a couple of unexpected twists and turns in the end.
Again, thanks for reading.
Sincerest regards,
Adir Al-Assad