Past the Point of No Return

Chapter 8

Christine's POV

Run.

Christine sprinted through the woods behind the de Changy manor as fast as her legs could carry her while wearing a dress, corset, and carrying Ebony.

She could hear Raoul behind her, his footsteps loudly thumping against the forest floor.

Run.

Don't stop.

As she dashed through the woods, she caught sight of a very familiar shadow, but she pushed it out of her mind, convinced that it was the shadows from the setting sun playing tricks on her.

Christine made the mistake of looking back at Raoul. She was relieved to see how far he was, but she still didn't dare slow down.

Then she stripped on a tree root.

She and Ebony went crashing down onto the forest floor as they both cried out.

She looked back at Raoul again to see him rapidly closing in.

Oh no.

Christine scurried to stand up and picked Ebony up into her arms, instructing her to hurry. Christine stood up but as soon as she put weight on her ankle, she stumbled back down to the ground. Her ankle throbbed in pain.

Just my luck, Christine thought. I probably twisted my ankle.

Christie tried again and was met with the same result. She looked back to see Raoul getting dangerously close.

We need to move.

Ebony stood up and pulled Christine up.
"Come on, Moman!" The young girl urged, her speech a bit lispy due to the gap in her teeth from the tooth she had lost when Raoul caught them in Perros-Guirec. "He's going to get us!"
Christine stood up with Ebony's help and began limping as fast as she could, Ebony trying in vain to pull her faster. When Christine looked back again, Raoul was even closer.

Christine got up with Ebony's assistance and began limping through the woods. Ebony was pulling her mother by the hand, trying to make her go faster.

"Come on, Maman!" Ebony said in frustration.. "If you don't move faster, Father will get us!"

Christine didn't hear her and looked over he shoulder, seeing Raoul rapidly closing in. Christine turned back to her daughter and said, "Darling, you need to run, ok?"

The young child back at her mother in annoyance.

"I know, Maman, but you're going so slow."

Another glance.

"I'm sorry, honey, but Maman hurt her ankle and she can't walk on it very well, let alone run," Christine explained. "That's why you need to go ahead of me and keep running straight," Christine continued, putting more urgency into her voice. "If you keep on running straight, you'll arrive at Miss Monet's house. She's the one who gave you that doll and a dear friend of mine. Tell her what happened and that I sent you there for help." Christine's heart broke as she saw the hurt and terror enter her daughter's eyes when she glanced back at her.

Ebony faltered in her pulling, unnerved by her mother's request. Terrified of having to go to a strange person's house for shelter from her father. Concerned about her mother's fate.

Christine stopped and stooped down to look her daughter in the eyes for what could be the last time.

She glanced at Raoul and saw him slow down to a stop, stand there for a second, and began looking for something. Christine realized that he was probably looking for something to beat them with. She hurriedly looked back at her daughter and spoke to her in a rushed voice.

"It'll be alright, sweetie. Remember I love you, and do not turn back. Keep running towards Miss Monet's house, alright? She'll keep you safe," Christine reassured her daughter and caressed her cheek gently. She kissed her forehead in farewell. "Ready?"

"But Maman-"

Christine looked over her shoulder and saw that Raoul had found a large rock and was running towards them again.

"GO!"

Mother and daughter sprung up and sprinted as fast as their legs could carry them. Christine was trying to ignore the pain in her ankle, but she was still limping. Ebony streaked ahead of her mother, but she stopped and turned around. Christine shook her head and waved her on.

"GO!!!" Christine shouted to her daughter, and Ebony began pounding through the woods on her little legs once more.

Christine continued limping through the woods in vain. When she looked back, Raoul was right behind her with his fist raised, ready to strike. He seemed surprised that I turned around, so he grabbed my neck, I suppose to keep me still. I grabbed his wrists. . Christine ducked and covered her face with her arms, but Raoul's fist still found its target; the back of her head, making everything go black.

~~~~~~~~~~~~
Oooooohhhh cliffhanger and double update!!! I felt really bad and embarrassed for leaving you all for TWO WHOLE MONTHS!!! So I decided to treat you!

Seriously though, I am so sorry for leaving you for two months and for not posting when I said I would. I was really having trouble with this chapter cause I felt like the past few chapters were so bad and not well developed at all, so I kept on going back over it and adding things and editing, and that was before I even finished.

🎶THAT'S NOT A WORTHY EXPLANATION! IIIIII KNOOOOOWWW THERE IS NONE!!!!!🎶

This is gonna be real awkward if no one gets the reference🥲

ANYWAYYYYYY!!!

What did you all think?
I tried to make it suspenseful and I want to know if I succeeded or if I need to improve that part of my writing, so please leave a comment! It seriously makes my day so much that I tell my friends about each one and won't shut up about it. Rip my friends :')

I sincerely hope that you all have an amazing, amazing day/night, and I hope I get the next chapter in sooner than this one, but it's really up to my ADHD of whether or not I have the will or inspiration for it.

Also, if anyone actually read this entire thing, thank you, but also... why?

Bye for real this time, everyone!

-AJU