The Journey to Betrayal and Back Again

Dislocated Shoulders and Defensive Wolves

She couldn't stop running. Not even when her legs burned more than anything, not when she tripped on a low hanging branch and fell to the ground. Not when they could still be chasing her.

She ran for what felt like days. Maybe it had been days. She only stopped to eat or drink, or when she thought she heard something. Every time she stopped she felt like she was going to get ambushed. That every stop would be her last. But everyone has their limits.

She collapsed out of breath against a tree. There were trees everywhere, making it hard for her to see. She felt like she was running in circles but it didn't matter, as long as they didn't catch her. She had run out of food and water, she didn't know when, all she knew was that she was exhausted, and that if she didn't stop running she would drop, maybe dead.

Sleep crept upon her so quickly she didn't have time to ward it off, and she fell asleep with her back against the trunk of the tree. She clutched onto one of her knives, holding it against her chest as her eyes closed.

~~~~~~~~~~~

"No you don't understand, I swear I heard something!"

"Maybe it was an animal, or something! It could have been Waldo, he's always playing games, you know."

The girl woke up, holding her knife even tighter. She didn't see who was responsible for the voices, but she heard them coming from the right, so she hid behind some bush that blocked her from view.

"No, something's off. I can feel it."

Two people came into the girl's view.

Two. She thought. I can maybe take two, if I get the drop on them. She reached into her waistband, silently pulling out another knife.

"I didn't see anything." A third person said, jogging up to the pair. "I think you're just being paranoid."

"Yeah maybe. I don't know. I just..."

Yeah, I don't think I wanna die today. Time to skedaddle. She took a crouched step backwards, ready to make a hopefully stealthy exit. All hope of that, however, was crushed just like the twig beneath her boot was. She froze immediately, and their heads whipped towards her direction.

She got ready to run as they all took out knives of their own, silently communicating in a language that the girl couldn't understand. Just as the person in the middle nodded, the girl stood up, taking off through the forest. The three of them took off after her, managing to not lose her through the densely packed trees.

She ran as hard as she could, but after days of running, she wasn't able to get very far. Her legs felt like they were made of lead, and it got harder and harder for her to pick them off the ground.

All it took was one uncovered tree root to send her flying.

Her knives flew out of her hands and she fell to the ground painfully, though she wouldn't let that be the end of her. She scrambled up, picking up her blades as the group caught up to her. They trapped her in a semi-circle, all having weapons of their own raised.

The girl's hands shook as she rotated nervously, eyes darting between each of them. She had her hands up and she rocked back and forth on her heels, ready to pounce if needed.

They began to close in on her, getting closer and closer to her.

"Get back!" The girl yelled, lashing her knife out at one of the boys on the edge. They jumped backwards, but immediately continued to close in like lions hunting their prey. "I said get back!" She slashed again, and the boy in the middle managed to dodge her blow and knock one of her knives loose. She immediately pulled another one out from the back of her belt, just as large as the last one. "Stop it!"