Limit

Chapter One: Fiery Water

**I will be constantly changing things around/editing this chapter since I'm not completely satisfied. (When are we ever, though?) Please ignore the fact that I lack a good opening to this chapter. I'll be working on until I come up with a good way to start this. Please point out any errors that you see. It helps a lot! Thanks!**

~1~

"Oh, god, this can't be happening," Kayla Dune said to herself behind an oak tree that shielded her in the darkness. The sky was pitch-black; the only light that could penetrate the gloomy darkness came from the stars, but even their brilliant luminescent glow seemed dismal. "Please, let this be a dream."

She knew her pathetic wishes were unrealistic. She knew the throbbing pain in her wrist was all too real, and that the gash on her left arm would leave a scar. But she clung onto an impossible hope, sadly making her situation worse.

"Let's just get this over with, sweetie," a chilling voice called out. The voice that had been trailing her for an hour was close, sending a wave of panic through Kayla's entire body.

Of course my phone is dead, Kayla thought to herself, hopelessly. But even if it wasn't, she doubted she would get any service in the woods. She looked around her and saw nothing but large trees that went on for miles. Only grass, dirt and twigs littered the ground.  A body could easily be buried and lost here - my body.

"I'm okay, I'm okay," she whispered. But her shaky voice betrayed her; she was scared out of her mind. Hundreds of thoughts poured through her head, all filled with despair and regret. She was almost on her way to becoming a cop, but that dream was already shattered; she couldn't even calm her own breathing.

The first thing we learn is to not panic, she recalled as she snuck her way towards another tree. She bit her lip to stifle her rasped breathing as she crept like a bandit through the woods. Luckily, the grass beneath her didn't give her position away; her boots landed softly on the ground with ease.

With my luck, I'm going to step on a twig and give my position away. I'm pretty sure this creep already knows where I am. He's toying with me.

With her pessimistic thoughts controlling her actions, Kayla crouched down and, with extreme delicacy, tiptoed her way over towards another tree. Her paranoia reached extreme, uncomfortable levels, causing her to move places again. She knew she was just a mouse in a lion's den. The way her pursuer taunted her gave her reason to believe that this was not his first time in the woods.

A twig snapped from behind her. She jumped both physically and mentally. With the hairs on the back of her neck bristling and beads of sweat soaking into her red t-shirt, Kayla burst into motion. Refusing to look behind her, she ran in the opposite direction of source of the sound. Her mind screamed as she fled.

"This is too easy," the voice jeered. "Are you sure you want to go that way?"

Breathlessly, Kayla managed to curse. Her fear that the man knew her exact location was nothing but true. His voice contrasted to her inner turmoil; his was calm while her emotions and thoughts battled against each other, limiting any words that she wanted to say.

The number of trees surrounding her decreased significantly. She was now at the edge, it seemed, but hopefully not at the end of the line. She still had some fight in her, despite what her thoughts forced her to believe. She continued to stumble forward but then stopped at the roaring sound of tumbling water.

 "A waterfall," she said aloud and with slight respite. She bent over, exhausted. Even though the man was definitely nearby, she needed to relieve her burning muscles in her calves. After watching dozens of horror movies, she came to the conclusion that the main reason why people would get killed when being chased was due to persistent running. When fatigued, the body would become weaker and thus prone to tripping. She did not plan on being one of those idiots.