Prevailing Love

PROLOGUE

The blood roared in my ears as I ran down the street. 'Don't look back. Keep going. Don't look back'

An abandoned park came up on the left and I saw my opportunity. I ducked into it and slid down the back of a slide, trying to steady my panting. I could hear his footsteps coming closer and I held my breath. He came to a walk and stopped on the opposite side of the slide. I choked back the sobs that threatened to blow my cover. 'I'm going to die.' The thought exploded in my head. Only a piece of rusted old metal separated me from my killer. I was only sixteen and I was going to die in a horrible way alone. I had no doubt that my murderer would end my life sadistically and painfully.

The man laughed dryly. A hand gripped my upper arm and yanked me from the hiding position. I screamed as I was pulled to face my death.

The darkness shaded half of the assassin's face but I could still see the shocking green eyes surrounded by dark eyelashes.

I quivered in fright and waited for my life to be stolen away from me. The man grinned at me as though he knew something I didn't.

"Would you like to play a game little Baylin?" His deep voice whispered in my ear. I stayed silent knowing that a wrong word could add minutes to the pain. "Let's play a game of cat and mouse. You run and I'll chase you. If you get away, you win. But if I catch you, we'll you know what happens to the mouse when a cat catches it." He laughed again but it lacked the humor. "You get a ten second head start. Ready? Go."

He let go of my arm and I wasted no time to get sprinting. I knew I only needed to make it half a mile and I would be in civilization. If I could keep enough distance between us I had a chance to make it into the store where he couldn't kill me without making a scene.

I refused to look back when I knew my ten seconds had ended to see how close he was to catching me. I could see the gleam of the city lights. I pushed myself harder and faster. My lungs felt like they were going to explode but I couldn't stop. I could never stop.

I had almost reached the city when I was tackled to the ground. I felt his body weight on top of my back and leaned down to whisper in my ear, "I win."