The Mysterious Mr. Miller

40. ESCAPE

As I went further into the jungle, I realized looking at it from a distance didn't do justice to its density. The sky was getting darker and I was surrounded by trees from all side. A part of me was elated that I was out of that prison but the other part of me was petrified. I didn't do all that just to become feed of a wild animal.

Hardly fifteen minutes had passed when I heard a loud voice. "Penelope!" The voice roared loudly and angrily and I jumped in my position. It belonged to Enzo and it came from somewhere closer.

Enzo was the scariest Machiavelli brother and given his history of jail, I knew he was capable of anything. I increased my speed in the opposite direction of the voice. My heart was beating fast inside my chest and my legs were shaking, yet I kept my pace steady. I couldn't let my efforts go to waste, I needed to escape this.

"Penelope! Come back and I'll forgive you." The voice sounded a lot more closer this time. I braced my trembling body and kept running.

My pace might have led me out of risk if it wasn't for the twig in my way that caused me to topple onto the ground. A small screech left my mouth as my arms got scratched due to the uneven ground and the thorny branches.

"I can hear you, love." Enzo shouted and then let out a sardonic laugh. I knew he was close and it won't be long before he catch me. "I am going to catch you and you'll pay for it."

With a sprained ankle, I stood up and went behind a tall, thick tree. I leaned my back against the bark and let out deep breaths. There was blood pooling out of a deep scratch on the back of my hand but the adrenaline kept the pain away.

"I know you are here." I heard Enzo's voice behind me. I angled my neck to take a peek and found him at a distance, looking all around for me.

"Oh God!" I muttered in my mouth as my breaths grew heavy. My chest felt tightened and I realized I was close to a panic attack. "Calm down Penelope. Calm down." I said while closing my eyes shut.

After some five minutes, the sound of Enzo's footsteps stopped reaching my ears. I took a sigh of relief and came out from behind the tree, only to come face to face with the same person I was running from. "Shit." I said as I stepped back.

Enzo hopped towards me with a deadly look on his face. I tried to run but he gripped me by my wrist and pushed me back on the ground, straddling me. "I already warned you. You'll pay for it." He said as he wrapped his hands around my neck and began choking me.

Not knowing what to do, I bit his arm with that was choking me. At first, he didn't react but when I bit him harder, he pulled his hand away in pain. "Crazy bitch."

"Crazier." I said and fisted my hand on the muddy ground. I rubbed the handful of dirty mud on his eyes and he groaned in frustration, pulling back from me. While he was wiping his face off, I used the same trick I had used with Marco. I punched him in the ball and he let out a deep growl. For a moment, he lost his balance and I used this opportunity to push him off me.

He was much more powerful than Marco and it was impossible for me to physically overpower him. The only option I had was to run faster than him so that's what I did. I ran away like my life depended on it, which it really did.

Enzo had gotten over the punch and now, he was once again following me. I could hear the sound of his footsteps behind me but I kept running. The adrenaline pumping through my vessels helped me get over my fear.

A ray of hope appeared when I saw a road at some distance. Enzo was close to me and if he caught me this time, he won't risk letting me go. I was regretting not working out regularly because my legs had started to get cramps.