Tales of Duskwood

First Hope

He opened his eyes. It was the middle of the night and he had just woken up from a restless sleep he barely allowed himself. Short breath, dry mouth, cold sweat moistening his temple, it was the same story all over again.

It has been four months since he escaped the mine on fire and the FBI, but his memory was as clear as if it just happened.

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Dark thick smoke was engulfing him in the narrow tunnel. He tried to walk, holding the walls not to fall on the uneven floor. But it was pointless, soon his knees gave up on him and all he could feel was the excruciating pain on his chin, and the disgusting taste of iron invading his mouth. His lungs were burning and he placed his last strength seeking for oxygen. He was about to give up when he heard them. Voices. He knew there were voices of his enemy but he also knew that those voices could lead him to his freedom: the exit of the mine.

A shot of adrenaline ran through his veins, and without noticing it he was back on his feet. Weakly, he approached the voices. Carefully, he hid behind a rock. He glanced at the dark tunnel in front of him when he saw two men walking down the path. He truly thought it was the end for him, that the two only options he had was dying in that mine or getting arrested by the FBI agents. Regrets crossed his mind when he thought about the promise he did to the woman he loved. Would he ever have the chance to meet her? She gave him hope, and he didn't want to waste it.

So, to fulfill his oath, he gathered his strength and as soon the two men turned their back to him to check the tunnel before them, he ran. He ran as fast as he could ignoring the voices shouting at him to stop, to surrender.

Fresh air hit his face giving him the release he longed for. But his peace was short. Before he could even enjoy this seeming freedom, gunshots rose in the air and he could feel the wind created by the bullets fly past his head.

He ran even faster towards the huge shadows of the trees, hiding in their comforting darkness. He didn't stop though. No, he kept on running as far away as he could from the mine and the police forces. He was out of breath but he didn't give up. This unexpected freedom meant hope, hope to meet her. The stranger who saved Hannah from her fate, who saved him from his lonely life. He ran until his muscles were sore. Then, his body bruised, his knees hit the earth of the forest and his vision turned blur just before his head touched the ground.

Birds were singing an enchanting melody. The thin rays of sun were piercing through the thick layer of leaves, softly stroking his face. But something was odd. As he slowly started to come to his senses, he felt the hard shape of a rock under his head, the moisture of the earth under his body.

He begrudgingly opened his eyes. He was in the middle of the forest. The sun was already high in the sky and he thought he was lucky no one had found him yet.

He stood up carefully, fighting against the dizziness that rose in him. Once on his feet, he had to wait for his sight to settle down before he started to walk again.

His whole body was sore, but it didn't prevent him from taking his chance to run away. He walked for hours before arriving at his motel. Then, he packed his belongings, which remained in his laptop and a backpack full of dark clothes, and left to find a new shelter.

He had to change hideout every two days at the most to be sure his pursuers would lose his track. After a while he was finally able to settle down in a small motel in an anonymous city. This is when he started to implement his plan.

If he hadn't met her he would have never dared taking this risk. He would have spent his whole life lurking in the shadow, hiding instead of living. But he didn't want this anymore. He wanted his freedom back, and above it all he wanted a chance to live a life with her.