embers of redemption

chapter five

Bridget Winchester

My breath comes in ragged gasps as I tear through the forest, the branches slapping at my face and arms, leaving stinging welts. The pain in my shoulder is a relentless, throbbing agony, but I can't afford to slow down. I glance over my shoulder, heart pounding louder than my footsteps. That demon is out there, somewhere behind me, and I can't let him catch me.

I'm going to ruin you first. Make that cult of yours know who did this to you.

Those were his words. His dark, twisted, yet sexy choice of nasty words.

The darkness is disorienting, the shadows morphing into sinister shapes that make my pulse race even faster. Every rustle, every snap of a twig, feels like a harbinger of doom. My mind races with the horror of what might happen if I don't keep moving. The fear is an icy grip around my chest, squeezing tighter with every step.

I stumble on a root, crying out as I fall to my knees. The jolt sends a fresh wave of pain through my shoulder, making me grit my teeth to keep from screaming. I force myself up, ignoring the tears blurring my vision. I must keep going. I have to.

The forest seems to close in around me, the trees a labyrinth of twisted trunks and gnarled branches. My legs are burning, my lungs feel like they're on fire, but I push on. The only thought in my mind is escape. I can't think about anything else. Not the darkness, not the pain, not the overwhelming terror that threatens to paralyze me.

I can hear him now, the heavy thud of his footsteps, the labored breathing of someone determined to catch me. My heart leaps into my throat. I can't let him get closer. I push myself harder, sprinting through the underbrush, hoping against hope that I can find a way out, a safe place to hide.

My shoulder screams in protest, each movement a fresh torment, but I channel the pain into speed. The forest blurs around me as I run, a chaotic dance of shadows and light. I focus on the ground ahead, on placing each step with precision, avoiding roots and rocks that could send me sprawling.

I don't know how long I can keep this up. My strength is waning, and the fear is a constant, gnawing presence in my mind. But I can't stop. I won't stop. I have to survive. I have to find a way out of this nightmare.

In the distance, I catch a glimpse of something—an opening, a break in the trees. Hope flares in my chest, giving me a burst of energy. I race toward it, praying that it's not a trick of the moonlight, that it's real and it will lead me to safety.

Please, let it be real.

Then, through the panic and the pounding of my heart, I hear it—a voice calling my name. "Bridget! Bridget!"

It's Aurora. Her voice slices through the terror like a lifeline, a thread of hope. She's close. I scan the darkness, desperate to find her, to see her face. My legs are burning, my lungs feel like they're on fire, but I push on. I follow the sound of her voice, a beacon in the chaos.

"Aurora!" I manage to gasp, hoping she can hear me, hoping she's close enough to help. The only thought in my mind is escape. I can't think about anything else. Not the darkness, not the pain, not the overwhelming terror that threatens to paralyze me.

I can hear my monster's footsteps, the heavy thud of his pursuit. My heart leaps into my throat. I can't let him get closer. I push myself harder, sprinting through the underbrush, hoping against hope that I can reach Aurora, that she can help me find a way out.

My shoulder screams in protest, each movement a fresh torment, but I channel the pain into speed. The forest blurs around me as I run, a chaotic dance of shadows and light. I focus on the ground ahead, on placing each step with precision, avoiding roots and rocks that could send me sprawling.