Chapter 29- Escaping the Monster
The shadows of the forest stretched over Sam as she stumbled through the underbrush, breathless. The moon cast silver highlights on the leaves, masking the panic coursing through her veins. Each rustle made her heart leap.
"Help!" She shouted, voice cracking under the weight of her desperation.
Nothing but silence answered her.
Turning, she glanced back toward the dark expanse of the woods she'd just fled. Her breaths came quick and uneven. A soft crunch broke the stillness—was it a deer? The gnawing dread settled back in her stomach, a familiar heaviness that felt like a knee in her chest.
As she pushed through more brush, a flicker of movement caught her eye. An old man sat on a felled log, whittling a stick down to the nub.
"Hey!" Sam called, feeling hope surge. The man looked up, his brow furrowing.
"What are you doing out here, young lady?"
She edged closer. "Please, I need help. Some—"
"Some what?" His eyes narrowed, the sudden tension between them twanging in the air.
"Somebody's after me. I think she'll—"
With a sudden jolt, Scarlett's predatory voice sliced through the woods.
"Sammi! Where are you?"
Sam's blood ran cold.
"Stay here!" she hissed at the old man, heart racing. "You have to hide—"
Too late—Scarlett emerged from the shadows, a malevolent grin plastered on her face. She wore that sickly sweet smile, the one that turned Sam's stomach.
"Look who found themselves a little friend."
The old man dropped the stick and stood, confusion etched across his face.
"Who is this?"
Scarlett's gaze turned deadly sharp. "Just a little girl lost in the woods."
"Leave her alone!" Sam pleaded, stepping between them.
Scarlett tilted her head, amusement flickering in her eyes. "You really think you can protect yourself, don't you? How adorable."
Before Sam could respond, Scarlett lunged, snatching the old man by the throat.
"Please! Don't!" Sam screamed.
Scarlett pressed her lips to the man's ear, her voice a whispered threat. "Tell her to stop talking."
"Stop—"
Scarlett's grip tightened, and with a single, sickening motion, she thrust the old man to the ground. Sam's heart pounded; she felt the world tilt beneath her.
"Run away, Sammi," Scarlett mocked, wiping her hands on her jeans.
"Why?" Sam choked. "Why would you do this?"
Scarlett sauntered closer, her tone light but laced with malice. "Because you're mine. All mine. And that old man was a distraction. We can't have distractions, can we?"
"He was trying to help me!"
"Help?" Scarlett's laughter echoed through the trees, sending chills down Sam's spine. "How sweet. But sweetheart, I'm the only help you need."
Her heart raced as she backed away, searching for an escape. "You're... insane."
Scarlett's smile remained, but her eyes darkened. "Insane? No, no. You just don't see the truth."
