Mia barely had time to react as the man was upon them, a blur of motion that defied logic. She stumbled back, her hands fumbling to keep a grip on the poker. Jake was faster, swinging his branch with renewed desperation, aiming for the man's head. But the hunter twisted, his movements unnaturally quick, and Jake's weapon passed through nothing but air.
The man closed the gap between them in a single, fluid motion, grabbing Jake's wrist with a bone-crushing grip. Jake let out a sharp cry of pain, dropping the branch. Mia's heart seized in her chest as she watched, powerless for a moment that stretched on forever.
"No!" Mia screamed, her voice cracking with fear.
Instinct took over. She lunged forward, thrusting the poker toward the man's back. This time, she aimed with more force, desperate, knowing this might be their only chance. The metal tip sank into his flesh, and the man let out a low, feral snarl. But still, it wasn't enough. He whipped around, wrenching the poker from her grasp with inhuman strength, flinging it aside as if it were nothing.
His eyes locked onto hers now—cold, calculating, devoid of any emotion. For the first time, Mia felt the true weight of what they were facing. He wasn't just a man. There was something more, something darker, fueling him.
Jake, recovering from the initial shock, kicked out at the man's leg, causing him to stumble slightly. It was a small victory, but it bought them a precious second of space.
"Run!" Jake shouted, his voice hoarse with urgency.
Mia's feet moved before her mind could catch up. She bolted into the forest, the underbrush whipping against her legs as she sprinted blindly through the trees. Jake was right behind her, his breaths labored but steady. The only thing she could hear was the thudding of her heart and the faint rustle of leaves as their pursuer followed, relentless.
She didn't dare look back.
Branches clawed at her skin, roots threatened to trip her, but she kept moving, fueled by a primal fear that burned hotter than exhaustion. Jake's footsteps were steady beside her, guiding her through the darkness. But no matter how fast they ran, the presence behind them never faltered, always just at the edge of hearing, like the whisper of death.
Up ahead, the terrain changed. The trees began to thin, revealing a small clearing bathed in moonlight. A brief, irrational hope sparked in Mia's chest—maybe they could lose him in the open space, find some cover, or—
A loud crack echoed through the forest.
Mia skidded to a halt, her blood turning to ice as she realized what it was.
A gunshot.
Jake crumpled beside her, his body hitting the ground with a sickening thud.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Next Chapter will be out soon.
Stay tuned. Bye!
