It's Only A Matter Of Time (lisamcmann)

Dedicated to heyheaddurrr <3 Thank you all for your support :) To everyone that voted, commented or fb liked, you are amazing.

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Audrina Marshall exited from her local Wal-Mart superstore. She was still wearing the blue smock that did nothing to flatter her 5’4, size 8 figure. Audrina sighed. She was tired from her 1-9 Saturday shift, but she reminded herself that no matter how tedious it was, work was work, and work meant money. Lately, money had become a very precious commodity.

Halfway across the mostly empty parking lot, Audrina had a strange feeling, like she was being watched. She told herself that she was just being paranoid. After all, who would be interested in her, with her eerily pale eyes and too-long nose?

Despite everything that she told herself, Audrina knew that there was something about her that made her different. She could not control it, but it had put her in danger for all of her fifteen years on earth. As her sixteenth birthday approached, Audrina’s life was increasingly threatened.

She looked around nervously. Her faded, icy green eyes flicked from side to side while she observed her surroundings. Her fingers twitched at her side. She clicked her nails together, trying to calm herself down. That was when she finally saw him.

“Oh God…Trackers,” she whispered. Audrina felt like she was going to be sick. 

She blinked and hoped that it was just an illusion. It wasn’t. He was the size of a mountain; his large head sat atop a thick neck that branched into massive shoulders. He was approaching from the left. She altered her course and realized her mistake. There was a second Tracker coming from the opposite direction. She would be caught.

Audrina’s breath caught in her throat. Her parents had warned her that this could happen. They had apologized profusely, knowing that it was their selfish actions that had led to this moment. And yet, they could never bring themselves to say that they would do anything differently if they had had the chance. It drove Audrina crazy.

Calm. Breathe. Think. She ordered herself. Panicking would get her nowhere. She needed a plan to escape. Audrina turned around and increased her speed. Though she couldn’t see them, she knew that the Trackers would follow her pace.

It took everything that Audrina had to stop herself from running. The two men following her were like wild animals; they operated on instinct. If she gave them something to chase, she wouldn’t have a chance. Even if Audrina could miraculously outrun them, she could never match their endurance.

No, her only chance was to make it home. She reached her hand up to her necklace and clung to it like a life preserver.

Not even her silver dove could help her. Audrina hadn’t noticed just how close the Trackers had come. When she finally saw them in her peripheral vision, it was too late. The first reached out and grabbed her. His sausage-like fingers wrapped around her upper arm. He spun Audrina to face him.

“No more running,” he said. His voice was monotone.

Audrina’s heart raced and her brain struggled to come up with something, anything that could get her free. Her mind latched on to an idea that always seemed to work in movies and books, but would probably fail in real life.

She allowed her tears to run free and crumpled her body, making herself look as pathetic and weak as she possibly could. Given her small stature, it wasn’t hard. The grip on her arm loosened slightly.

“It’s not fair,” she cried.

“Your protests are futile,” said the second. “You are a danger to those we represent.”