This Ends Now. (Third Place Winner)

Thorns stick into my feet as I run; tearing through callused flesh with each step I take. I push myself forward, unwilling to give up. My stiff hair whips behind me, matted with blood and dirt. Branches scatter my view. Every step I take there is a new one just in my way. I cannot waste time to dodge every one and the remainders cut across my face and arms. A slow trickle of hot blood drips off my chin as my feet pound into the ground.

A taunting voice echoes throughout the forest and I force myself to travel faster. This is my chance, my only chance to live. My shoulder smashes against the large trunk of a tree. I bite my lip to stop a pained scream from escaping my mouth. I had endured worse this past week. If I screamed he would find me sooner.

A familiar metallic liquid fills my mouth. I release my lip and spit out the pooling blood. I clasp my throbbing shoulder with my other hand and continue to push forward. My aching feet stumble over an uprooted tree. Gravity plays a cruel trick on me as I crash to the ground. My hands shoot out in just enough time to catch myself. The skin is torn off the palms of my hands and a few small rocks dig in to my naked flesh.

I push myself up and continue running. A town must be near, a cave maybe, anything. I have to get away; there is no ways I will let him take me back. My life depended on this very moment. Trees whiz by in my peripherals as soft grass crunches beneath me.

I breathe deeply in order to reach my maximum speed. I no longer cared about the thorns wedged in my feet or the branches cutting across my naked flesh.

Heavy breaths clouded the air in front of me. The trees where growing taller, blocking out the sunlight from above. Patches of light shone on the mossy rocks I jumped over and the splintered trunks I stepped on.

My ragged breathing becomes too much and my body forces a complete halt. I scramble to the nearest tree and press my bruised back against the rough bark. My ears struggle to listen over my harsh pants for air.

I stare into the silence, hearing nothing but the soft fluttering of leaves in the wind. My body relaxes against the bark. My eyelids sing down, covering the world in a thick black veil. Everything seems peaceful, as if the world was right again.

A loud gunshot echoes through the forest halting my blood flow. “I will find you, and I will punish you! This forest goes on for miles! You’ll never make it out!”

His rumbling voice brings back memories of the last week. Had it truly only been a week? I had attempted to count the days but he had kept me in a room without windows. I had hardly slept the whole time; when I did it was out of pure exhaustion.

The man had raped and beaten me; left me chained to the wall with no food for what felt like days. I quit fighting back after the second day, when he branded me with a hot iron as if I were cattle. My entire body was battered and bruised. My soul was torn and broken. When the chance of escape presented itself last night, I took it. I pull myself out of these thoughts before I relived what he had done to me. My head is clouded with these thoughts but I push them to the back.

My legs pumped forward, ignoring the pounding soreness, which echoes up to my finger tips. My body was traveling at a speed it had never reached before. Hearing his voice and recalling those things he did put my body into full fight or flight mode.

My feet grind to a stop as I near a cliff. I look around for a way out but there is none. I peak over the edge as I inch closer to the mountain. Fifteen feet below is a rushing river. It’s waves crashing against the cliff I stand on.

Jagged rocks peak out from the water’s surface. I swallow hard and look behind me fearfully. This is the only way out.

I slowly step back from the water as my hands shake violently. This is it.

My toes dig into the rich soil below me as I lean forward. My aching legs push off, kicking soil back as a dog does. I push all thoughts from my head as I focus on running. I jump as I reach the edge of the cliff.

My body curls up to protect itself from the dangers in the water. Air rushes around me and I squeeze my eyes tight, afraid of my fate at the end of the fall. Cold surrounds my entire body in a flash. I gasp for air once I push up to the surface.

The water pulls my head down. My arms and legs flail to find some sort of hold in the sunken riverbed. What is left of my ragged clothing weighs be down but I do not have time to remove it. I pull my head up above the water again and use all of my power to keep it there. The shore is barely visible to my watery eyes.

There appears to be a small sandy area down the river some. The small beach appeared peaceful. I charge towards it as the river pulls me downstream. My sweat and blood mix with the sharp water lapping at my skin.

My slick limbs cut through the water to pull me onward. The shore is near; just a few more strokes and I will be there.

Something flashes against my thigh, leaving a searing trail in its wake. An uncontrollable scream burst from my mouth. It breaks the silence sitting in the air. The roaring water around me fades as the loud crack of gunfire echoes through the forest. The pain shoots up into my stomach and spreads like fire through my body. The bullet did not meet my bone but it still did its damage. Tears leak from my eyes and the pain continues to pound throughout my body.

Another shot fires, zooming past my head and leaving a trail of bubbles as it punctures the water. My foot comes in contact with the rocky streambed below and I push off as hard as I can.

Water splashes up over my head as I pull myself to the shore. Looking back I see that the man had jumped into the water and is now swimming towards me furiously, gun still in hand.

I crawl out of the water and run for all I am worth. I do not dare look at my leg, but I feel the hot blood pouring down it.

Hard hands grab my shoulders and tackle me to the ground. His rotten face looms above mine as he smirks evilly. His fist slams into my stomach in a punishing blow.

I channel all of my strength into my abused legs. I manage to get a foot on each hip and kick him off of me.

A glint catches my eye to his left. His pistol lay on the green ground.

A loud growl rips from his throat as he pounces at me. I roll away last minute and reach for the gun. My fingers connect to the hot, wet metal. He roughly grabs my ankles and jerks me back towards him. My fingers sink into the gun’s handle and drag it with me. I roll over and our eyes meet.

His are dark and full of rage. He raises his fist high in the air in order to bring it down to my jaw with maximum velocity. I raise the gun up and fire two shots in rapid recession.

The man’s eyes fade as he looks down at me, blood leaning from his chest and his mouth. His full body weight collapses onto me. The gun drops from my hand with a heavy thud.

I only just manage to push his limp body off of mine before everything goes black.