The Realm

° Chapter 9 °

Running.

The worst kind is driven by fear.

Fear of life.

Fear of death.

Fear of the unknown.

All of these fears merged together drives someone to the brink of Insanity.

They didn't know how long they were running. To stop, meant to give in.

Casey was out of breath. She felt like her lungs would give out any moment now. But that didn't stop her. She held on to Pam's arms as they ran together.

Maybe it was supposed to happen. As it does in many of the ideal situations, where the protagonists run from a possible psychopath.

Casey tripped over something hard and fell. She couldn't be blamed. It was pitch black and they could barely see each other.

Pain shot throughout her body and she squirmed on the ground like a worm.

"Casey, come on! Get up. We have to get out of here." Pam said, an edge of urgency in her voice.

"I can't...move." Casey managed to spit out.

Pam's expressions were shielded by the darkness of the forest.

"We have to move." Pam stressed and helped Casey up, who somehow regained her balance and started walking.

"This was a bad idea. We should never have come here." Casey said, trying to find her way in the darkness, Pam's hand no longer in her's.

"You're right." Came Pam's faint reply.

"Emily's nowhere to be seen and I'm afraid something happened to her." Casey continued.

"Hmm.." Pam's voice hummed in response. Something seemed off about her.

"This is all my fault." Casey finally admitted in remorse, trying to ease the ache in her heart.

For a moment, there was an eerie silence. Then came Pam's reply.

"Are you sure about that?"

It was barely above a whisper. It sounded so close, yet so far.

Casey's head shot up at this, although she couldn't see anything. She was surprised at why Pam would ask such a thing.

"What do you mean by that?" She asked, but only silence answered to her.

"Pam?

Pamela? Are you there?" Casey asked again, a little louder.

But she heard nothing.

She was getting scared now, dread coursing through her veins.

"Pamela!" Casey shouted but there was no one to hear her screams.

No one to calm her. Comfort her.

Casey wrapped her arms around herself thinking there must be some kind of sick joke behind this. The air seemed void of oxygen, yet she breathed.

More darkness. Amplifying the depth of the already dark sky.

She couldn't bring herself to look around. Pam had left her. In the forest that stretched on forever.

'Why would she do that?' Casey wondered.

"It was her idea that we..-" She stopped, frozen in her steps.

The realization hit her like a ton of bricks as her heart hammered in her chest, her breath hitched and her throat became dry.

Fear.

It strikes at the worst moment and leaves us paralyzed or energized. Either too scared to move or too scared to stop.

Fear of the Light.

Fear of the Dark.

Fear. Of being alone.

. . . . .