The Greenhouse Garden

The Chase

Her footsteps sunk and splashed through the dirty puddles and rainwater streamed across her face and arms. Lighting reached out across the dark sky, blinding her. As the thunder rolled, she fell into a deep stream, gasping and floundering in the cold, muddy water. She heard shouts, and without hesitation began to wade and swim with the current as it pulled her down. The water began to swirl and splash around her as she was dragged across rocks and logs, faster and faster until the water spit her out and over a small waterfall.

Lightning gave her a glimpse of the world around her, and she immediately climbed under the waterfall, holding her breath. Under the curtain of water, there was a small space, just big enough for the girl to hide. Just as she tucked her skirts around her thin legs and pressed her shivering form against the slimy, wet sticks and rocks, the hounds began to howl.

The shouts grew louder and the girl pressed her lips together, barely daring to breathe as the shine of lanterns pierced the darkness around her. She heard splashing in the water and voiced nearby as the searchers tried to find her. Several agonizing moments passed before the lights and voices faded, and the baying of the hounds disappeared into the night.

Hesitantly, she pulled herself away from the back of the waterfall, gritting her teeth at the thought of leeches or snakes in the sticks around her. Taking a quick gulp of air, she swam and crawled back out through the waterfall and sank down into the frigid water. She floated along in the water for a moment, then stood to her feet, stumbling as she tried to find her footing in the rocks. Finally, she straightened and began making her way back to the riverside.

She felt around blindly in the darkness, waiting for lighting to show her where she was. Her fingers pressed against mud and leaves, and at once she knew she could climb out of the cold water. Slipping and sliding, she clambered up the bank, her heavy, water-filled skirts weighing her down. As she reached the top, she slowly stood to her feet, waiting again for the lighting to show her where to go.

She watched, eyes and ears open for the flash of light, the rain pitter-pattering on the leaves and the surface of the stream. She sucked in a quick breath at the growl of thunder, and let it out as the long-awaited lighting turned the forest silver. She held her eyes wide, holding in as much of the picture as she remembered before taking her next steps. Carefully, she stepped past a tree along the stream, following the sound of rushing water to guide her.

As the next flash of lightning came, she saw something in the trees. It was moving. She gasped, and huddled down to the ground, hoping for the lighting to cease its brightness for a few long minutes. But the lighting would not stop, and let out flash after flash, illuminating the forest with light. Nearer and nearer it came, weapon raised. The girl squeezed her eyes shut, daring not to open them for the terror of what was before her.

The rain beat down onto her head, and the thunder shook the ground under her bare feet. A long minute passed and she opened her eyes, searching for what had been before her only a moment ago, but the darkness showed her nothing. She dug her toes into the mud, and let herself take a deep breath. She waited, then when a flash of light showed her nothing, she carefully began to crawl back towards the creek. She rose slowly behind a thin tree, glancing over the shadowed water and trying to find her next step.

As another flash of lighting spidered across the sky, she almost screamed as she saw what was standing in front of her. A tall, gangly man with eyes hidden by green-tinted goggles that made him look bug-like. In his hand, he held a heavy, metal weapon- a gun. He slowly lifted his arm, and his leather coat moved slightly, showing his belt, which held more weapons. The girl turned and began to run, her eyes wide and watering from terror.

She crashed through the brush, her feet stinging and throbbing as she tripped over stumps and stepped on thorns. Even as she ran, further and further away, she could still hear the click. Then from behind came a terrible boom, and the girl was flung forward, her shoulder exploding with pain. She cried out as she fell, tripping and rolling until she dropped into the river. The bullet in her shoulder shot pain throughout her whole body, and as she sunk into the dark, swiftly flowing water, she felt that she could not move. Before she realized it, everything became black.