Extinction

I had been running for what felt like hours. My legs were burning, and I knew my body was about to give out. The tears that had long since dried still clung to my face. I was covered in bruises and cuts from tearing through the forest. Everything hurt-not just my body, but my heart as well. Just hours ago, I was at a motel with my mom, arguing about dinner, and now she was gone. She killed herself to protect me. That's what I keep telling myself, but deep down, I know it's not true. She was tired of running, tired of hiding. The hunters were close, too close, and to avoid being captured and tortured again, she decided to exit on her own terms. I had to get out of here fast. But I had nowhere to go, nowhere to run or hide-still, I kept going. Thankfully, I had good instincts and the one lesson my mother ever taught me: shapeshifting. I just needed to throw them off my trail. I glanced over my shoulder to see if I could spot any pursuers, but that was a mistake. I tripped and hit my head on a rock, and everything went black.