One step led to three. Then four more. Hope crowded out everything else. I could do this. Another five steps and when I dared to look over my shoulder, the shed seemed far away, as if the nightmare had never occurred.
A sudden separate noise and I was down again, sobs racking my system. I fought with everything I had left to move. To stand. To breathe.
To live.
God, I wanted to live.
Someone was coming, the crackle of leaves and twigs floating through the thick foliage.
No. No. I hung my head, willing myself to move. To fight to the death. I wouldn’t allow him to take me willingly.
An exasperated rush of breath pushed up from my chest. I ran. Hard. Fast.
Stumbling.
Getting back up.
Clinging to a tree. Another hiss. A snap of jaws. I twisted my head from side to side, unable to see anything but ominous shadows. My heart was in my chest.
Run. Run. Run!
Woof.
What?
The sound was nothing that I expected. Had I been hearing things? I stood silently, scanning the forest. I had to be losing my mind. Wait. What was that?
Movement in the shadows.
Coming closer.
Footsteps.
I recoiled, holding my arm over my head, biting my lip to keep from whimpering.
A howl disrupted the silence, stopped short as if commanded to do so. A wild dog? Here?
Fight or flight kicked in and I pushed myself to my feet, fighting to take steps in the opposite direction, only to go down hard once again.
Another crackle and a tiny whimper finally escaped. With my eyes cinched closed, I pulled my knees to my chest, burying my head and wrapping my arms around my legs.
A twisted need to protect myself as reality settled in.
There was no escaping a madman.
A single crack of wood, closer this time. So close I could feel hot breath cascading across my skin. Only instead of being ripped apart limb by limb, a strange sensation crawled through me that took my senses a few seconds to comprehend.
A lick.
What?
“Max, heel.”
The deep voice was rough around the edges yet soft in tone. Movement. Sounds. Someone standing over me.
“We’ve got her. Good boy, Max.”
Very slowly I lifted my head, wincing from the glare of light. Whimpering, I struggled to back away. Every muscle was stiff, aching. Excruciating pain.
