I pushed harder, legs burning, lungs tight. A clearing opened up… the old tree house silhouetted against the stormy sky. Memories flashed—laughter, secrets shared in that wooden fortress. Not today. Today, it was a landmark for evasion.
"Going to need more than that," I panted.
"Where are you?" Will's confusion was palpable, his movements erratic.
"Over here," I lied, voice bouncing off trunks and leaves.
"Gotcha now!" he roared, deceived.
I doubled back, putting distance between us, letting the forest cloak my escape. The sound of pursuit grew distant, then faded altogether. For a moment, I allowed myself to breathe.
But only a moment.
As I continued, the ground suddenly gave way to open air, a sheer drop just feet from where I staggered to a halt. Rain slicked the cliff's edge, a treacherous sheen under the storm's rage. Behind me, Will's labored breaths merged with Diane's frantic whispers. I was trapped, cornered.
No more running.
"End of the line, Eva Rae," Will panted, his voice a low growl. “There’s nowhere to go.”
"Think, think," I muttered, my heart thundering in my chest. One chance.
"Give up," Diane called out, her tone deceptively soft. "You have nowhere to go."
I feigned defeat, shoulders slumping. "You're right."
"Smart girl," Will sneered, edging closer.
Diane stayed back, caution in her gaze. I turned slowly, facing them. My eyes flicked between their faces, reading the tension, the expectation. Then, my eyes dropped to my soaked shoes.
"Always loved this view," I said, stalling, buying precious seconds.
"Shut up!" Will snapped.
I edged back, feeling the void at my heels. A gust of wind whipped my hair across my face, stinging my eyes. "Remember the old hiking trick?" I asked, a spark igniting within me.
"Trick?" Diane frowned, puzzled.
"Distraction." I lunged sideways, yanking a branch from the ground.
"Get her!" Will roared.
I swung the branch like a baton, connecting with his shin. He howled, collapsing forward as his foot slipped in the wet mud. Momentum took him, and he clawed at the air, panic flashing in his eyes.
"Will!" Diane shrieked, darting forward.
"Bad move." With the last of my strength, I kicked loose a rock into her path.
She stumbled, a cry escaping her lips as she faltered, reaching for something… anything. But there was nothing—only the void, the pull of gravity, relentless and final. Her blue eyes met mine, a silent plea, and then she was gone, following Will into the abyss.
The cliffside was suddenly silent, the storm's roar distant, like a bad dream fading at dawn. I peered over the edge, the darkness below swallowing everything, even the guilt gnawing at my conscience.
They'd chosen this end, not me.
I stood, heart hammering, the night air cold against my sweat-drenched clothes. The cliff had claimed them, their screams swallowed by the abyss. I could hardly believe it—gone. Just like that.
"Dammit," I muttered, my voice a ragged thing in the stillness. Images of Will and Diane spiraled through my mind, but I shoved them away. There was no time for remorse or what-ifs. I had to act to ensure their story ended here.
I tread lightly over the sodden leaves, each step a silent promise to those who had suffered. The night air, thick with the scent of wet earth, wrapped around me, a reminder of the raw vitality of life and its fragility.
