“IT’S funny that you think you can outrun me. You’re mine and you forever will be.”
The taunting words trailed in the wind, echoing like venomous word in her ears, as she sprinted along the abandoned streets. She could feel her heart pound like a rabid animal, aching for even the fleeting of rests. And whilst the pain continued to ravage the insides of her body, she knew that she could not stop no matter how much her joints and organs screamed in protest.
The only thing she could do was cast the hurt to the side and hope that she had everything she needed to free herself from the predicament she had meddled herself in to. She should had left when she had the chance.
There were a lot of things she should have done which could have avoided this mess.
She pressed on with an uneven gait, weariness setting into her stride. Her shoes squelched with bubbles and water as her leaden feet trampled through the growing puddles. The concrete pavement glistened in the soft, overcast sunlight and she heard the steady torrent of water streaming into the gutters like small, urban waterfalls.
Victoria gasped at the air, trying to draw a lungful of salvation. Her mouth swung open but nothing happened. Her muscles and lungs continued to ache.
Oh, the pain, she screamed within her mind.
The clothes clung to her skin and she shivered uncontrollably as she sprinted down the empty street. Her lips were turning lifelessly pale as white plumes bellowed like ghosts from her mouth. Between the shakes and the shivering, she struggled to feel the water splash around her toes. The little feeling she had was quickly draining. Would she even have toes after this? More importantly, would she even make it out alive?
There was no way of knowing how much time she had or how close her attacker was. For all she knew, the attacker could be so close that it could reach out and touch the strands of her hair.
A sharp ache shot through her side and she staggered to a halt against a nearby street pole, her hand fleeing to her side. She pushed on the skin, hoping that the pressure would help somewhat. Despite this, the pangs grew in intensity and radiated further into her limbs. She had gone beyond breaking point and her fatigued muscles relished the moment of standstill.
With her chest heaving, Victoria leaned against the cold, hard metal and looked at her surroundings.
The buildings around her towered like giant spires into the sky and usually what would have been sidewalks filled with masses were reduced to a barren emptiness. There was not a single movement, not a single hint of another living soul. And much to her chagrin, she should have heeded the warnings like the others and sought shelter but it was too late for ‘should-of’s’ now.
She gazed towards the heavens which opened overhead and watched bursts of light radiate through the dark purples and greys of the clouds. She flinched as thunder growled in the distance and, right to an invisible cue, the rain started to pour even heavier.
It was almost as if they were trying to wash away her fears; cleanse her sins and purge her secrets. Or, the sudden weeping heavens were trying to drown away her sorrows.
The storm was brewing and she was left stranded in the cold, alone and hunted.
The trees which lined the sidewalk dropped leaves and she felt one whip against her cheek as it buffeted in the increasingly gusts. The water in on the road licked against the top of the kerb, threatening to break over the top if the downpour carried on.
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And that was when she saw it from the corner of her eye – a slight twitch.
Victoria whipped her head behind her and surveyed the sidewalk which she had pounded just moments earlier. It appeared devoid, a landscape which seemed almost alien.
Nothing.
But yet, her skin continued to prickle.
“Victoria. Come to me.”
She was not alone. Although she could not see anyone, she knew she was not alone. Someone was lurking around her.
She clenched her eyes shut, trembling violently. Although a futile act, she shook her head as if it would release her from the tendrils of madness which had taken her into its arms. A tear formed at the crease of her eye – not one of weakness, but one of restraint.
It was that voice again… however, this time it was different.
Her knees quivered, threatening to fold beneath her like a flimsy house made of playing cards. She grasped tighter onto the pole and her knuckles started to turn as white as a sheet.
Her mind drifted, swaying almost, and Victoria found herself struggling to maintain her balance on her feet. She sunk her teeth into the softs of her lip and was met with a tinge of salt.
It would all end if she just gave in.
That was all she had to do – give in.
It was simple.
It was quick.
It was just giving in.
“Just do it. Do the right thing,” the voice chided.
Opening her eyes, she took another look at the landscape around her. As much as she did not want to admit, she knew that she had little left within to end all this. She was down to her last pints of energy; her last straws of sanity, and her last shot at escaping from the monster which taunted her.
Victoria peered once more around the setting. No one was going to come to her aid, she knew that now, but her gaze fell on an intricate building crafted of stone and wood. It crouched between the others, dwarfed by the masses of glass and steel which flanked its sides. No matter how hard she tried, she could not pull her gaze away. The solid wooden door with peeling paint. The intricate stained-glass windows.
It gave off an aura, one which filled her with warmth and something she had not felt in her bones for a long time. It was her beacon of hope.
Grimacing as she stood upright, she sauntered towards the building with a hand held firmly to her side. The pain was growing, biting at her nerves and testing her ability to remain upright. Yet still, she pushed on with clenched teeth and tensed muscles.
“You can do this”, she breathed to herself. “You can do this.”
Victoria limped towards the solid wooden door, one heavy foot after another. The wood – the peeling paint – remained ahead, teasing her. It was so close yet it remained so far. Each step sent shockwaves through her limbs. Each step threatened to take her down.
After what felt like antagonizing hours later, she lifted a feeble arm to the knocker and let her fingers curl around the iron. With the little gusto she had left, she lifted the ring and let it strike against the worn plate.
“Please, please!” she found herself begging, her voice faltering beneath the weight of her words. Was the knock loud enough? Was there even anyone inside? “Let me in! I need shelter!”
Tears welled in her eyes and rolled down her cheeks but no one would ever know. It was her secret with the universe as the rain washed them away.
As her body became too heavy for her knees, she saw the wooden door crack ajar just as she started to sink to the ground. A head of greying, frizzy hair stuck out from between the opening and a wrinkled face stared down at her from beneath round glasses. His eyes softened upon seeing her crumpled on the pavers.
“My dear child, come in! What are you doing out there during times like these?” He bent down and folded an arm around her, his eyes widening as he took a good look at the broken girl.
“Father, I need your help.” And as she wheezed the last word, Victoria could feel darkness caress her with welcoming arms. Just as she was about to succumb to the depths of unconsciousness, her arm fell effortlessly to her side. She had become an oversized ragdoll.
The priest let out a gasp as he felt something wet and sticky on his hand. The longer he held it there, the thicker it seemed to have become.
He wriggled it free from the folds of the wet clothes which hugged her body so he could take a look at the substance.
The wrinkles of his skin were covered in a shiny, vibrant red which was still warm to the touch. It rolled off his hand, covering his shoes and the hem of his pants as the viscous drops splashed onto the ground.
She had been wounded.