Total pages in book: 80
Estimated words: 77850 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 389(@200wpm)___ 311(@250wpm)___ 260(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 77850 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 389(@200wpm)___ 311(@250wpm)___ 260(@300wpm)
Fuck! My hands are too shaky, and I can’t grip anything.
“Reach for it, I dare you. I’ll squash your hand beneath my boot if you do.” I don’t know who this is, and honestly, I couldn’t care less. My legs are tired. I’ve been out here in the cold, running for my life for hours. My dress is wet from sweat, and when I tripped and fell to the ground. The frost from the forest floor has completely soaked me to the bone, so much so that my lips won’t stop quivering.
Ever so slowly, I drag my feet backward.
“No, no, no, that’s not what we do.” A knife appears in his hand, and he waves it in front of me. “What did you do?” He shakes his head. “Actually, don’t answer that. I couldn’t care less. The chosen always dies. You will die, and we will bury you with the others. Are you excited to be buried with the others, beautiful?” He steps closer. “Maybe I can play with you first. Maybe slice your nipples off and gag you so the others can’t hear your screams. That excites me, makes my dick hard.”
My bare feet move again, and he steps forward, the knife protruding from his hand. It connects with my arm, and I scream. It cuts so deeply that blood immediately starts pouring out as soon as he pulls it back.
I don’t wait for instructions.
Instead, I turn and run despite how lethargic I feel.
Or even how dead I feel on the inside.
He will not kill me.
I will not die here today.
I run as fast as I can, but I hear his footsteps closing in behind me. I don’t know how fast this man can run, but I do know he wants me dead.
The clouds obscure the moon, making it difficult to know where it is in the sky. The darkness is overwhelming and disorienting. My sense of direction is completely lost, and the forest floor feels unfamiliar in every direction. Panic creeps in deeper, flooding my core with adrenaline.
No! I need to stay calm and think rationally.
It’s me and the animals trying to survive, but the exhaustion is overwhelming, and desperation is overpowering my rational thought.
My feet halt as I come face-to-face with a coyote. It stands by itself right before me, and its eyes stare into my soul.
I’m not sure if I’d rather die by the teeth of the animal in front of me or by the blade of the one coming up behind me.
The footsteps edge closer, and I take slow, steady steps to veer out of the coyote’s path. I don’t know much about coyotes, but I do know I don’t want to mess with one.
Turning left, I start running again.
The man laughs behind me, and I can tell he’s gaining on me.
“Oh, how fun. A live one,” his voice singsongs through the forest.
My lungs are burning, and I’m struggling to breathe. Despite the fact that I’m running, I still feel the cold sinking deeper into my bones, which in turn drains what little energy I have left.
I’m going to die out here.
But no matter what I do, I’ll always be chased.
Why did I believe it was a smart move to get involved with the Forsaken Society?
I should have known better. I did try to keep my distance, but that was when it was too late, and afterwards, I found myself firmly in their sights.
But like the snow, I’ll fall and eventually melt.
Knowing full well, this is my end.
My father probably won’t even know what happened to me. I doubt Arlo will tell him. My aunt, with whom I have only just started to form a better relationship, will probably guess, but she won’t know for sure either, and that will bring another round of sorrow and misery to her life.
I wonder if they’ll clean out my apartment to make it look as if I were never there.
I know no one will find my body.
I’ll basically disappear.
Never to be seen again.
The thought sends a shiver down my spine.
Someone is bound to miss me. Surely.
“Lilith.” Reon’s voice rings through the cold night air. I’m unsure if it’s him anymore or if my mind is playing tricks on me. I wish I could have taken that dude’s black jacket, maybe then I would have half a chance of not surrendering to the cold. But the fact that he was trying to stab me made that difficult.
Glancing behind me to ensure the guy wielding the knife is not near, I misstep and fall face-first into a murky puddle of mud. It splatters across my face and trickles down my neck, sending an icy chill coursing through my veins in an instant.
Fuck.
Fuck.
Fuck.
After swiping my hands down my face, I then run my hands over a nearby tree to try to scrape the grime off instead of using my dress, which is barely surviving.