Darkness surrounds me.
Everywhere I turn, shapes loom out of the eeriness, as if reaching to grab me.
My lungs scream for oxygen, but I can't stop.
Tree branches cut and scratch my skin as I stumble through the underbrush, but I hardly feel it.
I am too focused on willing my exhausted legs to keep going.
He was close.
Too close.
Fear consumes me, and radiates out of every pore.
This is my only chance.
If he catches me, he'll kill me.
I have no doubt.
I push on, not knowing how much further my legs can carry me.
I catch a glimpse of the sky between the trees, and the moon is out.
I have no idea of what time it is.
It would probably be quite a nice evening was I not running for my life.
My toe finds the edge of a rock, and I land on my hands and knees.
Hard.
Stifling the scream that almost bursts from my lips, I try to ignore the pain.
My right knee starts to throb, but I force myself to my feet.
I struggle to carry my own weight, and I can hear him crashing through the bush behind me.
I have to stop.
I have to hide.
I have no choice.
I duck to the left and crouch in the gloom, behind a bush.
It is so dark, and I can only hope that if I can't see, chances are he can't either.
Making a conscious effort to quiet my breathing, I silently pray to whoever is listening to please help me.
I hear him before I see him.
He is breathing heavily, and I can only just make out the outline of him, turning this way and that.
I stay as still as humanly possible, but the adrenaline coursing through my system starts my whole body shaking.
It feels like my teeth are rattling around in my mouth, and it sounds so loud inside my head.
Closing my eyes, I tell myself to focus.
I breathe in slowly through my nose, and as I start to breathe out a noise in front of me startles me.
I open my eyes just as his hand reaches for my throat.
My scream catches as the hand clenching my neck starts to squeeze.
I feel his fingers begin to crush my windpipe and as I start to pass out I hear the blood pulsing in my ears....
I wake to the sound of my alarm pulsing in my ears.
Bathed in sweat, I glance at the familiar surroundings and breathe a sigh of relief.
What a night!
Tracey ♥