RI

m. As soon as I closed the door, I let out the tears I h

led for her but the

none. The pain was too much to bear. The people I had thought wou

y have never acted like it

fat

had trusted him

had met just today would be faithful to me w

me, to deal wi

o could have helpe

ast time I'd spoken to mum, j

or unworthy people. Your heart would tell you wh

uch I was going to suffer and cry but he

uld plan,

was the last straw. I stood up from the floor, brush

st weren't wort

f money. I'd been hiding it for a long time, hoping

was th

together essentials that would help me on my mission.

t. In the meantime, I mapped out my escape route, taking

tsteps in t

ria

ce, shrill

the abandoned coffee

around frantically. I paused when I saw

steps go

w, opening it as quietly as I could.

handle

en this door

, and reached for the nearest branch. My bag made it awkward,

he door s

e the

half-fell down the tree, hitting the ground ha

am echoed behind me. "D

was time, I

he back door to the house would be left open b

nyone seeing me. With that successfully done, I looked behind

I couldn't fully celebrate because the m

tance from the house. Despite being out of b

lling for me to do one thing or the other. And as soon as she realized I was g

gainst the earth, pushing me forward through the d

with thrill at the possibility of getti

s burn, but I ignore the pain, focusing instead on the rhythm of my stride, the thud of my hea

challenge to overcome, but I'm driven by a force I can't quite name, somet

y walking in the darkness. I couldn't see the ground before me properly

I tri

nt down hard, my hands scraping against the forest

y shirt to try to stop the bleeding, but it was to

o, no

'd be able to track me now. The blood w

rately in my mind. "Ya

le

cut hand left blood on every tree I grabbe

out. I couldn't ke

ng. A structu

t, praying I could hide, could find so

grabbed me

cre

t h