Dream. Laugh. Love. Live.

The prologue to my novel I'm writing...

I felt my feet trying to find grip in the slippery mud as I ran through the trees and I prayed that the darkness would hinder their efforts to find me. I skidded to a stop and hid behind a large tree and fought for any remaining oxygen that was residing in my lungs. My slow, laboured breaths echoed in my head and I urged my body to stay alert.

Images flashed through my mind and I slammed my eyes shut in an attempt to stop the horrifying events of the evening being repeated. I heard quiet voices and knew I was out of time but my eyes sprang open and my body prepared for more action. Liquid swam in my eyes as I fought with the knowledge that this could be it.

There was no fixing this. There was no way to make this better but there was no way I would end up like they had. My body shook, like it knew I was kidding myself and it didn't want to make an effort. I wouldn't find help, nobody knew I even needed it, yet for some ridiculous reason I felt the need to try. For them, I would try. I needed to try.

I forced a deep, long breath into my lungs, pushed my legs forward and scrambled deeper into the shadows away from the voices.

All I had to do was survive.