• I ran.... The rain poured down around me, threatening to blind me. I wanted to die. But I couldn't leave him like this. So I kept running. Would I ever be able to stop? Would I ever have peace? That's all I wanted. I didn't ask for any of this.

    I couldn't help but look over my shoulder at the beast behind me. I tried to scream for help, but to no avail. I turned back around and ran faster. I was surprised that I could still breathe after all this. The will to live was actually working. Why did I even want to live? If I died, then I wouldn't have to suffer anymore.

    I knew, though, that they would never make it so easy.

    My thoughts returned to the sight of what they had already done to him. The scene playing again in my mind made the tears flow yet again, and I nearly stopped running. I shoved the images away before they took over, but the look on his face when he saw me. I had never seen fear before until I saw those eyes.

    And the fear had been for me.

    The least I could do for him now was keep moving. They couldn't finish what they had started until they had me. But first they had to catch me.

    I saw an alley up ahead. If I could just make it, I thought, reaching for the wall as leverage. The ladder was still there. I was a little surprised, but I had to keep moving. He was right behind me. I pulled myself up and started climbing. I got halfway up before something strong wrapped around my ankle and jerked me down to the ground. I landed on my back causing the air to rush out of my lungs. I scrambled back, trying to get away.

    The man grabbed hold of me and pinned me against the wall. My head slammed into the bricks with a splitting pain shooting down my body. He growled and slammed my head again. My vision shattered, I tried to hold on. One more time, and I lost consciousness.

    What was to come now?