She ran. He followed.
Fallen branches tore at her ankles as she ran barefoot through the thick woods. Her feet ached from running over twigs and sharp stones in her mad dash for escape. They were probably bleeding, she felt sharp pains every time she pivoted around a corner, but she couldn't slow down to check.
He was behind her, somewhere in the dark. And he was going to catch her.
The rain, a light drizzle when he'd looked her in the eyes after their date and ordered her to, "run, and don't get caught," was a torrent now. Her hair stuck to her forehead and obscured her vision. What the hair didn't block from view the sheets of rain made impossible to see.
She didn't know how long she had been running, but she knew she was tiring quickly. Now that she was no longer moving, the cold was starting to set into her bones. She shivered. A hiding place. That was the only solution now.
Pushing her wet hair back with both hands, she surveyed her surroundings. There wasn't much to lift her spirits. She had left the path awhile back so there was nothing but large trees and a few giant bounders to hide behind. She was lost, she was cold, and she was hopelessly alone.
For now.
Until he found her.
She suddenly thought she heard footsteps behind her, branches cracking under heavy boots, and took off sprinting as fast as her wounded feet could manage. The direction didn't matter, she just needed to get away. She ran blindly, slipping on the muddy ground until she finally lost her balance and fell with a grunt. Her hands slid across a carpet of pine needles as she tried to push herself up. Her dress was covered in muck, and she was lucky she managed to catch herself before her face ended up filthy as well.
She was a mess, but she didn't have time to dwell on it. He was coming.
The fall made her stop again and look around while she regained her breath. The trees were smaller here, and she spotted one with low branches just a little higher than her arms could reach while standing. It had been years since she even attempted to climb a tree, but it was the only option.
She dashed over to the tree, glancing over her shoulder and seeing nothing but trees and rain and mist. Her heart pounded in her throat as she reached the tree.
Reaching her hands above her head, she bent her knees and jumped straight up. It was only a little jump. There was a moment, her fingertips brushing the bark of the branch, where she remembered successfully doing 24-inch box jumps at the gym. That jump had been on a dry wooden floor, this one landed her back in the mud.
She let out a cry and scrambled to her feet. The noise was a mistake, but she didn't have time to see if she had been heard. Bending her knees further this time, she prepared to jump for the branch again. Her feet left the ground without sliding this time, and she felt her hands close around the branch. There was a rush of pride before she found herself somehow colliding with something solid from the side.
He'd found her.