*This is my first attempt at writing a story. Any feedback would be appreciated. Thank you, and I hope you enjoy.*
Chapter 1: Won't Go Back
It was cold. The chill in the air bit through her like a piranha, making the fingers she used to clasp her sweater closed feel shredded and bloodless. Her feet were bare, numb as they carried her over a terrain covered in patches of dead grass and rugged gravel. A wide, silver moon was the only light that cut through the inky darkness.
Looking over her shoulder, she picked her way over the ground carefully. Her heart beat a dull thud in her chest; if she made any noise, she knew he'd hear it. She knew he'd come after her.
Tremors racked her rail thin body, the flimsy slip of a nightgown she wore barely a fitting barrier against the winter night. Her head whipped around at the sound of a faint howling in the distance.
"You can't run away from me, you bitch!"
The fear that had wrapped itself around her now threatened to snap her in two. She couldn't help the scream that was ripped from her throat as she heard his voice, then his heavy footsteps, come from not too far behind her. She broke into a blind run, unable to feel the branches of the pine trees scratching and pulling at her clothing and flesh.
"You're a smart one," the raspy voice growled, a sick amusement plain in his tone. "How'd you manage to break loose?"
She kept running, her breath forming a fog around her face. Her right knee clipped a fallen pine, catching on its rough edge. Warm blood trickled down her shin, but she didn't feel it.
"If you know what's good for you, you'll come home with me," the voice said again, quieter this time. This was a dangerous thing -- he was not the type who yelled in his rage. He was silent in his torture, soundless in his wrath.
Tears slipped from the corners of her eyes. They froze on her cheeks. Gulping at the air, the iciness served to clear her head. Must get away, was her only thought. Can't let him catch me. She took a sharp right, careening wildly through the dense forest. Her only hope was that it was too dark to see her.
The howling that had been so faint just minutes before seemed to be growing louder with every step she took. In fact, it distracted her.
She had but a moment to register that she was falling, and then, nothing.
*
The radio wasn't receiving any reception. Roland McTierney fiddled with the dial, despite knowing from experience that it wouldn't do any good. He turned his attention back to the road, his headlights cutting into the blanket of night.
His truck continued along the winding road that led to his cabin. His surroundings were masked by darkness, but Roland didn't need light; he'd grown up and spent most of his life in these mountains, and he knew his way around these roads like the back of his hand. Even then, his night vision was extremely good, allowing him to see things that would be hidden to the human eye. Credit my genes, he thought, smirking as his eyes swept over the landscape.
His ears perked to the sound of howling in the near distance. Strange, Roland mused. They don't usually come so near the highway. All his senses alert, he took his foot off the gas, his truck slowing to a crawl as he looked more closely at the encircling forest.
Suddenly a white form tumbled from the edge of the trees and onto the surface of the road. "Shit!" Roland cursed, swerving his vehicle so as not to run over the body. Turning off the engine, he jumped out of the truck and slammed the door. He broke into a run, hoping whatever it was that had landed in the middle of the highway was still alive.
Roland knelt beside the body, rolling it over gently and feeling for a pulse. His breath caught when he saw that it was a battered young woman who lay unconscious before him. Bruises and dried blood coated her skin and her tattered clothing, and her long hair was tangled and matted to her scalp. Swearing softly, he hurried to pull off his flannel jacket in order to cover her with it. He was amazed she was alive, considering the extreme cold and the condition she was in. What's happened to you? he wondered.
Gingerly, Roland worked his arms underneath the frail girl. Lifting her and cradling her to his chest, he was shocked at how light she was. He could break her into pieces without any effort. "You're gonna be alright," he murmured, not knowing if she could hear him. Moving carefully in case she had any broken bones, he opened the passenger door of his truck and laid her on the seat. He rushed around to the driver's seat, cautiously placing the girl's head in his lap after he'd buckled himself in.
Turning the key in the ignition, Roland's mind was buzzing. The nearest hospital was at least thirty miles away, and with the state the girl was in he didn't know if there was time to waste. Deciding his cabin was much closer, he straightened the wheel and floored it.
