"It's You Again"

38

Sophia finally slowed down, panting heavily as she looked around for a place to hide. She saw a small alleyway up ahead, and without thinking twice, she ducked into it.

She leaned against the wall, trying to catch her breath. Sophia could hear the sound of footsteps approaching, and she knew that she had to be quiet.

She held her breath as the group of armed men ran past the alleyway. Sophia waited for a few more minutes, just to be sure that they were really gone.

Feeling a little more relaxed, Sophia started to think of a plan. The only way out of the city was through the checkpoint near the edge of town. She knew that it was heavily guarded, but it was the only way for her to escape.

Sophia reached into her backpack and pulled out the golden statue. She examined it closely, feeling a sense of satisfaction wash over her. This was what all the running and hiding had been for - to get her hands on this valuable artifact.

But Sophia knew that she couldn't hold onto the statue for much longer. She had to get to the checkpoint and cross the border before her pursuers caught up with her.

She slung the backpack over her shoulder and started walking towards the checkpoint. The streets were eerily quiet, almost as if the whole city knew what she had done.

Sophia felt her heart pounding in her chest as she approached the checkpoint. She showed her identification papers to the guards and waited nervously as they checked them.

But to her surprise, the guards seemed more interested in the other people crossing the border. Sophia breathed a sigh of relief as she walked out of the city and into the open countryside.

She didn't stop until she had gone several miles from the city. Sophia knew that she was safe for now, but she also knew that she couldn't let her guard down. She had to stay ahead of her pursuers and make sure that the golden statue stayed out of their hands.