A Hidden Romance

Chapter 1:The Meadow

THUD! THUD! THUD!

Her Heartbeat thumps like a drum. Racing faster and faster, as it starts to fall into pattern between each sprinting stride she takes. With each racing adrenaline thought, she could feel the blood rushing through her veins steadily; Every pulsing beat reached from her fingertips to her toes.

Sprinting with all her might, struggling to find her way. Dodging branches, bushes, roots, everything in this forest seemed to keep her from going any faster. But the more she sprinted in the dark the more terrified she became. Where she had run to seemed like the most dense part of the forest. You could almost feel all the water stirring in the air, hitting her and coating her exposed skin. It wasn't raining but the clouds seemed to darken the whole forest giving her a chill. This spine tingling chill had been like no other. This was very bad, this feeling. Every bone in her body told her she needed to run faster than ever. She could feel that they were closer than she had ever let them get to herself. She had always kept so much distance from them. Now they were right behind her with nowhere to go!

Running away again. She thought to herself with a small sigh. Wishing so much she could sit down and cry. Running seemed to be the only thing she was good at, because there was no chance if she was ever caught. But unlike her hunters, her body does have limitations. After so many hours of running, her body starts to become sore. For a small moment that thought of how her body is doing, brings that pure aching pain to the forefront of her mind. The invading feeling that she had been trying to put off for so long, started to take its effect. As the trees raced by her in her proverbial vision she could see the trees growing much larger. As if she was entering the oldest part of this forest. For a moment she slowed, and noticed that the moisture started to dense as the branches overhead thickened darkening the forest. Giving it a more ominous surrounding. Speeding up to try and stay at her previous pace. Her mind started to mend and bend on itself with fear of the "how and what if moments."

How did they find me? I didn't do anything to draw attention to myself. It's been two years, I have ran half way across the world with a new identity. Normal, that's all I ever wanted. I didn't realize two years is hardly anything, till I adapted and it seemed like a lifetime ago. Now once again she had been forced to give it all up, to save and protect those she cares about. What if they catch me again? I was hardly able to escape from them last time. What are they going to do to me if they catch me again?

The fear fully set in and she had not realized that salty water began streaming down her cheeks. With that she was forced to slow down enough so she could wipe her tears away. But when she removed her arm to continue running, fighting her pain. All she wanted was to fall to the ground. But then she heard it, the snap of a branch not more than twenty feet from her. Shocked, she even heard it over the pulsing pounding drum of her heart that was in her ears.

Blinking the blurry vision away with one last push she decided it was all or nothing. This was because she was gonna run with all her might before she got caught by them again. She knew if she could keep running she could hide but one day she would have to start running again.

As she sprinted her way through the dense forest she could see a fallen tree that was coming up in her path, she tried to jump not realizing how truly weak her body was. Her foot did not end up passing over the tree. With so much force she fell to the hard wet forest ground. With a huge thud that seemed to shake her whole body.

Without a beat, instinct took over retreating to the darkness that the tree had created. There wasn't much cover but it was enough to hide her completely. As she laid on the forest floor she could feel her muscles relaxing even if it was for a moment.

Without breathing a sound, she stayed unmoving, paralyzed by the most absolute utter wave of fear she ever felt. About not even two minutes later the two men that were chasing her practically flew over the darkness that she was hopefully completely consumed by. Within a moment they were sure enough sprinting in the same direction that she had previously been running in.