Unfamiliar (Book One: Colt and Clara's Story)

Chapter One

The Autumn wind tore aggressively at her long auburn hair as she staggered across the rocky verge using all of her energy to keep moving forward. She fought the fatigue that claimed her battered and aching limbs, she had to keep pushing on had to find refuge out of the open and away from the rocky cliffs that surrounded the violent crashing waves below. He would soon realise she was gone and then he would come after her, god only knew what punishment that monster would inflict if he caught her. 

"Keep going, keep going" she whispered to herself breathlessly willing herself to carry on. She looked up at the sky the sun would be going down soon and then he would realise she was missing and come after her; she shuddered terrified at the thought. No this was not the time to allow herself to give up and let fear take over she would fight, fight with every ounce of her being.

Climbing up on a rock she looked ahead praying to see something other than cliffs and sea, just to the left was a forest in the distance. Jumping down she started running determined to reach the cover the trees had to offer, maybe there was a road or people, she could only pray there was salvation waiting on the other side of that forest.

Her white pumps were worn and dirty but still intact, although they held hardly any barrier against the rough jagged ground beneath her feet; her jeans and sweatshirt were torn and filthy from climbing rocks in her frantic escape and her body was battered and bloodied, but she had to keep going she would rather die than allow that sadistic bastard to catch her. With every ounce of strength and determination she could muster she dragged herself onwards staggering and fighting through the cold wind which threatened to slow her down.

She finally reached the trees slumping against the nearest oak where she rested for a moment allowing oxygen to fill her lungs. She looked at her wrists, they were raw and bloody were the rope she had been bound with had been rubbing, it hurt, but was nothing compared to the pain she had recently endured, the only thought that kept her from losing her inner strength these last few weeks was that of her escape. Those other women, he would make them suffer now she was gone, "oh my god they must be terrified" she whispered, shaking her head she had to push that thought to the back of her mind she would save them but first she had to get help.

Taking a deep breath, she entered the cover of the trees.

It was still light in the sky she had been climbing and walking for hours but she dared not stop now, she had to create distance. It had to be early evening, she had made her escape just as dawn was breaking and she knew she had been travelling all day. The leaves crunched and crackled as she walked swiftly, barely seeing the ground beneath her feet as she made her way through the forest. The trees surrounded her like the bars in a prison cell, seemingly closing in on her from all sides. The night would soon fall and vision would be impossible. 

Hearing a rustling sound, she whipped her head around fearing the worst, a shadowy figure loomed just behind her and she muffled a scream with her hands, panic and adrenaline taking over she broke into a sprint, branches slapped her face as she fought her way through the treacherous forest. Losing her balance in her frantic escape she stumbled and fell, landing awkwardly cutting her left thigh open on a sharp tree root that stuck out of the ground like a devils' claw. "No" she cried and pushed herself back to her feet, her leg was badly torn she could see the blood seeping through the ripped denim of her jeans, but she carried on forcing herself on-wards. She quickly looked back and to her relief the figure was nowhere to be seen.

An overwhelming wave of paranoia set in, what if he's here? What if he's watching me? She thought, no she had to be positive if he had found her she would already be on her way back to that hell, she had sworn to herself that she would rather die than get dragged back to that place. She needed to find somewhere to hide for the night, looking around she prayed to find something that would give her shelter. She dragged herself along, keeping pressure on her injured thigh with her hand, she was a lot more aware of noises than she had been before, that fright had fully awakened her senses making her warier of her surroundings. The noises of rustling leaves and animal calls that came from the forest seemed to echo all around her but she carried on her journey eagerly willing some salvation.