Chosen

.:|One|:.

Snowflakes drifted down from the twinkling night sky, covering the form of a small young woman. She laid down upon the ground staring up into the night sky, thinking upon all the happenings in her short young life. The hard-snow-covered earth molded around her body like a glove, numbing her nerves. Gazing up into the sky all her worries seemed to melt away as the numbness seeped into all her nerve endings.

She could still taste that disgusting excuse of a man on her tongue, her stomach cramping with the need to dry heave again. Her mind was telling her to get up and continue to run, but her lungs felt like they were being squeezed in a vise with every breath she took. Lillian had finally broken free, but that freedom had a price. Her new-found freedom was going to cost her the very life she was trying to preserve. In all the books she had read her short time in the world, she had truly believed that she was going to be able to overcome the tragedy that was her life.

Warm tears trickled down her cheeks, freezing seconds after descending. Lillian willed her arms to reach up and wipe the tears away, but her body ignored her commands, her muscles freezing in the frigid weather. Time was slipping from her as she had no idea how long she had been laying in that dark alley, staring at the night sky.

Lillian's body may not be able to move and respond but her mind still did. She knew that if she didn't find the strength to get up and move out of the snow, it was going to be her icy tomb. Her brain screamed at her body to move. Pleading for what she wanted more in the world; to be truly free, but the icy snow had fully encased her body.

A shrill chuckle echoed in the alleyway, catching Lillian's mind. She cast her eyes towards the sound hoping the person was in sight. Just on the edge of her vision she saw the only blackness of a thick knee length coat, with black snow boots directly below. Lillian couldn't tell whether it was a man or woman just from the clothing that she could see or the sound they had made, but she did know that she needed help.

'Who's there?'

Lillian called out to the person hoping that they were there to help, instead of the dark thoughts that started to creep into the forefront of her mind.

"Dear me. What do we have here?" A shrill voice spoke, distracting Lillian for the briefest of moment from her dark thoughts. Tears poured from Lillian's eyes as every emotion overcame her.