Chapter 8 Hard Survival

• Sarah sprinted through the bush, her breathing coming out in imbalanced gasps. She spotted a gigantic tree and ran to hide behind it. It was there that she realized she had no idea where she dropped her phone. “I’m in a deep mess,” she muttered to herself.
• Who was following her and why? She almost felt like she was dreaming, but sadly. It was too real. Just when she thought she had the time to think of a plan, loud and wandering footsteps jolted her. She is still herself. Hoping she wouldn’t be heard or noticed.
• When she couldn't hear any footsteps for a while, she breathed out. The person had finally given up and left, she thought. She scanned the area closely, then rose to her feet, not minding her weak bones. She was about to start running off the narrow path that led to a public place when a hand suddenly gripped her wrist.
• “Ahhh!” She screamed with great fear as the masked man, or whatever, held her. “You can’t escape now, little bitch, can you?” He cackled darkly like a madman.
• “What do you want from me? Leave me alone! You are after the wrong person.” Her chest heaved intensely as she hoped for help or some sort of miracle to get her out of this mess. “Sarah Holdens, it’s you I’m after.” Calling out her name like that made the situation seem more realistic. He was really after her. Suddenly, he removed what looked like a syringe from his pocket and directed it to her neck, but she quickly pulled back with force.
• “Get off me, you monster!” She shouted.
• He slammed her against a tree, his gloved fingers wrapping tightly around her throat.
• “You should have stayed in the car,” he growled.
• Sarah struggled, gasping as his grip tightened. Her nails dug into his wrist, but he didn’t flinch. Stars danced in her vision, her oxygen supply thinning. No, she couldn’t die like this. Not now.
• Desperation fueled her next move. She kneed him hard in the groin.
• The man grunted in pain, his grip loosening just enough. Sarah didn’t hesitate; she twisted her body and drove her elbow into his ribs. He staggered back, and she took the chance to break free; then she started running again.
• She stumbled through the thick foliage, ignoring the branches that tore at her skin. Then the distant sound of water reached her ears. A river? If she could reach it, maybe she could escape.
• Behind her, the man cursed and started running again.
• Sarah’s pulse spiked with fear. She pushed forward and ran faster, even though her muscles were screaming in protest. The ground beneath her sloped downward so fast that she almost lost her footing.
• With a strangled gasp, she tumbled down the hill, rolling through the dirt and leaves. Rocks scraped against her skin, and she bit her teeth together to withstand the harsh pain that coursed through her body. Her body slammed against something solid, a fallen tree, before she finally landed at the base of the slope.
• Pain radiated through her side, but she forced herself up. Then she spotted the river. It looked vast and deep. But there was no time to think. She had barely been lucky earlier. If the man caught up with her now, there was no doubt that she would be a dead woman.
• With one last, desperate breath, Sarah threw herself into the water, allowing the icy cold to swallow her whole.
• The current of the water was stronger than she had expected, pulling her under before she could take a full breath. Water rushed into her mouth, burning her lungs as she fought to reach the surface.
• Her arms flailed, desperate for something, anything, to hold onto. She broke through the water, gasping, only for the river to toss her back under. Panic clawed at her chest. She kicked hard, her body twisting and aiming to be grounded.
• The masked man should be gone by now. Maybe he would think she had drowned. Maybe he was still watching from the shadows. Sarah didn’t have time to think about that.
• She needed to survive.
• The river carried her fast, crashing her into hard rocks and fallen branches. Pain shot through her ribs, but she forced herself to focus. She finally spotted a large, half-submerged tree ahead, its roots stretching into the water. She had to take her chance, or she would die, and her dead body might not even be found. She didn’t deserve such an unworthy death.
• With the last of her strength, Sarah threw out her arms and grabbed onto one of the thick branches. Her body slammed against the trunk, but she held on. The force of the water nearly tore her away, but she tightened her grip, using her legs to hook around a thicker part of the tree.
• Her muscles burned. Her hands felt like they might slip. But she wouldn't let go.
• Gritting her teeth, Sarah pulled herself upward, inch by inch. Her clothes clung to her, heavy with water, but she kept climbing. Finally, she reached the top of the trunk, panting hard. The river flowed fervently beneath her, still hungry to drag her down.
• She needed to move, or she might lose her grip.
• Sarah finally crawled along the tree until she reached the riverbank. Her body immediately collapsed onto the damp ground, and she started shaking from exhaustion and cold. She just lay there for a moment with her chest heaving wildly. If she could survive this, then she could survive anything in life. Her vision started to blur, but she shook her head.
• She was alive. She had to be alive. But she wasn’t safe.
• Sarah forced herself to sit up, her entire body aching. She was drenched, freezing, and lost in the woods. The masked man could still be looking for her. If she stayed here too long, he would find her.
• With a deep breath, she pushed herself to her feet and stumbled forward. She hadn’t started running again when she slipped and fell hard onto the ground. The pain almost took her breath away. Maybe she should accept death and die.
• “Who are you?” She suddenly heard a baritone voice speak, but she wasn’t sure if it was her almost unconscious state that was making her hear things. Her vision blurred.