Chapter 4 The fall

Vanessa and Elena sprinted through the dense forest, their breaths coming in ragged gasps. The sound of snapping branches and heavy footfalls behind them spurred them on. The rogue wolves were close, too close, and the urgency of their flight pressed heavily on them. "Keep running, Vanessa! Don't look back!" Elena shouted, her voice strained but determined."I'm trying, Elena!" Vanessa responded, her own voice a mix of fear and resolve. "We have to keep going.

We can't let them catch us."The forest floor was uneven and treacherous, roots and rocks hidden beneath a thick carpet of fallen leaves. The moonlight provided scant illumination, casting eerie shadows that danced in their periphery. The wolves' growls grew louder, more insistent, as if the pack could taste their fear. Vanessa felt her heart pounding in her chest, each beat a painful reminder of their peril. Her muscles burned, but she pushed on, matching Elena's pace. The bond between them was more than just friendship; it was a lifeline in this moment of sheer terror. "Stay strong, Elena!" Vanessa urged, her voice a fierce whisper. "We can do this!"Elena nodded, though the strain was evident on her face. They were running out of time and energy, but their will to survive was unyielding.Suddenly, a sharp, searing pain erupted on Vanessa's neck. She let out a loud growl, the sound mingling with the wolves' menacing cries. She stumbled, her hand instinctively going to the wound. „Vanessa!" Elena screamed, reaching out to steady her friend. But it was too late. The pain had disrupted Vanessa's balance, and in their panic, they both missed a crucial step.The ground seemed to vanish beneath their feet. They tumbled down the steep, rocky incline, their bodies colliding with the unforgiving terrain. The world spun around them in a chaotic blur of earth and sky. Each impact was a jolt of agony, but the descent was mercilessly swift.Vanessa tried to hold on to something, anything, but her fingers grasped only air and loose soil. Elena's cry of her name echoed in her ears, a haunting reminder of their shared plight.And then, there was only darkness.The pain and fear dissolved into an abyss of nothingness. The last thing Vanessa remembered was the sensation of falling, the cold wind rushing past her, and Elena's voice fading into the void. The world around them ceased to exist as the blackness consumed them both.⸻Vanessa's consciousness drifted in the void, a place where time had no meaning and the pain of her injuries was a distant memory. She felt weightless, suspended in a sea of darkness. Elena was there too, somewhere, she knew it. Their bond, forged in the crucible of their trials, was unbreakable. Even in this state, Vanessa could sense her friend's presence, a faint but comforting echo.Slowly, very slowly, the darkness began to recede. Sensation returned in small, hesitant waves. The cold, damp ground beneath her. The sharp sting of cuts and bruises. The distant sound of water trickling somewhere nearby.Vanessa forced her eyes open, blinking against the dim light filtering through the trees. Pain radiated from her neck and limbs, but she ignored it, focusing instead on the one thing that mattered."Elena," she croaked, her voice barely more than a whisper. "Elena, are you there?"A groan answered her from a few feet away. Vanessa turned her head, ignoring the protest of her aching muscles. Elena lay sprawled on the ground, her eyes fluttering open. "Vanessa," Elena muttered, wincing as she moved. "Are you okay?""I'm alive," Vanessa replied, her voice gaining strength. "We made it. Somehow, we made it."Elena nodded, struggling to sit up. "We need to move. They might still be after us."Vanessa agreed, but as she tried to stand, the pain in her neck flared anew. She touched the wound, feeling the sticky warmth of blood. They were far from safe, and the threat of the rogue wolves still loomed over them.But they had survived the fall. Together, they could survive whatever came next."Let's go," Vanessa said, determination hardening her voice. "We have to keep moving."Supporting each other, they staggered to their feet, the weight of their ordeal pressing down on them. The forest awaited, filled with unknown dangers, but they faced it together. With each step, they left behind the darkness, moving towards the faint glimmer of hope that lay ahead.