Chapter 2 Cliff edge

"Just keep moving," Andrea's voice failed her, sounding barely above a whisper. As she sprinted through the never-ending woods, her breathing became progressively quicker and more shallow.

Like a dramatic movie, the during her nightmarish ordeal became an endless pooring stream. Thunder roared over her head and jolted her with lightning speed like a battering ram while the rain poured in thick streams. Each droplet she felt on her skin soaked every ounce of life from her body too. It took tremendous effort to maintain my balance. Yet, worst of clamping down was an option. She glanced over her shoulder and almost instantly regretting it.

"Sigh," she gave a faint mumble as despair knotted her insides. "They're getting closer. "She felt her lungs tighten with fear. It would have been next to impossible for her to pinpoint the exact overall size and number of people whom she could dimly recognize through the shroud of dense fog, but she logically estimated three, perhaps even four, men would not be too far from reality. She felt clawnnic proportions of malicious delight emanating through the shredded silence of the forest filled with harbonos hoots.

"Stop," she independently compelled her body, "Don't ever turn you face in the reverse direction not even for a millisecond." The words streamed endlessly in and out like a constant wave crashing giddily to the shore and roaring in with its unwavering strong contrasts while sustaining energy as her legs burned from exhaustion.

She always assumed it was endless and lack of cover was provided by the large trees. The dense howling of the wind constantly drowned out the sound of her predators aiming their guns, but Andrea knew better than to be overly confident that they wouldn't hit over-wise aim.

"Do you think you can run from us, demon? A deep voice called out, mocking and cruel.

Andrea flinched at the word. Demon.

I'm not-" she began, but the sound went to a stop. Protesting was pointless.

Another voice, sharper and full of malice, chimed in. "Stop wasting your breath, girl. You're ours."

With every pump of her heart, her power unimaginably diminished and her pulse battered violently against her ribcage, furiously screaming through her clenched fists. The sheer terror that encapsulated her overwhelmed in ideal insidious terror beyond lucid imagination.

An arrow whistled cutting through the empty air that suspend just above her head.

She tossed herself sideways, hitting the ground roughly in the mud as the arrow lodged itself in a tree trunk just inches from her head.

"Close, boys! She's slowing down! one of the men shouted, his voice full of triumph.

Andrea scrambled to her feet, her knees shaking. For a second the whole world tipped over, but she forced herself to get up and go. She couldn't stop now.

The men weren't giving up, their footsteps growing louder and closer. Another arrow flew past her, grazing her arm. She hissed in pain but didn't slow down.

"Keep shooting! She can't run forever!"

Andrea's lungs ached, her eyes watered from the rain and fatigue. Her mind raced. I need to find a way out. There has to be a way out.

But no escape presented itself.

"Why me?" she whispered, her voice breaking. "Why now?"

Just as a sharp thunderbolt illuminated the sky and showed what lay in front of us, a sheer drop.

Andrea's steps faltered. Skidded to a halt at the edge of the cliff, and her boots propelled a loose torrent of rocks down into the black hole at its base. A.

"No," she breathed, staring at the valley. The drop was massive, the bottom swallowed by shadows. She couldn't see a way across, no path, no bridge. Just an unforgiving void.

Her legs gave way, and she turned to face her chasers.

"They're here," she muttered, her voice trembling. "They're right here."

The guys slowed down as they got closer, their outlines now more defined. They were five armed with bows and arrows. Their leader stepped forward, grinning wickedly.

This is the end of the line, honey," he murmured with satisfaction through his voice.

Andrea's eyes darted to the cliff behind her, then back to the men. Her breath hitched. "Stay back," she warned, though her voice lacked conviction.

The chief drew back his bow and shot towards her heart. "Oh, I'll stay back. You've nowhere to go anyway."

The rest all laughed, their bows aimed at her too.

Andrea's chest tightened. She looked back over her shoulder at the pit, and her gut sunk at the idea of leaping. I can't. I'll die.

The leader sneered, stepping closer. "You know what I like about you vampires? You're all the same. You think you're invincible. However, as soon as we approach, the fright in your eyes? Priceless."

"I'm not afraid of you, Andrea snapped, though her trembling hands betrayed her.

"Sure you aren't. He nodded to one of his men. "Shoot her."

Andrea's eyes widened. "No-"

It struck her shoulder, the arrow coming far too swiftly for her to evade. As she backed away, pain coursed through her body, though it was a mere stretch when compared to the icy numbness that was flooding from the wound.

"Poison," she muttered, her voice almost a breeze. "It struck her shoulder, the arrow coming too swiftly for her to evade."

The leader grinned. "Goodnight, demon."

I'm going to clear the fog. If I don't, I'll lose balance, but my legs won't let me do so. I'll just end on my knees if things go south." She reasoned with herself as her knees crashed into the floor.

Sharpness flooded through her legs, forcing her to clear her vision while spinning around her. She began gasping at ground the more her legs lost strength fighting the pressure.

"There's no escape," an unknown voice echoed to her, "next to you, there is a cliff, you won't survive jumping over."

Andrea's digits pressed into the earth as she reluctantly stood. Her legs shook, the field of view blur at the periphery, but she wouldn't stop.

As they drew closer, she could discern parts of them. "If you're willing to kill me, do it with everything you've got is what I'd answer. If you're going to kill me, then put in a bit of effort."

The leader chuckled. "Oh, don't worry. We will."

Andrea made a stumbling backward step, her heel falling off the cliff edge. She wavered, her arms flailing for balance.

"Jump," she whispered to herself, her heart pounding. "Just jump."

But she couldn't do it.

The men raised their bows again, and Andrea knew she was out of time.

Andrea was pushed out of reality by searing heat as the poisonous arrow struck her. With every breath, electricity buzzed insisting her that breath should be the final. Each limb of her body began deteriorating, growing weaker with every passing moment.

nobody cares, it's pants because it's just a cliche joke. You chuckle a lot which enchants we have no care given." But rest assured fighting the lose a win that l would be left to me aids would be rough. The rest... Would be shit.

The last thing she saw right before falling into the abyss of darkness was the ringleader's smile and his ominous sounding laughter in her ears.

"We've won."

Andrea fell into the pit, stiff, and the wind whistled in her ears.

This is it, she thought, her vision fading. This is the end.

---

Andrea woke with a jump, her body drenched in sweat. Her hand flew to her shoulder, searching for the wound that wasn't there.

It was a dream," she murmured, her pulse still thrumming. "Just a dream."

But the fear lingered, gnawing at her like a shadow that wouldn't let go.

"Was it? she muttered, staring out her window at the storm still raging outside.

The voice of the wolf cried a long way, and Andrea felt chills all over their body. The dream felt too real, too vivid to dismiss.

But underneath, she just couldn't get over the conviction that it wasn't just a dream. It was a warning.