Chapter 47: .•19•.

She ran. As fast as she could. With her heart banging into her throat. Her breaths coming out in audible wheezes. He was there. Right behind her. She could tell. She could feel it.

She let out a hitching sob, her vision blurring from the tears. But she didn't stop. She couldn't. He was going to kill her. Send her to that monster. And she was so scared. She obviously didn't want to die. And much less end up in that creature's arms. She had no idea what it wanted from her and why. She still couldn't understand why it seemed to want her so much. And the way that it made the mistress' ghost suffer... She shuddered at the memory. She could tell that it was the creature's doing. And it frightened her so much. All of it. The thought of such a demon existing. The afterlife. The ghosts. She didn't want to become one. She didn't want to be here for a second longer. She just wanted to go home. Curl up in her mother's loving arms and cry her brains out. She wanted away from all of this. From the crazy vampire currently chasing her and his frightening world.

Another small and despondent mewl escaped her as she ran, the sounds of her shoes hitting the ground being the only ones she could hear. There were no sounds of footsteps trailing after her. Which was even worse. She had witnessed firsthand what he could do. The unnatural speed he could move with.

He was toying with her. He had to be.

It didn't stop her from trying to escape though. To get past those weathered iron gates. She had to try and fight at least. For her own life. It didn't matter that he was stronger. And way faster. She was going to fight. 'Till her very last breath.

Her thighs were already burning from the exertion, and she was out of breath. But she kept on running even past those gates, going further down the gravel path. She was desperate. She had to come up with a plan of sorts. Do something. Anything. She couldn't scream for help of course. It would've served her no good, and only attract his attention. Tip him off of her exact location. She couldn't stay on that wide path either. It made her too visible.

So she sharply veered to the left, going for the shrubbery lining the road instead. She needed concealment. A place to hide until it was safe enough for her to continue her marathon back to civilization.

She slipped between tall trees and thickets, keeping a fast pace. She didn't dare pause to peer over her shoulder once. She didn't want to lose momentum. This small advantage she seemed to have gained.

She went further and further into the thickening shrubbery, the scenery around her growing darker and darker. With every rushed step that she took. Good. Easier for her to hide in. Conceal herself from his searching eyes.

She finally slowed her pace after a while, allowing herself to breathe a little. She was out of air. And so horribly exhausted. She'd barely had anything to eat today, and her body was still recovering after what he'd done to her yesterday evening. That large amount of blood that he'd taken from her. And the rest.

No. She didn't want to think about it anymore. What he'd done to her. What he took. It didn't matter anyway. What mattered now was her escaping from his clutches. Her survival.

She continued to make her way between the tall trees, lightly tripping and stumbling from time to time as she could barely see anything in there. The canopy was too dense, the trunks too thick and many. It didn't let that much light in, if barely even anything at all. It frightened her at the same time whilst giving her hope that he wouldn't be able to see her in there, possibly even lose her trace.

She finally dared to take a quick and searching peek past her shoulder, relieved to notice that there was no one following her. No sign of him.

She let out a small and shaky exhale, turning back around. Suddenly letting out a loud, blood-curdling scream at the sight of him standing right before her.

There he was, casually standing there with his hands shoved in his dress pants' pockets. Looking like he'd been standing there for the whole time. Like he'd never even crossed that relatively large distance between this place and his manor with his own two legs like she did. He looked perfect. Composed. Unlike her tired and disheveled appearance.

She wanted to scream again. Bawl her eyes out at the injustice. How could she fight him? Survive this? It was impossible. She'd done all that running for nothing. She'd exhausted herself for nothing. And now he was going to kill her either way. She'd only made this easier for him. Easier for him to contain her. Hold her still as he sucked her dry.

She stumbled back a few steps, eyes filling with hot tears. It blurred her vision on him but it didn't matter anyway. She was doomed. Done for.

She took another step backwards, her heel inevitably slipping on a raised root. Sending her flying on her butt.

She landed on the forest floor with a dull thud, barely even getting to register the pain in her arms. Her poor butt.

She turned and flipped on her hands and knees into a last and desperate attempt to flee. To escape her grim fate.

It didn't get her anywhere. He was on her in less than a second. Those powerful thighs straddling hers. Holding her trapped beneath his body. His hands.

She could only scream. Scream as loud as she could.

.••.