Esme glanced back frantically, her breathing become even more ragged as she ran with all the energy she could summon.
How? Why? Why now? She thought as she slid past a tree trunk and continued runnig. They were already closing in on her, she just needed to reach the city walls then she'd lose them, but not in the forest like this.
"Run princess, RUN!!" The pursuer's voice boomed wickedly behind her and she increased her pace.
Her face glistened with sweat under the early moonlight and her hair stuck to her face, she panted heavily from her mouth as she continued running, never looking back, never stopping, just running.
Run. Run. Run. That was all she could think of. She was sick of it but it was the only option that came to her aid all the time. She needed to run.
It felt like a new strength was bestowed on her cause her pace increased drastically as she scaled down the steep area of the forest. She landed on her butt and got up immediately to continue the race all the while still clutching the small bag hanging down her neck.
She had ran a long mile when she realized she couldn't hear the sound of the pursuers.
Could she had lost them? Did they give up?
Esme scoffed at that last thought. She knew more than anyone that The Mambas would never give up their prey even if the world was to end right there.
To confirm her suspicion, Esme glanced back expecting to see the big Rion rushing up behind her but she saw no one, not even Black or Mort. Where'd they go? She wondered as her pace slowed.
Eventually, she began walking when she saw that she had indeed lost them. A great relief engulfed her and she inhaled shakily, doubling over to catch her breath.
"Damnit....." She mumbled to herself when she saw how shaky she was. It didn't also help matters cause she hadn't eaten since the previous day and she had been running for a long while, now she was in the forest.
Forcing herself up, Esme stood to check her surroundings and fear gripped her.
The moon was now bright enough to create light for her to see. It shone eerily brightly, casting it's lights on tall trees she hadn't seen before, the sound of smaller creatures echoed through the forest and they sounded almost scared.
Where was she?
She turned around, her hunger and tiredness now replaced with anxiousness.
This place didn't look familiar, how far had she gone? She thought
As she looked around, Esme realized with another shock that she was surrounded by mountains.
Okay, this wasn't funny anymore. Esme thought to herself and she began walking as she surveyed the area.
The forest looked beautiful, too beautiful and the moonlight did it's own share of illuminating it's beauty but something was wrong.
Before her chase, she had made sure to map out every route she'd be taking to make sure she didn't get lost or worst, get caught. She had memorized every forest roads leading to the City and was sure she was on the right track even when the Mambas had and were chasing her. So how did she get here? Did she miss a point in the map and had lost track somewhere, but how?
All these thoughts combined with her hunger and tiredness took a toll on her and she sat on a rock nearby to rest a little.
She was lost now, surrounded by nothing but trees and mountains. The bag were she had kept some food, clothes and including the map was lost on her way here.
What to do?
Esme cussed silently, chewing on her lips nervously as she massaged her aching knees.
At least the Mambas weren't on her neck now. She thought, feeling a bit of happiness but it quickly morphed into sadness and then bitterness.
She hated this, hated this life her parents had brought her into.
Why couldn't she live like other girls her age, why didn't she enjoy her childhood, why couldn't she just...be free.
Her heart swelled with deep hatred for everything, for the world.
Fuck it! Fuck her dad. Fuck the Mambas. Fuck Mason that pig headed idiot and fuck the world.
Esme stood up, her pretty face now hardened, her eyes glowed under the moonlight.
She was gonna end it, end her life and leave this miserable world. Her dad could pay his own debt. Neither he nor the Mambas owned her life. She did..... and she was gonna end it .
She opened the bag around her neck and brought out an old leather book, the words ' MOOM REALM' was inscribed boldly on it. She caressed it affectionately, tears stinging her eyes.
"...and the moon is always there to guide us." Her grandma's words rang in her head and she sniffed as she hugged the book to her chest.
"It was never real Gran Gran, it was never there..... no one was there to guide me. You were the only moon in my life." She said tearily, gripping the book tightly.
She squatted, tears flowing freely down her cheek as her painful life flashed before her eyes. Everyone... everyone was only an enemy to her, she didn't have anyone to turn to in her darkness moments. Her boyfriend, Mason was no different, he only used her and had even more evil plans for her just for the sake of money. Her father.... curse him, he put her in this mess and now she was at her limit. She couldn't do it anymore.
Her cries echoed through the forest and mountain walls, filled with pain and bitterness.
~~~~~~~
It was now very dark but the moonlight was at its brightest. The winds now blew strongly and coldly.
Esme now stood ten feets far from the edge of the mountain, staring down at the void of emptiness before her. It was now or never.
This was the time to end her pains and suffering, end her race. She took a step closer to the edge.
The cold wind blew on her face and she shuddered but continued. The closer she got, the more her heart raced but she kept moving until she got to the edge, her eyes widened as she looked down.
"Oh shit." She scrambled back and fell, staring at the edge as though it had suddenly grown a tree.
"Damn that's dark.... I bet it's a looooong way down." She mumbled again, gulping fearfully.
If she fell from that height, her skull would split and her tiny brain would make a small splat and her body would twist in a funny way.
Esme chuckled awkwardly as a chill spread through her. "Yeah... No, I ain't killing myself in such a gruesome way, death can wait." She said and stood up as she dusted the sand and dirt from her pants. She stared at the mountain edge for a while a smiled slightly.
"It would have been beautiful to fall into nothingness... Just falling." She muttered softly and immediately hated herself for being a coward but she didn't have the strength to do it... At least not today.
Esme turned and immediately froze on the spot, a sharp gasps escaping her lips.
Growl
The beast stood towering above her menacingly, it's white fur moved in rhythm with the wind and it's fang bared dangerously at her. It stood majestically on it's fours, stretching towards the sky and howled.
Esme's legs gave out and she fell, her body shaking with great fear and terror .
She was gonna die! She was gonna get eaten by this beast, her body torn into bloody pieces!
No. No no no no no.
The beast lowered it's head and sneered at her and Esme caught sight of a mark on it's forehead..... Or was it?
Now wasn't the time to think of that, she has to run, escape.... Run.
Run? But where? This thing looked like it could take her with just a paw.
Growl
The beast growled at her again and advanced towards her, each step screaming death.
Esme began shifting back as it advanced closer neither of them breaking eye contact. Esme's filled with terror and the beast's filled with what only she could see. Hate and bloodlust.
Even this beast hated her for no reason.
She reached the edge of the mountain and gasped as her hand grabbed empty air, she turned and realized why. This was the end.
How did it come to this? Her stuck in between death and yet another death. Esme thought, a sickening feeling growing inside her.
The beast took a step closer again, it's fang still bared menacingly.
"STAY BACK!!" She screamed with her eyes shut, her hand swinging in front of her as though fighting invisible forces.
"Stay back, I say, GET AWAY FROM ME!!" She yelled still swinging her arm frantically
Nothing
She opened her eyes slowly and peeked and was shocked at what she saw. She opened her eyes fully to be sure of what she was seeing.
The monster now sat on it's limbs and was staring at her with great interest, it's head tilted to the side.
The bloodlust and hate was now replaced with... Innocence?
Nonsense! There's no way a wolf would look like a sheep.
Esme felt like the universe was unfair to her even at this moment cause what the hell was going on here?
She stood and moved to the side. The beast's eyes followed her. She moved again and so did it's eyes, watching her silently and still sitted.
"What in the...."
BANG
The bullet pierced through her stomach.
BANG
Another bullet went into her heart and she coughed out blood. She lost her footing and eventually began falling from the edge, but as she looked, her eyes widened.
It wasn't the fact that she saw Rion from the Mambas staring at her with the evil sneer he always gived people, it was the fact that she saw the only guy she had ever loved for a long time.
Mason.
The wicked grin and the gun in his hands spoke volumes.
Why? She thought
But there was no answer to that question or to any questions she had always asked.
As she fell, her clothes soaked with her blood, the last thing she heard was the howl of a wolf.
Ohh, there really was a Wolf with her.....a strange one at that. She thought as she eventually fell into the dark void.