Finding Ella

Prologue

Oh God they were going to catch her. They were going to take her back and she'd never be free.

Move faster, keep going, don't slow down.

Ella continued to race through the forest, her lungs burning and her legs like lead as she pushed herself to keep running. Branches snatched at her hair and tore at her dress, whipping her face and causing tears to spring to her eyes until she could barely see where she was going.

Her bare feet were battered and bruised, each step agony as she raced away, towards what she didn't know. She just knew she couldn't stop or slow down or they would find her.

Don't stop, don't stop, don't stop.

It was a chant in her head, a never ending loop. She was in survival mode now, pushing past the exhaustion and the pain until all she could do was run. Run as fast and as far as she could. She'd die before she went back.

Ella cried out as she stumbled, almost going to her knees before she regained her balance and continued on, pushing herself to the limit. She looked up ahead to a bend in the path where it seemed to get lighter.

Lungs burning and feet throbbing, she raced around the corner and into a small clearing. If she'd had the time to appreciate it she would have thought it beautiful, with the tall trees and the cool lush green grass. But there wasn't time for that.

Choking out a sob as she stumbled across the uneven ground, she heard a click and a metallic clang before pain exploded up her leg and she crashed to the ground.

Her visioned dimmed, her hearing faded and she was slowly sucked downwards into blessed nothingness.

Please don't let them take me...