Adrenaline pumping from your encounter with Mary Alice, you start running. You're not sure why. Then you think, maybe if you can get back to the house, you can hide there for a while. They won't think to look for you at the starting place. You stride quickly through the dark, quiet and stealthy. But then, suddenly, your foot catches on a root. You flail, panicked, but cannot keep yourself from crashing to the ground with a loud thud and a cracking of twigs. It hurts, but not too bad. You stop and hold your breath.
"What was that?" A voice calls in the distance. Then muttering.
Oh no, you think. Now they know where you are. You've already given up one stone and its probably not even that late yet. Your heart races with frantic indecision. Are they headed this way? You can't hear much. A few feet to your right is some taller grass. You could crawl there and try to stay hidden. Or you could break for it... |