.
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Deep in the woods she’s runnning, jumping ditches, clambering up slopes and down, her tear stained face ashen with fear. Images of the depraved creature that held her captive refuse to leave her tortured mind. She must keep going. She’d outwitted him. Just once, but once was enough because she’d somehow managed to slipaway unnoticed.
She darts ‘twixt trees and bushes. She’s dizzy and trembling, tripping and lurching, but mercifully getting further away from the the life that held her prisoner for as long as her messed up mind could recall.
She stops. She holds her breath for a couple of seconds, listening for any sounds that might warn her of his pursuit. Her heart misses a beat as the crack of branch and the flapping of wings breaks the eerie silence.
For a few moments, she allows happy thoughts to flood her mind, but suddenly they spill as she trips, and tumbles into a pool of mud. She lays there trying to catch her breath. She gasps, and thumps her chest desperately trying to fill her aching lungs.
And then she sees it. A bridge. Beyond it, a vista bathed in sunlight. A place where a new life awaits her.
Gradually the shaking ceases, the tears stop flowing and a sense of calm envelopes her. Looking over her shoulder she bids goodbye to the past. As she stands and walks forward she smiles, her first smile for many a year.
‘You are free’ whispers the breeze, ‘free at last’.
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© Ayr/Gray
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Thanks to Jenne Gray and C.E.Ayr for hosting The Unicorn Challenge.
this one gave me chills!
Me too, Beth!
Oh this is such a moving story Keith
I’m pleased it had the desired effect, thanks, Sadje.
You’re welcome 😉
I need a map to find this paradise. Or at least some directions.
You and me too M’lady!
Always love a happy ending!
You are becoming the master of mystery here at the Uni, Keith. I delight in reading your tense and gripping pieces so smoothy written. This was terrifying and death-defying, pushing the limits of ‘will she/won’t she. Excellent, spell-binding writing, Keith!
Thanks so much for your generous words, Nancy.
A pleasure, Keith.
You had me holding my breath for her, Keith. Tense and perfectly paced. Lovely that she is free at the end of all that.
Thanks, Dale, in the end, I thought I’d give her what she deserved.
Very kind of you 🙂
Fabulous Keith
That’s so kind of you Di, thank you.
You’re welcome Keith
A very touching piece, Keith. Nice ending with a beautiful ray of hope. Well done!
I’m pleased you liked it, Suzette, thank you!
Wonderful evocation of ‘with one bound she was free’.
Indeed she was! Thanks so much for dropping by.
I hope she can set her mind free, too, after so long. That’s the hard part.
We can only hope, at least its a step in the right direction.
Keith, the intensity of your protagonist’s escape and the vivid portrayal of her fear and determination make for a compelling narrative!
I find the sudden shift from despair to hope, symbolized by the discovery of the bridge and the vista bathed in sunlight, to be a powerful moment of transformation. 🙂
~David
Thank you so very much, David.
Powerful story, Keith.
You really convey the terror and the frantic need to escape, right up to the turning point of the bridge
And such a beautiful final line.
That’s so nice of you Jenne, thank you so much.
Like a thriller film. I’m glad for her
Thanks so much, Maria. I gave her what she deserved.
I felt the elation!
Thanks, Dawn!
A big change from your usual writing, Keith, but just as expertly done.
First-class portrayal of fear and desperation, followed by the joy of freedom.
That’s kind of you C.E., thank you!