Chapter 90: Among the Branches
"Haa... haa..."
Rain lashed against Lariette’s face as she sprinted into the forest. Her feet were only protected by the thin layer of a pair of home slippers.
Almost slipping on the wet ground a few times, Lariette kicked the slippers off. She resumed her run, her feet hurt under the broken twigs and rocks.
’Hide! I need to hide!’
Lariette breathed raggedly once she hid behind a trunk. She faintly heard the men shouting behind her, their footsteps crunched through the underbushes. The men’s angry screams still echoed in the downpour.
’This won’t do. The cave? No... I can’t hide there. The tides are rising.’
Still panting, Lariette looked around the area, her brain moving rapidly. Ahead, she spotted a tall tree with dense, low-hanging branches. A glimmer of hope flickered in her heart.
’There!’
Without thinking, Lariette ran to the tree. She ducked under the bush, trying not to get caught before she could hide. Her adrenaline kicked in at the clearer sound of the men’s angry shout.
Scrambling up, Lariette’s hands gripped the rough bark despite the rain making it slick. Her agile movements indicated this was not her first time climbing a tree.
’More... more!’