Chapter 41: Shiver
Elisa had moved. Her foot almost slipped in the grass as she turned to run. Maggie was already ahead of her, bolting as if her life depended on it — and clearly, it did.
She was out of breath, but she dug deep into her last reserves of strength to keep going. Strangely, the ground felt slipperier than before, like the slightest misstep would send her flying.
And if she fell, she’d be at the mercy of those flesh-hungry creatures again. Or worse: she’d become one of them, a puppet with no will of her own.
Elisa was scared. Scared she wouldn’t be fast enough. She ran, ignoring the cramp biting at her heel the moment it struck.
It was like a silent rage flooded her, a thirst for life she’d never known. Not even when she’d been thrown to the Hystrix. Not even when the people she thought were her family — the ones she’d grown up with — betrayed her.
But this... this was nothing compared to what she felt now. This time, she was running for her life. Her fate rested in her legs. She pushed herself, over and over, until she felt nothing anymore.
And yet, their pursuers didn’t relent either. They panted, growled — the scent of fresh flesh was driving them mad. They wanted her. They wanted to taste that still-intact body.
One of them got close. Too close. Ready to grab her. But a loud crack split the air — a shot. The puppet’s head exploded, its body dropping instantly.
"Don’t look back!" shouted Dylan, emptying the last rounds of his rifle to buy them a few more seconds.
Elisa didn’t need to hear it. She just did what she did best: run.
Her breath burned, each step slicing through her lungs. Her chest was screaming, but she refused to slow down. Around her, the trees blurred — melted by the speed and panic.