Trees blur past me while moonlight streams through the leaves above me. The cold air nips at my skin. The sweet autumn air that once filled my lungs did not seem so sweet anymore. I can hear his footsteps crunching the leaves on the ground, he was close behind me. Gunshots ring out all around me. “Amber, you won’t get away with this!” He shouts. Turning my head for a brief second, I see his friend Aaron behind him with a knife in his hand. I realize he had called for backup. He must have known that I was going to end it the whole time. Jumping over a fallen log, I don’t see the steep embankment in front of me. I fall down the embankment and land in a pile of leaves and dirt. Standing up, I realize I’m trapped as I see Philip’s backup come from all directions. Putting my hands out in front of me, I back up towards the rock face behind me.

Pleading through tears, I beg, “Please Philip, I won’t tell anyone about what happened if you let me go.”

Passing the bat between his hands, he says, “Oh Amber, you know I can’t let that happen. I know you will run to the cops and tell them and get me arrested. Even if you would get away, you know that my friends here wouldn’t let you escape these woods alive, right?” His gaze turning deadly once again, they close in.

“No, no, no Philip please, please….” Aiming the bat for my head, I barely have time to duck. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Aaron lunge at me and before I can react, he pins me to the ground, cutting my leg in the process. The next thing I hear is the swishing of the bat and the ringing of a gun being fired before everything goes black.

I wake up to bright sunlight streaming through the leaves above me. My head feels like a woodpecker had pecked at it one too many times. The sound of birds chirping sounds more like jackhammers. My left arm is limp and my ribs hurt. My left ankle throbs while my right leg bleeds enough that I knew if I didn’t get help right away, I would die. Struggling to my feet, I take in my surroundings. I realize I’m near the stream crossing. Hearing voices close by, I limp in the direction I hear them coming from.

I come upon the stream crossing about half a mile downstream of where I had been. The pain in my head is getting worse and my vision is turning fuzzy. Noticing three joggers coming down the path, I manage to get out the word help before I fall to the ground. My world goes black once again.