Chapter 12

The woods are a lot different at night, especially for two women with no idea where they are going. Page has been leading the way in the direction she thinks her car is in. But they have been running for hours and it is taking a toll on them both.

“I’m sorry,” Page says to the girl as they rest against a large tree. “I thought I knew which way to go.”

Lisa looks at her with hope-filled eyes. “Does anything look familiar?”

Page quickly shakes her head. “Not in the dark,” she answers after a second. “I’m not even sure I could find it in the daylight. I’ve always been a city girl.”

Lisa laughs lightly. When Page gives her a look of confusion, the girl smiles and says, “My dad always made me go out camping and stuff. I always hated it. I guess I should have paid more attention.”

“It’s not your fault,” Page says, placing a comforting hand on the girl’s shoulder. “I should have paid more attention. I mean, hell, I researched this place for three years.”

“Wow! You were serious about bringing these assholes down,” Lisa says in awe. “What made you want to?”

Page gives a faint smile. “That is a long story, and one I will tell you once we are out of here.”

“The first thing I’m going to do once we’re out of here is take a normal bath. None of that mountain spring shit,” Lisa says, shivering. Now that they aren’t running the cool air over their sweat laden, naked bodies makes them cold. “And then I’m going to fuck you.”

Page giggles. “If we weren’t on the run, I’d do that right now.”

“That’s one way to warm up,” Lisa says, joining in on the giggling.

A sudden snap of a twig cuts their laughter short. Both are on their feet in an instant. Page’s hand automatically goes to the girl’s arm, pulling her in closer. “Hold my hand,” Page says as she drops her hand down to intertwine with Lisa’s. “Whatever you do, don’t let go.”

“I’m scared,” Lisa mutters.

Page steals a glance at the young woman. The tough, courageous woman is really just a scared, girl. Her heart swells with the need to protect her in the way she couldn’t her sister.

“You’re safe with me,” Page whispers. “I won’t let anything hurt you. Got that?”

Lisa nods.

Page gives the girl a curt nod. “Run.”

They leap from the tree, page in the lead, pulling Lisa behind her. They run in the opposite direction of the sound, not once looking back. Rocks and fallen logs bite at their naked feet. Branches and vinery whip at their exposed skin. They persevere, running like their lives depend on it, and they do. They run until their breathing becomes labored and then they run some more. Eventually they break the tree line into an open field. Their hearts racing, hope rushing in on them. They’ve escaped the woods!

At least that is their first thoughts. They are still in the woods, but all hope is not lost! This is the same clearing Page fell asleep in her first day here. Her car is close!

“Come on,” Page huffs. “We’re close.”

Excitement fills the young woman. She squeezes Page’s hand, nodding and breathing sharply. The sound of heavy breathing comes up from behind them, carried in on the wind. The memories of what happened here come rushing back, but Page shoves them right back down. That breathing sounds like something other than human. She has a good idea what it comes from, and she doesn’t intend to be here when it arrives.

They race across the field unhindered. The inhuman breathing doesn’t follow and only gives worry to Page as they near the other side. She expects it to follow, expects it to be right on their heels. But nothing. She slows as they approach the tree line, bringing the girl to a stop.

“What is it?” Lisa asks, looking over her shoulder where the noise originally originated from.

“I’m not sure,” Page answers her. “It’s too quiet now.” She grabs the girl by both shoulders. “If I tell you to run, you do so in that direction.” She points toward the south. “My car is parked that way. I hide it under some underbrush. If I don’t make it there right after you, you go. Understood?”

Lisa hesitates. There is fear as well as concern in her eyes. “But I don’t want to go without you,” she mutters.

“You will if it means you live,” Page admonishes. “If I can’t tell this story, you do it.”

Lisa nods. “I will.”

A sudden howl rips through the air. Neither of the women know in what direction it came from, but it causes them both to shake at the sound. “Go,” Page says, looking around for a stick or something to use as a weapon. “I’ll be right behind you.”

Lisa takes one last look at Page. She is reluctant to leave the woman behind, but Page knows what she is doing. So she takes a step toward the woods and that’s as far as she gets. In a split second a blur of fur is flying through the air, latching onto the girl’s throat. A choked gurgle escapes her lips as the weight of the animal takes her to the ground.

Page spins around at the sound and screams. She catches Lisa’s eyes and all she sees is emptiness. The girl is dead before she even hits the ground. “You son of a bitch!” she yells, raising a branch that she found above her head. She charges the grey and black-striped feral. As the branch comes down, the feral’s head go up, right into Page’s chest.

The woman finds herself suddenly sailing through the air, the branch leaving her hands. She lands hard, rolling to her side. When she looks up and her eyes focus, the feral is growling, its snarling lips pulling back to reveal its pearly white teeth.

‘What have we here?’ It growls.’ Maybe I won’t kill you right away. Maybe I’ll just fuck you first.’

“Fuck you!” Page screams. “I’ll fucking kill you first!” She begins to climb to her feet in defiance of the beast.

‘You’re funny for a human,’ the feral says as it continues its slow advance toward the woman. ‘You’ll be the one that dies. I’ll fuck you and then eat your friend. And then I’ll fuck you again, before I eat you.’

“No, she’s right,” Rob’s voice carries out from the edge of the woods. “You are going to die.”

The feral spins around snarling. Saliva pours from the beast’s jaws.’ I knew this was a trap. Hera is going to pay for this.’

“I guess there is no reason to argue the point then, Amoret,” Rob says, gripping the spear he has in his hand tighter.

The feral, Amoret, looks back once more at Page. ‘Don’t go anywhere little human. I’ll be right with you.’

As the two engage, Page picks herself up off the ground. She looks to Lisa, lying lifeless on the ground. The poor girl never had a chance. Page has more blood on her hands now. She could have told the girl no, not to run, but she didn’t. She encouraged her to run. She promised to protect her, just like she promised her sister. She wants to just drop to her knees and weep for Lisa, for Lynn, for any young woman ripped from their homes and brought to this place. But she can’t. She can still help the others.

Her feet begin to move and soon she finds herself running. There is no way Rob can handle that beast. It is nearly as large as he is and definitely stronger. And once he is dead, those powerful legs of the feral will carry it right to her.

Page runs faster than she ever has. Adrenaline kicks in overtime. It runs through her body, feeding her muscles. She doesn’t feel the burn in her legs, in her chest. She runs for her life and the life of every woman still at the farm and every woman sold to some sick twisted asshole wanting a slave. Her legs carry her all the way back to the spot she left her car.

She made it. She made a plan, she carried it through and she made her escape. Page isn’t going to just write an article, she going to write a book. She’s going to blow this thing wide open. She’s going to get justice for Lynn and for Lisa. She slides to a halt, breathing hard. Her adrenaline is still in high gear, keeping her upright. She stares into the spot her car should be. The spot where she parked it. But it’s not there.