Escape

Emma’s POV
I take off across the coarse gravel, ignoring the pain shooting through my bare feet, hobbling across the tarmac of the country road, leaving a trail of blood.

Heading for the dark treeline, away from Burke and Hare.

I am praying under my breath to any watching deity… Please let me make it, Let me get to the trees.

Made it, my face stretches into a grin, as my feet hit the softer ground on the far side of the road; loam, leaf debris and soil. I am panting already, mouth open as my nose doesn’t work.

The gloom is so deep my sight can’t penetrate it. I hate the dark it scares me, it always has. Monsters live in the shadows, vampires and witches and werewolves… but Burke and Hare have proved that not all monsters occupy the dark, and Peter proves not all supernatural beings are monsters.

Still I have no idea what is in front of me, but I know my attackers are right behind me, I don’t have time to wait, so I tear into the woods.

Bad idea… I take about two steps before the ground disappears from under my feet. Pitching me forward. I fall, and my hands fly out to catch me as I stumble down a small dip into the forest.

My hands hit the floor and it is all I can do not to squeal in pain as I am forcefully reminded that Hare crushed my right wrist within the last hour. A stabbing pain envelopes it, then dulls to a throb.

I hiss the pain out. Hopefully it is just bruised.

My hands and knees hurt where they churned up the ground. I guess I have added grazes to my growing list of wounds.

I am seriously regretting my life choices regarding what I wear to bed. Shorts and a fleecy bedshirts seemed so practical… like a million years ago... but now I wish I wore something warmer, more covering, more protective… and something with breast support… and if not shoes, socks maybe.

There is no time to ponder though…

‘Where are you little doggie,’ Hare calls into the darkness.

‘Don’t make us find you,’ threatens Burke.

‘Come out, come out wherever you are,’ there is a hysteria in Hare’s voice which is more chilling than everything I have faced with Burke.

I look behind me… I can see the flashlights dancing, rapidly approaching my position… Fuck, I need to move.

I scramble to my feet, less worried about making a noise than I am about getting moving. Mere metres into the treeline they are going to see me no problem… my white legs stand out in the night, my pink shirt will be clearly visible to their torches, add not wearing black to the list of regrets.

I am off again, sprinting deeper into the wooded area. Brambles rip and catch at me, tearing at my clothing; branches whip my bare legs and at my face; tendrils grab at my feet; the very ground seems to want to trip me. I can’t run in a straight line as trees and bushes suddenly become visible, appearing out of the murk, slowing my pace.

I am scared of the dark and what it hides; of what I might be running towards, but more terrified of what is behind.

I nosedive again… there is a branch across my path at shin height, I tumble over it, barking my shin, more grazes, tears fill my eyes.

Rain starts to fall.

Run, dodge, duck, hide. Like a wide game from my childhood. But being caught is a high stakes game, life or death.

Off to my left I spot a light moving erratically through the woods. For god’s sake I think, cut me a break. I pause and crouch back into a large thicket. Using nature to disguise my location, letting the danger pass, and regathering my wits.

Then I am up again, stumbling on.

My feet feel like blocks of ice, clumsy and senseless. I keep hitting them off rocks and fallen logs. I fear I have broken one or two toes, maybe more, when I stubbed them into a boulder, but there was no pain beyond the pain of cold. I wonder how long frostbite takes.

‘C’mon sweet-cheeks,’ I hear echoing on the wind. ‘Come out, come out wherever you are’

Will Burke just leave me alone, I think. Some guys just don’t take no for an answer. I imagine laughing with Jo and Sam about my persistent suitor… I hope I get to.

I trip and fall again, by an old stone wall, before I can rise I see lights flash above me. First bit of luck I have had in a while. If I hadn’t fallen there, with the cover offered, they would have seen and captured me for sure.

Some fallen logs offer a better hiding place, so I squirm into their midst.

Burke and Hare stop not twenty metres from my hiding place. I still myself, deep soft breaths through my mouth.

‘Any sign of her,’ Hare asks.

‘Nah, I can hardly see a bloody thing in these woods, and the rain isn’t helping.’

‘Well the bitch is only human she will never last the night, you saw the forecast’

‘Yea that storm is moving in rain, hail, sleet and high winds,’ Burke raises his voice ‘Sweet-cheeks... you will die in the night of cold, me and my buddy will keep you warm… especially if you are nice to us’

Fuck… please god let them just leave, I pray silently. I would rather take my chances with Mother Nature, then something crawls over my bare legs, and it is all I can do not to shout out. I hate creepy-crawlies.

Okay Mother Nature is a bitch too.

Eventually Burke says,’Let’s get a move on, we need to report this to Him. Hopefully the outcome is satisfactory, or we will be back here hunting the rest of the night.’

‘Okay, you go that way, I’ll go this,’ Hare returns. ‘That way we can have a final hunt for her… I can’t imagine she will be in much of a state to fight by now… Meet you at the bikes, with or without her’

‘Later bro.’

I hear them move off in opposite directions… the lumination from their torches fading. I am lying in a log pile and I hurt where I can feel, and I am more worried about what I can’t feel.

My head is feeling foggy. Did they just say they are leaving? But that they might be back?

I squirm out of the pile, and somehow regain my feet. I am swaying, the adrenaline and fear that have fueled me are gone.

My mind is struggling to comprehend what I have heard, but a kernel of hope has formed. I need to find help, or shelter.

I stagger on, I am lurching from tree to tree; the ground goes out from under me again. I am pitching head long down a slope. I land on a large rock, which saves me from being totally submerged in the stream.

‘Urgh’ I exhale a grunt unintentionally. I think I have broken one of my ribs, but on the positive side I don’t think I knocked myself unconscious, although it is hard to judge the passage of time anymore.

Tears start rolling down my cheeks. Their hot wetness cooled quickly by the rain which is becoming increasingly sleety.

I can’t stay in a stream, I think to myself. It takes several attempts, but I eventually am on my numb feet again.

One more step, one more step… anyone can take one more step, is my internal chant. My focus is narrowing, I am sort of aware that I am unaware of my surroundings. Burke and Hare could literally be in front of me and I would walk towards them.

I think I hear a howl. Howl? That is important, but my head won’t tell me why. I pick at it, nope I have no idea why adding a wild animal to the mix is important.
One foot in front of the other… one more step… I am barely moving forwards… I am so cold… maybe if I rest for a moment… I see two walls forming a sheltered corner and stagger over lowering myself to the floor.

I pull my knees into my chest, curling up into a ball, trying to maintain my core temperature. My clothes are saturated, but the only thing I have to protect me from the elements. I pull the shirt over my knees.

I scan the woods for a bit, but my eyelids are heavy, and I can feel them drooping

I close my eyes… I will just rest for a moment… I am so tired… at least I don’t hurt so much any more… I wonder when I will be found… I wonder if I will be found…

My eyes flutter shut and I embrace the darkness...