“Ssh,” I soothed, my arm wrapped around his shoulders. I didn’t dare look over our shoulder…slowing down or tripping would be disastrous. This was a secluded road, and if something were to…to happen, there would be absolutely no one around to save us. So I kept my eyes glued stubbornly ahead. Besides me, Cain was wheezing, and I knew his body had never done anything this strenuous before. “A little bit farther,” I promised, but it was a promise I wasn’t sure of. Who knew if the house was even still there?

I stopped when I heard the sound of rushing water, and realized with a rush of adrenaline that we were lost. There was a staircase I’d never seen and a thin bridge I knew we would never get over. But I had just begun to hear it, the crunching, the muffled shouting…we were being followed and they were right behind us. I swallowed panic and forced myself to act calm, not even allowing myself to wonder why on earth I’d gotten myself in this situation.

“Stop, down here.” I helped him down the stairs. He stopped short at the bridge, shaking his head. “No, you have to…no, you’ll be fine…” My breath caught in my throat, warning me of our pursuers’ proximity, and I stepped ahead. “See? It’s fine…” I reached back for him, my hand shaking in my desperation. “It’s fine, come on…”

He hesitated far longer than was safe before taking my hand, and I walked as fast as I was able, scolding myself for keeping my eyes downward. My stomach knotted and my heart skipped beats and my feet slipped more than once. Behind me, I didn’t know if he was faring much better, but I still didn’t dare look back. I knew that horrible things would happen if I looked back.

When we got to dry land, though, he stumbled to a tree and I finally dared to overcome and look back.

I immediately regretted it. A figure, materializing out of the mist, moved smoothly towards us. I saw the outline of a weapon in his hands, and I knew I waited too long before grabbing Cain’s hand and dragging him forward again. I reminded myself later to thank him for being so silently compliant, so willing to follow me and not voice any doubts.

For the first time, I lost control of my thoughts and a stray thread of despair slipped through, looping itself around my ankles maliciously.

We’re so dead.

It was too late now to unthink it, but I couldn’t think of a thing to do besides keep running. We didn’t bother with stealth, crashing through bushes and grasses. Finally, I saw a shape ahead that, though unfamiliar, was hopeful.

“Look, we’re almost there,” I whispered, though I was anything but sure. As I dragged him through a hole in the back wall, I shoved him ahead of him, and couldn’t help wondering why I had thought that finding the house guaranteed our safety.