A single candle glowed on a round wooden table, faintly illuminating an old room with its tiny flickering flames. Standing by this table was a man in black cloak, his face hidden in the shadows. 

"You couldn't catch a kid?" He slammed his fist on the wall.

"She shouldn't escape. Go and find her. SHE SHOULD NOT ESCAPE!" he yelled at the two other men standing in front of him with their heads bowed down.

"Yes, sir," the two said in unison and left to find their target.

..

It was late night. The moon was hidden behind the clouds. Sky was dark and so was everything else. In this gloomy atmosphere was a young girl running through the woods.

Her short black hair were wet with sweat and sticky with blood. Her haunted black eyes were surrounded by dark circles. Her pale bloodless skin was dirty and lips were dry. Her body was completely covered with buries, scratches and wounds, and her clothes were torn except for the red scarf that was hanging around her neck.

She looked as if she had been tortured for a long time.

It was dark, and she didn't know the direction she was going in. With her pounding heart and heavy breaths, she was just running blindly. It seemed like she just wanted to escape, to go as far as possible, and so she was constantly running and running.

Stumbling through the dark woods, she tripped over a stray twig and fell forward, twisting her ankle in the process.

"Ugh." She sat up, holding her ankle and leaned against the tree, trying to catch her breath.

"She must be close. We can't let her escape."

Her eyes widened, as she heard a male voice from behind the tree she was leaning against. She knew who they were. She hugged her knees and buried her face in them, mentally praying and trying not to get noticed.

"I think she is this way," said the second voice, and the men dashed away toward another direction.

The girl let out the breath she was holding when she heard their footsteps disappear. She stood up, getting support from the tree and made sure not to make a noise. She stumbled slowly, as she couldn't run with a twisted ankle. Hardly had she covered a few yards when she heard the voices again.

"Look there she is. Go get her!" 

She panicked and tried to move faster, but her ankle didn't help her, and she fell forward, hitting her head with the ground.

"Thought you could deceive us. Huh?" hissed the man, as he harshly grabbed her hair and forced her to her knees.

"Let go!" she yelled in agony. 

"It hurts huh?" the man mocked, pulling her hair harder, making her grunt in pain.

"That's the prize you get for running away," he added with a smirk.

"Huh it's nothing. The real prize will be from boss, and it will be a different one, different from all that you've received before," threatened the other man and the two began to laugh like maniacs.

The girls dark eyes were wide and a horror look was evident on her face.

"Please let me go. I beg you," she pleaded instead of struggling now.

"Oh look at her."

"How pathetic!" 

They began to laugh even harder, but suddenly stopped when they heard some noise from close by.

"Hurry! Hide." 

One of them grabbed the girl and covered her mouth with his hand. They hid themselves in the bushes.

Two men appeared right in front of the bushes they were hiding behind. They were wearing typical ninja uniform.

A hope appeared in the girl's previously dead eyes. She began to struggle against the man's grasp, ignoring the pain that was radiating from her body due to his tight grip.

"I'm sure there was someone here. The noise was coming from right here," spoke up one of the ninjas.

"But there is no one here," responded the other one.

"No, I'm quite sure. I heard someone," insisted the first one.

"Well, now you saw with your own eyes. There is no one here. You haven't slept for a while. I think you need rest," said the second one.

"Maybe you are right," the first one sighed, giving in and the two walked away.

The girl began to struggle harder. She was watching the only hope disappear too. She bit the man's hand that was covering her mouth and kicked him in his private part with her normal foot. 

He writhed in pain on the ground, and the other one rushed to him. "Hey, you alright?"

The girl took this opportunity and ran toward the direction those ninjas had disappeared. She ran, ignoring the surging pain her ankle was giving her. She just needed to get away. 

A stray branch cut deeply through her upper arm, adding to her numerous injuries. She clutched her bleeding arm and continued running.

Soon she could see the forest ending. At the same time, she heard fast footsteps coming at her from behind. Anxiously, she quickened her pace and ran out of the forest.

Huge green gates were visible to her now. A hope was born in her heart again. This was her chance. She hurried toward the gates.

"Please.. Just a little more.."