My bare feet hit the forest floor beneath them, each pebble, rock, and branch digging deeper and deeper into the flesh until I cried out, unwilling to take another step.
But I did.
I continued to concentrate, ignoring the pain, the fear, the heat. The only sound I could hear around me was that of my own frantic breathing and pounding heart. The moisture in the air made drawing each breath a challenge. The humidity around me weighed me down just as much as my dress did. It was like a wall in front of me, slowing me down and forcing me to rethink my decision.
But there was nothing to think about. This was it.
Stopping for a second, I held my breath and listened hard, my ears straining to catch the slightest sound of my pursers.
Nothing.
Not the sound of an insect, a bird, a rustle of leaves in the wind.
Nothing moved, seemingly to hold its breath like I was holding mine.
