Laura
The street was empty, with only the sound of my uneven breaths and the crunch of gravel beneath my feet. My legs felt like they were giving out, but I kept pushing, half stumbling as I clutched my side. My aunt's house came into view, the single light in the window a beacon, pulling me closer.
When I reached the door, I pounded on it, each knock sending a jolt of pain through my battered body. "Please, please open up," I whispered, hardly able to breathe.
