I ran, my heart pounding, my legs burning, the wind blowing in my face as I ran through the dark forest. Russell ran in front of me, his shadow barely visible in the dim light filtering through the trees. Every breath felt like a fire in my chest. Avalor's last words echoed in my head. "I'll find you." And if I do this...
"We can't stop here," Russell said, dragging me to the shelter of a large tree. His eyes were intense, scanning the horizon. Listen to me, Melissa. We don't have much time.
I pressed my back against the rough bark, trying to calm my rapid heart rate. "What's the plan?"
His face softened for a moment and then he took my hand and kissed it gently. "You need to get away from here as much as possible. There is a hiding place, a place that no one knows. It's not fair, but you have to go alone.
The cold night air seemed to envelop me and panic surged through my chest. "Alone? but..."
