To every sensible person, especially those who steal smartly, there is no need for anyone to inform them that it was time to run or hide discreetly so as not to be seen.
However, Elena still stood there, blinking rapidly at the door. The silence stretched, and so did the ticking of the clock. Her anxiety kicked in, much like when she got caught stealing. Due to her anxiety, she would remain frozen for minutes before thinking rationally about escaping.
Unfortunately, in most instances, she had been caught red-handed. That's how the people of Benfosh came to know who she was.
And this habit of hers began when she had taken a pot of gravy and marshmallows from her stepmother's pot, after not being given food for the whole day. It just seemed natural for Lady Welford to not give her food. To her, Elena was no equal to the family; she wasn't considered part of them except, of course, to work as the errand girl.
"Oh please, move feet," she whispered, feeling fear creep into her bones. There was enough time to run; she could have taken the windows and jumped.
The voices came again.
"Hunter, it is very wrong to do that. We are not burglars or thieves. We were only sent to catch the Welford girl."
"And that is why we must break it in order to catch her."
A loud bang caused Elena to blink and stare at the door in horror. From the sound, it was likely he had used his body to hit the door.
Escape!
She raced towards the window where she had just come from. Pushing the curtains aside, she stood on the ledge beneath the louvers. The cold greeted her yet again, but this time, she felt nothing. Only the racing of her heart made her act, and this time, she was making another escape as she jumped from the window, her feet landing on dried forest leaves.
It was at this moment that the door finally gave way for Hunter and Paul to scramble in. Hunter, the big man with a thick swaying beard, scanned the room until his gaze fell on Elena, who stood watching them with fearful eyes.
"There she is!" he exclaimed excitedly, his laughter a croakiness that pained the ear, "Think you can escape from me, little one?"
Paul, the lanky one who looked like he couldn't even hurt a fly, stood behind Hunter, relief washing over his weary face. "Well, we caught you, Welford girl. Now!" His voice was a plea instead of the command she expected. "Do come with us. May we take you home. Whatever you have stolen, you could kindly take back, and we will tell old Welford not to punish you."
"No!" Elena yelled, taking a step back. She wasn't running because she had stolen something and couldn't face the consequences. She was running away from Welford, away from the world that would never understand her situation. "I do not want to go home," she added, glaring at them.
"Well," Hunter shrugged, moving slowly towards her like a careful lion before pouncing on its prey, "It is not something you can object against. We are taking you home, even if it is against your will."
"I want to be free." Pain clenched her heart as she spoke, tears stinging in her eyes. It was pointless; they would never understand. What was important to them was their task towards their coins. But she went on anyway. "I do not want to be in that family. I do not want to go back."
"Then marry me," Paul smiled shamelessly, raising his hand. "I will take you away from what you are running from."
Elena blinked.
Hunter spoke, ignoring his partner, "Old man Welford wants you to return, and you must return with us."
"Oh well!" A teasing smile appeared on Elena's face, her eyes narrowed. "Catch me if you can." She turned and raced into the dense forest, leaving the men to curse in frustration and race after her.
"Such slow-witted men," Elena tsked, pushing thick leaves away from her path. Although her words were etched with mockery, her mind was far from calm; it panicked like raging ocean waves. Only the heavens know what will happen if any of those men caught up with her and take her home. She would be back in hell, and through hell, her hand would itch yet again to take something that isn't hers.
"I must hide," a frantic cry, "But where could I go?" Her eyes were accustomed to the dark, being one who traveled at night from hut to hut. It was easy to pass through paths, and she had in mind that the men following her were facing difficulties. But who knows, they could be men in the dark as well.
The forest greeted her with nothing but its thickness. Each path she took made her stumble into another thickness, a never-ending moss of no escape.
Her heart quickened when she heard footsteps nearby. "Oh no!" she whispered frantically, clutching her cloak against herself. Thank the heavens it was made of green—a camouflage with the leaves. The cloak was one of many accessories she had found in Clarissa's room. The heavy scent of floral perfume made her nose tickle, but she took it nevertheless.
The footsteps came closer, and Elena scrambled for a hiding spot amidst thick grasses. If they were close, it was better to hide until they passed. "Heavens," she cried, "When will I ever get to hide so that no one will see? At least, there were many fortunate thieves and escapees."
Ahead lay a thick array bed of maize. Elena rushed toward it and hid against tall stems, her eyes narrowed into the night for those emerging footsteps. No one would see her, thanks to the cloak as well.
The footsteps emerged, loud enough for Elena to be aware of their closeness, but it seemed to be only one person. Perhaps they had split to find her, which was bad!
Elena waited, the steps getting louder with each passing moment, each one syncing with the beat of her heart. The steps were light enough, but in the silence of the night, they reverberated like her bed cloak striking midnight.
A rustle in the leaves ahead made Elena shrink backward. She heard once more the footsteps right in front of her, as if about to move in the opposite direction where the moon faced, but there was no one there except for the rustling leaves. There was no doubt it must be one of them, a reminder for Elena to stay put within the maize.
The rustling leaves appeared as if the person was moving through them. The footsteps grew louder, almost reaching her, but that didn't last long.
Elena noticed the rustling leaves moving in the opposite direction as she had anticipated, and after a while, the footsteps faded into a faint sound moving away.
"Whew! That was close," Elena exclaimed, standing up after the footsteps had completely subsided. As she caught her breath, she sighed, "It must be them." Frowning in confusion, she added, "But they were two men, why did I hear just one footstep?" Her skepticism grew as she mused, "Or were they only staying quiet to catch me?"
A sudden voice boomed behind her, "Caught YOU!"