Bleak Light

Sandra knew this was the end. She was sure that there was no way back. Her heart was not even beating fast or her mind making up scenarios about how she will escape. She knew it was done for her.

Sandra had been leaning against a tree for about ten minutes, she had been waiting. She knew they wouldn't take a long, it was always a matter of time with them. She also knew that she was done running from them and that when they come for her she'll be ready. She was resolute.

She slid down until she was seated at the base of the tree, she looked at the long roots that intertwined like hideous snakes. 

"Snakes." she said to herself,

"Things would be better if it were snakes."

She took her necklace off and looked at it. Tears welled in her eyes. Every time she looked at this pendant it reminded her of her mother, her mother who died long before all this happened. She wished she had died with her. All the others had hid away far away but in the end they had been found. Some had begged, but no mercy was offered.

She put her head between her head and cried earnestly. Her tears wetting the earth beneath her like the first drops of rain.

CRAAACK!

Sandra sprouted up in an instant. She wiped her tears with the back of her hand. She put on a determined face and then she stood up, fastening her necklace back on. She exhaled calmly, there was no need to show fear in the presence of death. She thought about the people who pray before dying, those who cry for pity asking the Angels to deliver them from pain and misery. She knew this was useless and only increased desperation.

CRAACK! CRAACK!

She heard more breaking twigs coming in from the East of the forest. She tried to focus her view there trying to see these miserable creatures of the dark but it had been a few minutes since the sun had set and nothing beyond four meters could be seen.

She heard noises of some things running, no, charging! She braced herself as she anticipated the claw, or blow or whatever was going to be done to her. She could feel them, they were coming and they were very very close. 

She listened more and more attentively and she could tell they were less than fifty meters away. Their noise was unbearably loud. She closed her eyes slowly and exhaled calmly. She waited.

CRACK! CRAACK! CRAC! CRA! CR!

Suddenly, a hot sensation was felt in her belly. It was not pain, but just a slightly hot sensation like she had gulped a mouthful of whisky.

She opened her eyes and looked around her, tears streaming down her eyes. She saw them.

They were standing around her, hate etched on each and every of their faces. She tried to see something good on them but she only saw darkness and souls void of mercy or compassion. 

Their long fangs extended and their hairy bodies standing tall and majestic. Their long beards dancing in the soft wind and their eyes glistening like they had torches of fire in them. They had told her they'd find her and now they had. 

She lowered her eyes and looked toward her belly where a long spear protruded, and then she knew it was done. The hot sensation in her belly was fading, so was her vision. She wasn't hearing the branches whooshing in the evening wind but only a soft rising melody, a soft woman's song.  It welcomed her, pulling her away from this realm. Her vision of the monsters was nothing but a dim outline. She knew she was going somewhere they'd never reach. She exhaled weakly, inhaled weakly, exhaled weakly, inhaled weakly an held on.

She exhaled one last time and the  felt liberation, a freedom. She closed her eyes and a tear escaped from her eye rolling down her temple. The last woman had gone.