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 ^{(it's beta!)}

I was good at running away, escaping. That was what I was best at. That was why They chose me. They had used many words to describe my talents: elusive, ghost, mysterious, unshakeable. None of which I felt in the least now. Fear, a new emotion making an acquaintance with my body of late, gripped me. I cursed. This was neither the time nor the place to panic. The emotion was unwanted, clouded my mind and made it hard to think straight. I could feel unfamiliar sweat dripping down my temples, my back. I could not hear a thing over the pounding of my heart. Not that I should be able to hear anything. Nothing should be here. Well, nothing alive, anyway. But still there was something, faintly distinguishable over the drumming in my ears. I strained through the almost tangible blackness. There, slightly to the left. A rustle and a groan. No one should still be here; no one could have survived that! I would get into trouble now, so much trouble… My head began to spin. I ran through my options quickly. Yes, I would have to escape. Failure was irredeemable. I began crawling silently toward the memorized exit. Bodies and debris felt contrastingly rough and soft under my hands, slowing me further as I tried to feel my way around them. A whimper sounded right next to me. Dammit, they were closer than I had thought. I had forgotten noises echo in this place. I had made so many mistakes on this mission, become too overconfident. People had always said my overconfidence would be the death of me… funny I should remember that now. I hadn’t had friends in so long…

‘Mum?’ whispered the voice. I flinched. A child, it was a child.

‘Mama? Where are you?’ The child’s voice was laced with fear. I was still frozen in place. My instincts screamed “escape!” But there was something else; it went deeper than just my instincts. It was telling me to stop. Help. I had never had this feeling before, this thing that contradicted my instincts. I felt a tugging in my chest as the child’s whimpers turned to crying.

I knew it would be the death of me, or at least everything that had been me up until now. I knew I was going to have to give up more than ever before, escape somewhere not even I had ever heard of.

The crying got louder, more desperate. I crawled my way slowly toward the sound; I accidentally touched an ice cold hand in my haste, and shuddered.

‘Shh…’ I patted the child’s hair, their tear stained face. Trying to comfort and assess damage at the same time. My maternal instincts were faint, barely there. Nothing in comparison to the instincts still screaming for me to escape. Still, I ignored them.

‘It’s okay. You’re safe with me little one.’ I carefully wrapped the slightly shocked child in my arms. I realised that with both hands full I was going to have to make my way to the exit on foot. This would mean even slower, and I could feel the time dripping away. Precious time needed for my new escape. Our escape now. Everything would be different. I hesitated once I reached my exit. I felt the child’s fingers brush my face, trusting already. I sighed silently. I had never really enjoyed this job anyway.

I wrote this while listening to Linkin Parks ‘Don’t Stay.’ Good song and it kind of goes with the story. I’m not sure whether I am going to continue with this or not, but please let me know what you think. If it’s any good I could write more.