Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Emma lay crumpled in the dirt, the cold ground pressing against her cheek. Everywhere was silent, only the sound of the bird and footsteps could be heard 

Her body trembled as sharp pain spread through her ribs where someone had kicked her. She blinked slowly, trying to open up her eyes completely but the view she met made her shut her eyes down almost immediately. 

“What do we do with her?” a rough voice said cutting through the silence of the environment. It came from one of the men standing over her, fear crept in and she wiggled praying inwardly for the ground to open up and swallow her.

“We should finish her off. She’s already half-dead,” Another voice answered, lighter but no less cruel. 

Emma’s chest tightened. She wanted to speak, to plead, but her mouth felt dry, and every breath burned. She shifted slightly, and the pain shot through her like fire.

“No,” a third voice cut in sharp and desperate. “Why waste her? We could… you know, have a little fun first,” he titled his lips. 

Emma’s stomach twisted as fear overtook her pain. Her lips moved, and she forced out a weak whisper. “Please… don’t.”

The chuckling stopped, and one of the men leaned closer. His breath was hot and foul against her ear. “What’s that? Are you begging already? Pathetic,” he slapped her across the cheeks. 

Emma winced, trying to inch away, but her body refused to cooperate. She shut her eyes tightly, hoping it would all end soon.

The man moved to grab her arm, but before he could, a sharp command cut through the night. “Enough!” 

The man who seemed like their leader stepped forward, his tall frame casting a shadow over Emma. 

He looked down at her, his face unreadable. His voice was firm and left no room for argument. “Leave her alone. We don’t need this kind of trouble,” he shook his head in pity. 

“But—” the younger man started, clearly unhappy.

“No!” The leader’s voice grew harsher. “If we do this, it’ll only bring heat on us. You want to get caught?” He asked and they all shook their head, stepping back one after the other. 

They didn’t seem happy with the decision as they muttered in frustration. 

The leader crouched down, his eyes scanning Emma’s battered face. For a moment, there was something almost like pity in his expression. He reached out, grabbed her arm roughly, and dragged her a few feet away.

“Go,” he said, his voice cold but final.

Emma’s body collapsed back onto the ground as he let go. She didn’t respond, couldn’t respond. The pain and exhaustion were too much. She heard their footsteps retreating and the faint sound of laughter as they disappeared. 

When everywhere became quiet, Emma opened her eyes. Everywhere dim unlike before, every part of her body ached. 

Her head throbbed, her vision blurred, but she knew she couldn’t stay there. If those men came back, or if someone else found her, she wouldn’t survive. 

She pressed her palms against the dirt and tried to push herself up. Her arms wobbled under her weight, and she collapsed again. Tears stung her eyes, but she bit down on her lip and tried again. This time, she managed to crawl forward.

The ground was uneven, scraping against her knees and palms. Her breaths came in shallow gasps, and every movement felt like a battle. She didn’t know where she was going, only that she had to keep moving.

As she crawled, her mind raced. This place they had called it No Man’s Land. She’d heard of it before, whispered warnings about how dangerous it was. No rules, no safety, just chaos. She couldn’t stay here.

She moved forward, her focus narrowing to one thought; survival. She has to survive no matter what. 

At some point, the dirt beneath her turned to gravel, and she realized she’d reached a road. It was wide and empty. 

Emma stopped crawling and sat back on her heels, her body shaking with exhaustion. She wiped her face with a trembling hand, smearing dirt across her cheeks. The night was cold, and her thin clothes did little to protect her.

For a moment, she considered staying there, but the thought of those men, or others like them finding her pushed her to her feet. 

Her legs wobbled, barely holding her weight, but she forced herself to take a step, then another.

The road felt endless and each step she took felt heavier than the last. 

Her vision swam, and her breaths grew shallow. She stumbled, her knees buckling, but she caught herself before could she fall.

“No,” she whispered to herself. “I have to keep going.”

She tried to focus on the horizon, searching for any sign of safety. But then she heard it a low, guttural growl that sent chills down her spine.

She froze, and her body began to tremble. The growl came again, closer this time.

“Get her!” a voice shouted, sharp and angry.

Panic surged through her. Her body reacted before her mind could process what was happening. She turned and ran, her feet pounding against the gravel. Every step sent pain shooting through her body, but she didn’t stop.

The shouts behind her grew louder, joined by the sound of footsteps. She didn’t dare look back. The road ahead blurred, her vision narrowing to where she could dart so the people chasing her would miss her track. 

She saw the lights before she saw the car. Blinded by panic, she didn’t slow down, didn’t think to look. She burst onto the road, her mind focused only on escape. 

Before she could realize what was happening, a black car moved closer to her and she froze on a spot, her legs refused to raise nor move, it was as if she was under a spell. 

Before she could think twice the car hit her and she stumbled on her body, her eyes shut down and everything became dark.