288 (Vouchers
Fifty–Nine
Isabella’s POV
I walked until day began to break. I didn’t even notice it at first. It happened slowly and I imagined that the sky slowly changed from the pitch black that deceived me that I had all the time in the world to a pretty blue that must have had warning signs written all over it. I can imagine the light musť ve brushed the leaves of the trees up ahead and I bet those talkative birdies would have come out for their usual morning arguments and gossip but all that flew past me until Mr Sun came out in all his golden yellow glory and slapped me out of my oblivious comfort, out of the distraction that was my mind and into the danger that was my reality. Into the danger that was this morning and my pending discovery.
“If it hasn’t already happened.” I muttered lowly to myself as I looked around in worry and regret, cursing myself for my carelessness.
Not needing to be reminded twice, I broke into a slight jog despite my injury and slowly worked my way up. I didn’t doubt the possibility that Antonio and his men were at the beginning of this forest right now, beginning their chase. Or if I wanted to give myself the littlest bit of hope, they were sprinting down the stairs after just discovering my absence from my room. Or maybe they were just informing Antonio who would hopefully spend another hour raging and insulting me before they finally set out?
Forcefully pulling myself out of my mind and maybes, I increased my pace, my heart thumping at the realization that I
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did not even know where I was going and where this path led or even whether or not I was already being chased or maybe about to meet a trap up ahead. Something just kept trying to convince me that there had to be a road up ahead and if I just kept running I’ll finally reach it, hitch hike until I find someone kind enough to give me a ride and get me the hell out of this place and back to my pack but it appears I just have so much blind faith in a bright future because a couple of minutes later and not only is there still no road in front of me but I can now hear a whole field of heavy boots stomping the earth a few feet behind me and there was no doubt in my heart that they were my kidnapper’s army.
I sprinted even faster, my face scrunching up in pain at the strain on my injured leg even as all my ears could hear was how fast my own heart was beating. Tears welled up in my eyes and streaked down my face as my positive vision of a road and a nice stranger to drive me away from this reality and back home completely faded away to be replaced by all my sweat, my hard work and determination, my broken ankle all going down the drain in vain only to be replaced with images of me being captured once again and tortured until I finally gave up, collapsing onto a pool of my own blood as all breath left my body and I went limp. I imagined being buried in a shallow, unmarked grave and no one would ever know. That would be the end of my life, just like that.
I thought about Alexander and all the time we had to put the circumstances of our meeting and all our differences behind us and make the most of our lives and our relationship but we didn’t, fighting at every chance we got. I mourned the dream life with my mate that I would never get to have. The adorable kids I would never get to bring into the world. The places I would never travel to. The pieces my paint and brush would
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never have the chance to bring to life. If I said I was not disappointed that Alexander hadn’t still found me in all these weeks that it was claimed that he has been looking for me, I would be a liar. How far away or how hidden was this place that it was so difficult to find. While it proved so hard for me to escape, Alexander was not locked up in a room with guards standing in front of his room, preventing him from leaving. He was not weaponless and even had a whole army to fight alongside him unlike me who was starved, dirty, scared and alone.
Shouldn’t he know his brother well enough to know where to search? Why was he delaying then? Or doesn’t he realize what his brother is capable of? Doesn’t he realize that I may be killed. If he does, does he not care?
The early morning sun burned against my skin and made me sweat in the places covered by my dress as I felt them get even closer. I knew I would not stand a chance if I continued to run in the path right in front of them especially as the forest directly in front of me was significantly less thicker than the distance behind me so I made a quick turn to the side, stumbling over a branch and somersaulting into a small bush. Placing my hand over my mouth despite the way I had been panting and needed to breathe, I pulled myself up to a squat as I watched them pass by me and continued to go ahead. My entire body rose and fell with my heavy breathing until it wracked with my sobs as I watched them go.
I stayed there in that position as I they trampled on soil and plants in front of me as they kept going forward. I watched their backs clad in their black uniforms with their daggers strapped to their side until my breathing normalized and my tears dried up on my face and in my eyes as well. It was hard to believe that I had lost them so easily but if my eyes weren’t
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288 iVouchers
beginning to see things due to my exhaustion, hunger and pain then they just disappeared into the path in front of me. I knew that I wasn’t completely safe yet as I was still in this forest with them so whatever move I decide to make next would be very important in determining that I didn’t run into them again and yet I didn’t have all the time in the world to stand around in the name of thinking when they could easily turn back around after realizing that something didn’t add up and chase back in the direction they came through until they eventually catch up to me.
Getting up, I brushed down my dress with my hands, an action that was purely instinctive considering the fact that this dress needed more than just my hands to keep it clean. After steadying myself on the marshy, irregularly set ground underneath my feet, I made to look around when I heard a sinister laugh fill the air around me. One that had
goosebumps littering my body and my nerve ends acting like they had been rubbed with a live wire. I stilled for a couple of seconds as my heart beat erratically as a result of the shock. Turning slowly, I saw Antonio standing standing behind me with an amused glint in his eyes and when he saw that he had my attention, he folded his arms and shifted so he was slightly resting his weight on one leg before cocking his head to complete the sassy look.
“If it isn’t brave little Isabella.” He said before shaking his head, “We talked about this, didn’t we?” He scoffed, “It’s like no one listens anymore.”
My brain instantly snapped into action, propelling me forward as I broke into a sprint but Antonio either predicted that move or didn’t even need to considering the fact that I was a lot slower due to my injury that didn’t seem to be healing for some reason and the fact that Antonio was not only uninjured
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but also bigger and stronger than me and the erratic determination in him to kill his own brother, I believe will drive him to do more than me who just wanted to be free of him and go home. I think that was why barely a second after I broke into a run, Antonio caught up to me, knocking me down before standing over me and sneering at my form. It definitely didn’t make it easier to bear in this moment that he had the
same face as Alexander.
He picked up my entirely sore body like I weighed nothing and threw me over his shoulder, my body digging into his most uncomfortably. “You should know better.” He taunted in my ear before turning around, back towards where I spent so much time running away from.
I really do apologize for the repeated chapters. Been having issues with my docs -it’s been mixing up the chapters. I know this isn’t a valid reason which is why I deeply apologize. It won’t happen, again. Pinky promise… I love y’all.
H.B Temilorun
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288 (Vouchers
