You Can Run, but You Can't Hide

Short story I wrote when I was 12 and in a somewhat "dark" mood

I’m running through the woods for my life.

I’ve been running about a mile now, but I’m pulsing with adrenaline, which stops me from getting out of breath. My arms and legs hit branches as I run, and my clothes snag on brambles, but it doesn’t matter. Nothing matters but my life.

I hear yells from behind me. They’re here. The men in black cloaks are closing in on me. They want to kill me. Because I am a threat to them and everything they stand for.

I trip over a fallen log, stumble a few steps, then revert to running for my life. I dash through the woods, weaving through the forest, racing around bushes, sprinting past trees that all look alike, doing everything I can to protect my life.

For a few seconds, everything seems to happen in slow motion. I turn my head to see four men running after me. There were five. Where is the fifth? I whip my head back around and see my hair flying, but then everything inside me freezes as I see the fifth man in front of me.

He grabs me, but I am running so fast that I slip out of his grip and stumble to the ground. I get up almost instantly, but the men have surrounded me. Four of them force me down, each restraining an arm or leg. It’s a good thing, too, because I am struggling as fiercely as a wild animal. My head whips forward and back, and I am shaking my ams and legs and twisting as hard as I can. It’s amazing what people can do when they’re fighting for their life.

The fifth man steps in front of me, holding a dagger. In the back of my head I realize that there is nothing I can do, but I keep on fighting anyway.

“Hold her still!” the man orders. They fight me harder, and finally my head convinces me that my struggle is in vain. I stop for a moment, then struggle weakly. But I am no match for these men, having trained all their life for this job. I have run from them for over a year, but they have finally caught up with me. I suddenly realize that I am going to die and almost break into hysterics.

“Please!” I sob. “I don’t want to die! Please!” I am struggling again. I know it is in vain, but a part of me doesn’t want to make this easy for them. “Please!” I scream, tears running down my cheeks. “Please! Please! Please!” The man raises the dagger. “NO!” I shriek. “NOOO!” I am yelling at the top of my voice, louder than I ever have, and the loudest I possibly can.

Before the man stabs me, he leans close to me and whispers one thing: “I told you already, girl. You can run, but you can’t hide.” With that, he brings the dagger up. It seems to move in slow motion. And when it does pierce my body, my upper body jerks forward. He has stabbed me in the stomach.

I don’t know what I am feeling. Pain? Numbness? My mouth is open, as though I’m in the middle of a silent scream. Maybe I am. I’m sure there is pain, but I can feel no physical pain. Really, the worst pain is the realization that I am going to leave this world.

The men drop my limbs. “Let’s get out of here!” one screams. “Come on, run!” I can’t tell who. I’m staring up through the trees. They have left me here to die.

The forest is suddenly quiet, and I’m aware of the sound of water rushing by. A river. I manage to raise my head and look to my left. The woods end fifty feet away. Then, there are open grasslands, but the grass is short. A little distance from the end of the woods, there is a stream, then more grass. Beyond them, hills.

I don’t want to die in these dark woods. For some reason, I want to die in the stream. I want to lie in its coolness and feel the water lap over me, cleaning me. My heart wants to believe that I can lie in the stream, and it will save me, but I know better. Still, I push myself up, and get my first glance at the wound. Blood is soaking my clothes, and the sight of a dagger in me is horrifying. I get up anyway, and then feel the pain. It’s unbearable, but I stagger out of the woods and to the stream. When I reach it, I sit down in the stream. My boots are getting soaked, so I pull them off, and then catch a glimpse of the dagger in me. A few tears slide down my cheek. I really don’t want to die. I know there is no god, no heaven, no hell. So what will it be like to be dead? Nothing? But for it to feel like nothing, I will have to be somewhat conscious. So then again, it’s not even nothing.

I look at the dagger in me. Disgusted, I pull it out, and wail at the pain. Blood pours out, and I wonder if I have just shortened the remainder of my already short life. It doesn’t matter though. I will be dead in a minute, if not in a few seconds.

I throw the knife into the woods. It barely makes it into the shadows, but at least it got where I wanted it to. I don’t want the object that has ended my life next to me when I die, or for people to find it next to me when they find me dead.

I look down at my wound and begin sobbing again. I really don’t want to die. I have a sister, parents, friends. All that didn’t matter when I began running for my life from the men in black over a year ago. But now I feel guilty. What have I done them? And now they will see me dead. I know they are coming, but they will not reach me in time.

What can I do during the last few moments of my life? I try to think of all the good I have done, all the people I have saved. It’s no good. Pain takes over my body. I try not to think about it. I try to look at the stream, at the grass, at the sky. I can barely feel the cold water on my skin now.

“Please don’t take me! Please!” I yell out to no one in particular. The world, the universe, maybe? I have stopped sobbing, but I’m almost desperate.

The world is growing fuzzier, maybe darker. I can’t tell. I try to think about my life, from the first moments to now. And all of a sudden, I see it all. It’s as though I rewind back to my first look at the world. I see my mother, smiling and holding me after giving birth. Oh, mother. What will she think, and feel? I zip through my life, seeing myself playing with friends, fighting and then making up with my sister, refusing boys (why, oh why couldn’t I have enjoyed those rare few moments that will never happen to me again?), protecting my family, and then starting to run. I feel as though I’m reliving my entire life, but I know all this is happening in seconds. Then, it all disappears, and I see the world again.

I look at the sky. Should I close my eyes so I cannot see the world disappear? Or should I watch the world fade in front of me? I am very close to death, so I must make my decision quickly. I keep my eyes open.

The world is fading, growing fuzzier. I lie on my back, barely even feeling the stones in the river under my back.

Everything is blurry, but peaceful. I lie still and think of what I have done. I have run for my life for a long time, but they caught up with me. And now, reality has caught up with me. And all of a sudden, the man in black’s words come back to me. I have always denied what he thinks, but now, only seconds from my death, I might as well face the truth.

The man in black was right. I could always run, but I could never hide. But there is one thing he missed: I was never able to run from anything. It all caught up with me.

I feel strange satisfaction at having realized this. No one can conquer me now, because I have faced everything. And now I am facing death. I haven’t done every last thing I wanted to do, but I have done something.

I stare up at the sky. The world is fading. Darkness is taking over me. I think about how I don’t want to die, but it’s inevitable. I know I have one last thought, and when I do think it, I know it’s pointless, but I think it anyway.

Please don’t take me. Please.

With that, the world fades in front of me. The last thing I can say is the world goes black, and I can almost feel myself slipping away.



Author's Note

I realize this story includes an opinion on God and what happens after death. I mean no disrespect or offense to those who do believe in God, it is just my opinion and a part of the story. Thanks for understanding :)

Also, I welcome any comments and reviews.

Reviews

[JB Henderson]

This story was pretty sad, but I enjoyed it, nonetheless. The mystery behind what exactly the protagonist had done makes this tale interesting, as well. If you were to edit this story, I would probably make the protagonist question his/her beliefs, even if they appear to be an Athiest.
Overall, it was a pretty good story.

[Louvegrise14]

Thank you for your input, I'm glad you liked it :)

[Glen Yumang Manese]

Interesting development at age 12...
the story line asked questions...
yet at a young age when you wrote this narrative...
I'd have at it again --- now that you've seen the world...
a bit more and can grasp more into this write...

[Louvegrise14]

I was thinking about doing that, but this was written while I was in the "right mood" fro it and really into it, I'm not sure I would like the final product. Thank you for the review, though :)

[Glen Yumang Manese]

You're welcome...just a thought...good day...

[Roo]

It reads well. the prose flows and there is good rhythm which ensures a quick read which I think is a good thing.
I'm assuming there is more to come and the narrator doesn't die, otherwise how has the piece been written. or have I missed the point.
And if there is more is it in your portfolio or have I been too lazy to search for it.
Anyway I enjoyed the read. And will be looking for more of your material.
Roo

[Louvegrise14]

Thank you for reading and reviewing, I'm happy you enjoyed my work.

I don't plan for anything else to come after it. When I wrote this a few years ago my mind was just wandering in dark places, and this came out of it ^_^

[Matthew Ian Herrawood W]

Haha No Offense taken! Honestly i don't think any of us Christians would take offense Many stereotypes about us are wrong anyway. This grabbed me from the start and i think with a little tweaking you could make this a really good Prologue to a Sci-fi/Fantasy book if you did Its definitely something i would read. Loved Every moment of this.

[Louvegrise14]

I'm glad you liked it! Thanks for the tip about the sci-fi/fantasy book, which are two of my favorite genres.

[Terry Collett]

Faith in God is never factual, but a leap as Soren kierkegaardd said, of faith, an act of the will. This is a dark story, but lucid and understandable. Enjoyed.

[Louvegrise14]

Thanks for your review, I appreciate the input.