I crawled through a gap in the tree branches, but a particularly cruel branch twisted into my back and scraped up my spine. Stumbling to my knees in a puddle of black ooze, I pushed my lips together so I wouldn't hiss in pain or revulsion.
The sting at being skinned alive brought tears to my eyes and blurred the world into a carnival ride with blue lights. Oh, how I wished that was what I walked toward. Once I shoved myself to my feet, I swiped at my face, and reality shifted back into all its nightmarish glory.
I checked to see that the bracelet was still fastened to my wrist. It was, but I didn't dare touch it for fear I would disrupt its power and it would stop working.
So far, so good. None of the heartbeat-challenged shambling up and down the street seemed to notice me, but when their blue gazes swept past mine, my chest turned to ice and my steps faltered.