Atychiphobia

Silence filled the air. It filled the dark almost endless woods covered in snow and ice. No animal lay in sight. There were no birds in their nests, There were no deer frolicing in the tall grass,and there were no buildings to block one's view.Not one person to interrupt this endless forest's beauty. Except…there was a young woman-...no. A young girl. Taking cover in the snow and bushes away from some unknown force that follow. Her breathing was heavy and short, constantly gasping for air while she made a failing attempt to calm himself.The silence was broken by the growing sounds of footsteps by the dozen. The sound of leather boots breaking through the layers of snow and branches that scatter the ground now echo through this silence.The child hid in this bush, crying silently. Droplets of tears pour down her pale cheeks,almost as pale as the very snow she sat on. Her mind was in a scatter, she knew if she got caught it'd be over. That if she stayed here any longer it would be her end. But what could she do other than…Run. And so, that is what she did.That is what she forced herself to do.

With a pained grunt, and her oozing red blood painting the blank snow like a canvas, she stood from the bush. Staring at the wound on her hip. Jagged and rough,a cut that stretch four to five inches in length and bled widely. Her body pulsing, twitching in irritation and the fear coursing through her body. She had no way to fix this wound, nor would she have time. The source of the heavy steps were in eye distance just around the corner of these trees. Men, perhaps women as well, stood searching, dressed in all black,heavy looking clothing. Cloth strung with heavy plating to keep warm and make any sort of attack that she would ever try utterly useless.Just as was trying to identify these people, wearing gas masks to cover their face, leaving all but their eyes covered. Those stern, focused eyes…

The girl on the other hand stood shorter than these people and wore no such warm clothing. Her outfit instead, torn and tan fabric, that seem to be a uniform of sorts. The uniform was filthy, stretched and ripped in many places. Leaving the girls pale and rosy pink skin exposed to the cold air. Her face, soft and young, covered in muck and stains of dried blood, almost as red as the hair atop her head. Such hair was messy and unkempt, riddled with twigs and dirt. A thick wool wrapped around her neck. A scarf, a dark and swampy green, that contrasts the girl's emerald eyes that rip through the darkness around her. She turned her head away from the men she saw and instead focus ahead. A small set of tattooed numbers on their wrist is visible. Reading "B8-260".

With her eyes trained ahead,she began to sprint. Each step threw the snow sending a rippled pain that travel from her legs upward. Spreading like wildfire in her nerves and poor body. Rocks beneath the snow piercing her bare, bandaged feet. Stabbing and poking her with every step, ensuring that she not linger to apply too much pressure on each step.Her breath hasty and pained once more, forcing herself to breath through her mouth. Barking and yapping, echo up ahead. Dogs now somewhere loose in these woods, sent to find her, attack her, and bring her back…lifeless or not. The Girl running lead her past a black van masked in darkness. Parked beside a tree, back doors wide open. A large symbol of an eye split in two, embedded on the vans side. The girl has seen this all before, not good news. The girl now turning her direction elsewhere ahead, now in a curved fashion, trying to move between trees and shrub.The barking grew closer along with more footsteps to follow.

Stumbling as she runs, drenched in sweat and snow falling from the branches above.. A bright light shines over the child for a moment coming from several flashlights. The child barely catches breath before sprinting once again, shielding her eyes with an arm as the sound of smaller but much faster footsteps approach. Appearing beside her from the dark, a furry black blur, chasing behind with a vicious snarl.

Her breath fast with short wheezing as they ran, her legs and balance wobbly trying to avoid whatever the echoing bangs that go off behind her were. It takes all her body strength to keep this pace. It felt like being punched in the lungs over and over with every aching step. Ahead of her a cliff that for all knowledge could lead to death lay ahead. But the angry animal behind her was inches away with sharp, yellow teeth and no regard for this child's life. She would have to take this chance. She doesn't want to die here. She, without hesitation, leaped forward as she tripped off the edge, narrowly missing the dog's grasp. Eyes wide open, wind went through her hair..As one final bang echo threw the air alongside a powerful crash.

A horrible, ear piercing scream echoed through the woods..as the girl began her descent, her limbs out of control as they crash against the hard incline,the sharp edges of ice and small sticks dug into her back and bare flesh, adding to the searing pain. Each collision echoing through the forest,each attempt at her hands desperately grasping at snow and dirt to regain control, failing. Finally, the girl's journey down came to an end as she lay sprawled on the icy sheets below.

Screeches of agony exert her lungs at the throbbing pain of her bleeding leg. Her skin and layers of muscle, torn by the broken ice that impale and drip with a deep red liquid. The look in her eyes filled with terror, terror at the fact she had failed. FAILED! After so much work,and effort…But she would not rest yet, while her fist crash against the ice out of anger and pain, she had begun to pull herself forward and off this ruined ice lake.Her body aching all over, forcing, pushing itself to drag along such a torn down body off the ice and into the snowy grass. As she crawl for what felt like hours…perhaps even all night, trying to find safety. Her irritated eyes pink from so many tears shed.But she had to live…she had to find her way out.

The sun…had awoken and now lit up the entire sky with beautiful hues of oranges and yellows. Providing its sunshine and warmth all around the once darkened woods, as if it were congratulating the girl..as she cross the treeline. Resting at the edge of the forest looking toward the sun in praise. A large city just in the distance, looming through the fog. The buildings fallen and in shambles now, nothing but remains covered with ice glaciers spiking through the once tall buildings.Heavy fog and large gray clouds fill the sky above. Taking a deep breath the girl felt such pride in her survival.So much so, that all her pain meant nothing.All her struggling had been worth it. She clenches her fists and takes one more long breath before taking a moment to sit herself up. Pressing her young broken body against a tree, she allows herself to stare at her accomplishment, but not for long. Her body would force itself up, each trantaction of muscles making her wince and struggle intel she was just barely able to hold herself up on two feet. She believed she had finally made it through the long night, That she would finally find the answers she search for…Letting out one large inhale. She took a few, shaky steps forward, before her body would go limp within the third step. Her body with a loud crash found itself back onto the grass, soaked in her blood. And with her exhale….It left the woods to fall silent once again. Empty once again...