Sanctuary

The alleyway was a labyrinth of shadows, the stench of garbage and decay clinging to the damp brick walls. Blair's breath hitched in her throat, a ragged gasp that echoed in the silence. Her heart hammered against her ribs, a frantic drumbeat urging her forward, her lungs burning with exertion. Every shadow seemed to writhe, every rustle of leaves a whispered threat.

She could hear them closing in, their heavy footsteps pounding on the pavement behind her, their voices a guttural chorus of pursuit. She risked a glance over her shoulder, just a fleeting glimpse, and saw the dark figures silhouetted against the faint glow of the streetlights, their faces obscured by shadows, their intentions unmistakable.

"Just a little further," she gasped, forcing her aching legs to move faster, her wounded arm throbbing with a dull, insistent pain. "Almost there..."