Free at last…

Laura

The street was empty, with only the sound of my uneven breaths and the crunch of gravel beneath my feet. My legs felt like they were giving out, but I kept pushing, half stumbling as I clutched my side. My aunt's house came into view, the single light in the window a beacon, pulling me closer.

When I reached the door, I pounded on it, each knock sending a jolt of pain through my battered body. "Please, please open up," I whispered, hardly able to breathe.