CHAPTER 5

With a final, withering glare, I slammed my bedroom door shut and leaned against it. The thin wood felt like a shield against the overwhelming emotions threatening to consume me. After a moment of silence, I exhaled deeply, my gaze fixed on the all too familiar surroundings. The thought of being trapped in this cage disguised as a room was suffocating.

Escape.

The word echoed in my head. "I need to escape." It was the only way out of this mess.

I scrambled around, shoving clothes and stuff into a bag, my hands shaking. My mother's amulet, a smooth silver pendant with a swirly moon on it, felt heavy and warm against my skin as I slipped it around my neck. It was the only thing I had left of her, a tiny bit of love in all this hate.

Taking a deep breath, I climbed on top of my balcony overlooking the garden. The moon was full, casting an eerie light everywhere.  Fear threatened to paralyze me because of the height, but the thought of Chloe and my father spurred me on.  "I'm doing this!"

Taking a flying leap of faith, I jumped, bracing myself for impact. The wind whooshed past my ears, terrifying but not as terrifying as the fear in my stomach. But instead of hitting the hard ground, I landed with a soft plop on some squishy ferns.

Before I could register my surprise, the roars of my father's guards broke the silence of the night.  "Intruder! There she is!"

Panic choked me, sending me scrambling to my feet. I ran, the guards' yells getting louder behind me. I knew the gardens well, the only obstacle was the dark, slowing me down.

Suddenly, a rough hand grabbed my shoulder. I screamed, twisting myself in a desperate attempt to pull away from his grip. I gritted my teeth, pulling my claws to scratch his hands off me, but instead he grabbed my other arm.

As I continued to struggle, a deep, angry voice cut through the night. "Layla! Stop this foolishness!"

It was my father. Relief washed over me for a second; before fleeting away, I growled at him, ignoring how much fury I saw in his eyes.

"Let me go!" I spat, my voice hoarse. "I'm not going to be some sacrifice!"

He grabbed my chin, forcing me to look at him.  "There's nowhere to run, Layla. Don't make this harder than it has to be."  

I have been caught, there is no escaping this. But as if feeling the intensity of my emotions, my mother's amulet started to glow, pulsed with a blinding light. The guards stumbled back, shielding their eyes; even my father let go of me, his gaze locked on the glowing pendant

"Where... where did you get that?" he stammered, his voice filled with surprise.

But before he could finish his question, the light got even brighter, wrapping me in a warm, white cocoon.  The world spun, a dizzying kaleidoscope of colors and sensations.  Then, silence. 

~

Disoriented, I cracked open my eye, and a jolt of pain shot through me – a hard, cold stone floor pressing against my cheek, the smell of mildew and decay filling my nostrils. Panic clawed at my throat as I sat up, taking in the unfamiliar surroundings.

I was no longer in the garden. Hell, I was no longer in my father's manor! I glanced around the crumbling brick walls, moonlight peeking through a crack, barely lighting up this narrow, dark alleyway.

The shouts of guards and the chilling grip of my father's hand felt like a fading memory.  Did the amulet… Did it transport me away? 

Was I gone? Was I really gone? Relief flooded me, but it didn't take time before a cold wave of dread filled me.

I might have escaped, but to where? The dark, narrow alley was creepy, with walls that seemed ready to crumble and barely any light.  

There was no way my father wouldn't be searching for me, sniffing out my trail like wolves on the hunt. But where could I even go? Who could I trust? 

No! I scolded myself. Think positively. At least you are out of that hell of a household. Clutching the amulet tightly, the only connection I had to my mother, I forced myself to my feet. The tunnel stretched out in front of me, dark and terrifying, but it was a path. I had to take it.

Taking a shaky breath, I stepped forward. My footsteps echoed in the silence, the only sound in the creepy tunnel. I didn't know where I was going, but I had to keep moving. One step at a time, I would find my way. 

The dark tunnel seemed to go on forever, squeezing the air out of my lungs with each step. But then, a flicker of light cut through the darkness. Hope shot through me like a lightning bolt. 

Quickening my pace, I stumbled towards the light, praying it wasn't another dead end. As I turned a corner, I saw where the light came from – a small, beat-up tavern with a crooked sign that creaked like a ghost in the wind. Relief and worry battled inside me as I pushed open the creaky door. The sudden burst of light and noise was almost overwhelming.

The bar was loud and smelled. Smoke hung in the air so thick I could barely see the people sitting around the tables. Their laughter filled the tarven, mingled with raspy conversation, and occasional clink of glasses. 

All eyes turned towards me as I entered. The jovial atmosphere died down and a weird silence took over.  The people, a bunch of rough-looking individuals, stared at me with a mix of curiosity and something way worse – hunger.

Suddenly self-conscious, I pulled my cloak tighter around myself, attempting to project toughness I didn't quite feel.  With a deep frown, I approached the bartender, a burly man with a thick beard and a missing eye. 

"Excuse me," I croaked, my voice barely audible above the din. "Where... where am I?"

The bartender raised an eyebrow, studying me with a cold, calculating gaze.  Finally, he grunted out a single word.

"Southgate." 

Relief washed over me. At least I knew where I was, even if it wasn't exactly a comforting place.  Southgate was known for being a lawless frontier town, a place filled with smugglers, bounty hunters, and worse. 

"Thanks," I mumbled, leaving a few coins on the counter. 

But the bartender didn't reach for them.  He simply flicked them back at me with his finger. 

"No handouts here, missy," he rasped.  "Especially not for lost lambs."

His words sent a shiver down my spine.  The way he looked at me, like a piece of fresh meat, made me want to run.  Ignoring the prickling sensation at the back of my neck, I snatched the coins and turned towards the door.

As I stepped back out into the cool night air, the feeling of being watched worsened. Every rustle in the shadows, every creak of the old buildings, felt like being stalked by a predator. I was sure about it. I was being followed. Fear coiled in my gut, like a cold snake coiling tighter and tighter in my stomach.

I held onto the amulet to my chest, as I plunged deeper into the darkness, my heart pounding.