A Fate Renewed

Chapter 4-Into the Brambles

*Trigger Warning for Attempted s****l Assault*

(Amira)

The crisp, fresh air filled my lungs as the sun was about to rise. Glancing at the clock before I left, it showed that it was 4:50 in the morning. If I hurried now, I would be able to see the sunrise from the top of the peak.

I ran to my bike and started my journey to the trailhead. This trail was my space, the only place I would go every Sunday, my sanctuary.

I biked the ten minutes and saw the trail, hearing a truck drive across the main road as I hurried along. It was rare to see anyone out here this early in the morning. I thought it must have been someone who parked for the night after drinking too much and brushed it off. I know my father had done the same more than a few times.

A chill suddenly ran through me, and something in my gut was telling me to hurry and get on my way.

I walked up the path, trying to ignore the aching pain radiating from my back as I attempted to push it to the back of my mind. Last night felt like some type of nightmare, and the only reminder that it wasn't were the marks left behind.

I probably should've stayed home in my condition, but I wouldn't let him take this away from me too.

So I made sure to take a few ibuprofen before I left, so hopefully, it would start to really kick in within the hour.

I stuck my hand out, gliding my fingertips across the ferns and feeling the fresh raindrops from last night's downpour wet my fingertips.

I took a deep breath, inhaling the fresh air and smelling the dirt and trees as the sun slowly began to rise. Revealing the foxgroves that were all around me as the dawn quickly approached.

I listened to the large pine trees swaying their branches as a gust of wind blew by. I had been hiking for nearly an hour when the sun began to rise, I needed to hurry, knowing I was thirty minutes to the first peak.

Startling me, I heard a branch snap close behind me. Causing my senses to go on high alert and making me freeze in my tracks.

There had been cougars sighted out here and a few black bears, but the sound of that twig seemed like something smaller. A deer crossed my mind, and I stood there listening for five more minutes.

Nothing, I didn’t hear anything else, so I continued on my climb up the trail. I walked quietly and with purpose, making sure I wouldn’t make too much noise so I could keep an ear out for something else, feeling like I was being followed.

Whatever it was, it wasn't an animal. I felt deep down that it had to be a person, and my heart dropped when I realized who it might be. That truck I heard earlier was a sound I had grown used to hearing for the past few months… It had to be Jacob.

It all clicked in an instant. He had to have been trailing me this entire time. Oh god, what was I going to do?

I began to weigh my options, trying not to freak out as I felt my heart pounding in my chest. I could either confront him and try to get out of this by being friendly… or I could try to lose him and run back to my bike, knowing it was an hour away.

My only advantage was that I knew these woods. I didn’t always stick to the trails and have wandered all throughout these trees for years.

I decided on the second option, thinking I could have the element of surprise on my side as I felt him inching closer and closer. I just needed to find the right time. The sun was about to rise, and I thought the darkness would be more in my favor.

My stomach twisted with nerves. The fear almost crippling me as I tried to calm myself down. I just needed to get ahead of him. Maybe I would pass a fellow hiker on the way down. I just needed to get as much distance between me and Jacob so he wouldn't be able to find me.

That's when I heard another branch snap, making my fight or flight reflex kick into gear as I pushed off of my feet, darting forward.

Go, Amira, run!

I shouted into my racing mind as the sound of my heart pounding filled my ears.

I shot towards the trees to the left, dodging a large rotten stump and running down the slope of the hill below me. Every step I took caused pain to shoot up my back as I gritted my teeth, fighting through it.

I was using the slope of the hill to help me run quicker as I began weaving through the thick line of trees that filled the forest.

I felt my back ignite with pain as I tried so damn hard not to let it slow me down. Ducking under branches and jumping over large rocks that came into my sloping path, not helping in the slightest.

That's when I heard him come crashing through the trees behind me. He didn’t speak a single word as the sound of his breathing panted behind me. The puffs of air grew more erratic with each step he took as the noises grew louder and louder. He had to be just mere inches away.

I felt a whimper tear from my lips, that fear climbing up my throat as I tried to swallow it down.

The sun had now risen enough for me to recognize where I was. If I were to weave through the tree, I might be able to lose him quicker. Suddenly, a huge patch of mud appeared under me as I reached level ground, causing me to slip and fall to my knees.

“No!” I breathed heavily.

As quickly as I fell, I began to rise to my feet when he flew out from behind me, tackling me to the ground. The impact caused a sharp pain to shoot up from my back as my body hit the earth below me.

Jacob climbed on top of me, holding my arms to my side, straddling me as I looked up at him fearfully.

“Get the hell off of me!” I yelled, trying to tug my arms free as his brown eyes almost looked feral as they sparked with excitement. That's when a wicked grin spread across his lips as he finally spoke.

“It didn’t have to go this way, Amira.” He stated harshly before his grip tightened around my wrist, making pain shoot up my sides.

I knew it bruised his ego, the constant shutdowns and disinterest. Nobody turned down Jacob, but for him to take it this far was shocking, to say the least.

“Please, just let me go.” I rushed, trying to wriggle out from beneath his grasp.

I swiftly lifted my hips, trying to buck him off of me as he put his whole weight on top of my body. I felt him move his arm over, capturing both of my frail wrists with one hand before dragging his free hand down.

"This will go a lot easier if you don’t fight me, Amira. Just give me what I f*****g want.” He gritted through his teeth. Those eyes turning darker by the second.

"No! Get the hell off of me Jacob!" I screamed before spitting in his face and making him laugh wildly.

His hands reached down as he lifted my hoodie, sliding his calloused fingers against my skin. The action caused a shiver to run through me as he rubbed his disgusting palms all over my flesh. Those haunting eyes gleamed with excitement.

"You are going to love this, Amira. Trust me. Let me make you feel good." He whispered, his hot breath making me feel sick as the smell of cigarettes invaded my nostrils.

I twisted my arm, desperation taking over as I somehow managed to wriggle one wrist out of his grip as he reached down for the button on his pants.

Out of desperation, I quickly swung my arm forward, hitting him straight across the face before doing it again and again. The brutal impact made my hand shoot with pain as he jerked his arm up to cradle his now bleeding nose.

"f*****g b***h!" He hissed, the momentary distraction giving me the chance to react.

I instinctively rolled my hips, pushing him off of me, as I scrambled to my feet. He lunged at me with his hands reaching out as he grabbed my backpack, pulling me back towards him roughly.

"Amira, stop f*****g fighting this!" He screamed, making my heart jump as I quickly slipped out of the straps. Wincing from the throbbing pain in my back as I took off running into the trees once more.

“f*****g b***h! Get back here!” Jacob yelled furiously at me, his voice echoing off of the trees as he began chasing me again.

I took a quick right and then followed a small creek that I remembered seeing before. Leaping over the creek, I started to follow it down and knew it led to a small runoff next to a cliff.

I ran faster than I ever had in my life, jumping and leaping over fallen branches and through bushes. Knowing if I slowed down in the slightest, I probably wouldn't get away this time if he caught me.

I heard Jacob fall a few times, cursing in the process, and I knew I was losing him.

I slid across the slick rocks and bounded down the hill where the stream trickled below a couple of large boulders.

I slipped, landing on my stomach and scraping my knee along the way as my jeans tore from shin to ankle, making me wince as I saw the blood dripping down my leg.

The sun had risen now, and I soon realized he would find me from my tracks, so I began to walk in the stream, stopping every few minutes to listen for anything.

I knew I had thrown him off by taking the creek. He must've gone the other way because I hadn't heard anything for at least ten minutes.

Looking ahead, I saw something move, making me freeze in place as something shining brightly in the sun caught my attention.

The silver fox… it looked at me with wide silver eyes that seemed almost human.

"You're alive." I whispered while staring into those mesmerizing eyes.

The fox quickly turned and began to trot down a path I hadn't explored before. That's when deep feeling pulled at me, as if I knew this fox wanted me to follow it.

I glanced behind my shoulder one last time, thinking I had lost Jacob for good and began to slowly follow the fox's trail.

It took me through the trees as I limped behind it quietly, realizing it was now bringing me towards a grove of blackberry bushes.

Examining the bushes, I soon noticed a small hole just barely big enough for me to fit through.

I hesitated for a moment, wondering where it was taking me and feeling that invisible pull beckoning to me once more. I slowly lowered to my hands and knees, crawling behind the fox and letting it lead me blindly into the blackberry groves.

Getting through wasn’t easy, my body being stopped as my hoodie kept catching on thorns while the vines tangled in my hair, making my heart drop suddenly when I realized I had lost my hat somewhere along the way.

Why that bothered me after last night, I have no clue… I should hate everything to do with that man. And yet, I felt guilty for losing it.

The fox stopped every few feet, waiting for me to catch up or untangle myself as my hands squished in the mud, crawling my way through the labyrinth of trailing vines.

It felt like we had been in the bushes for hours. I began to wonder if this maze would ever end when there was a bright light at the end of the tunnel, breaking through the thorns.

The fox stood at the opening, its silver fur glistened from the sun as relief flooded through me. I made it...

I crawled through, the glare making me shut my eyes tightly as that bright light temporarily blinded me.

Fluttering my eyes open, I tilted my head back, realizing that light wasn't the sun at all… It was actually a large willow tree that seemed to glow, standing in the middle of an opening in what I realized was a cave.

Water pooled around the tree as I stood up, slowly walking towards it. The weeping willow's branches glowed brightly as the leaves were a soft white and green.

It was breathtaking… I had never seen anything like it, and yet, it somehow felt familiar. Had I seen this in a dream before? Maybe I was dreaming right now.

The large hanging branches blew from a wind that seemed to circle around me. It was almost like I was being pulled towards it. I began walking through the still water, seeing ripples of light appear around me as my eyes widened in shock.

Mesmerized, I reached my hand towards the tree, and to my amazement, it seemed to reach back.

The fox sat on the side of the pool, staring at me, its silver eyes glowing brightly. I slowly waded through the cool water as I felt it reach up to my waist now.

The cool sensation caused me to gasp as I saw the tree was now right before me.

I began climbing up the rocks that surrounded the glowing willow, staring up as white orbs of light drifted down toward me. Floating in the air and circling me in a flurry before settling on my skin, touching me softly as if they had known me my whole life. It was like a gentle caress that made a deep warmth fill me.

I closed my eyes, feeling their embrace as they enveloped me in their lights, whispering things I couldn’t quite understand as they lowered me deep down in the pool of water.

Fully submerged, I felt I could breathe. Their light gave me life as I looked at my hands, seeing them begin to glow. My hair floated in front of me, appearing white as snow, my skin soft as it seemed to change a few shades lighter.

Without warning, the water began to enter me, causing me to swallow it whole while each light that surrounded me entered my body.

Panic set in as I began to realize what was happening. I started struggling for air, trying to fight the water that filled my lungs before shutting my eyes tightly and twisting my body. I reached my arms up, fighting to find the surface as I wasn't sure which way was up and which was down.

Then, the feel of a hand caressing my face swiped across my cheek as a calm presence engulfed me.

“You are finally home, Theia.” A deep voice whispered into my ear.