As I ran, sweat dripped down the sides of my temples and onto my burning neck in long rivulets.

I lost sight of Amy and Asuka a while back when we all ran in different directions like bats out of h.e.l.l.

After Kent's declaration, I was one of the first to run like there was no tomorrow.

Although I knew how useless my struggles are, the hopeful human part of me beat down the logical side with ideas of possibly making it past the grove of trees and into the city where I would be discovered and saved.

The torch of hope burned bright.

As I swerved a corner, dodging a tall tree, I could hear the loud pounding of feet—paws.

It echoed across the expanse of the forest to which all the birds fled upon its approach.

Fear, horror, and desperation filled my entire being as I willed my burning legs to run faster.

When I turned my head and looked behind me, my eyes caught a tuft of brown fur from the corner of my vision before it quickly disappeared.

Then, I panicked.

At the initial glance, I dodged to the left and then swerved to the right to see a big, almost 5-6 foot were-beast in front of my vision.

It completely blocked off my path with its enormous body, drool dripping from its jaw to mat its thick patches of fur.

I immediately try to halt, stumbling forward until my knees and palms slammed to the forest floor.

Ignoring the stabbing pain of the branches and pebbles digging into my skin, I hurriedly picked myself up off of the forest ground and tried to escape.

But inside my head, I already knew it was game over.

"I found you, ugly b.i.t.c.h," came this familiar taunting voice that lilted in a gleeful yet bone-chilling way.

The brown-haired beast s.h.i.+fted back into a humanoid form until Kent stood several feet in front of me.

His glowing eyes snapped to my face while sharp canines bared for me to see.

The sight was so d.a.m.ned sinister and evil that I couldn't tear my gaze away.

I was stunned still and my hope was seemingly dashed at that very moment.

No.

I don't want to die.

I weakly tumbled to the right, feeling surrounded and suddenly claustrophobic.

My lungs heaved.

My heart pounding ferociously in my throat.

I fought the urge to puke from the stress of running and the fear of what being caught actually meant.

But it was already too late.

All the adrenaline left my body.

I took a step back only to fall painfully onto my b.u.t.t since my legs lost feeling and were no longer capable of holding my weight.

For the first time in my life, I felt trapped and cornered like a rodent before its predator.

Get up.

Get up, d.a.m.n it!

I adamantly tried to chide myself into standing up but my body failed to listen to my demands, and the tears of frustration were quick to wet my burning cheeks.

Kent grinned, and I swear that I would never forget the ominous and menacing look on his face as he glared victoriously down at me.

His fingers reached out and wrapped around my hair.

I tried to pull back only to fail miserably.

My tight bun was torn completely loose, his nails dug into my scalp and he tugged me across the forest floor.

My legs kicked out from underneath of me, dragging onto the ground as twigs and branches dug into my chest and thighs.