. . .it was just a dream

The grass is damp beneath my feet and the sweet smell of flowers cling to the night air. My hair whips around behind me as I run. I have to run the men chasing me will hurt me if the catch me.

I reach the edge of the woods and dart through the trees, branches and thorny bushes tearing at my deep blue dress. Jagged rocks dig into my feet, it stings, I'm sure they are bleeding. It doesn't matter though. I can't stop.

"Howl"

oh no.

"How-Howl"

They've released the bloodhounds. I won't be able to hide now. My chance of escaping the fate that waits for me has significantly deteriorated. I see a clearing ahead and run towards it. The men are getting close and the hounds closer.

I make it to the clearing and abruptly stop. It's a cliff, there is a river running at the bottom. The other side of the cliff is too far to jump. The river is too far down to jump into and survive. I turn back towards the woods.

It's too late to run back into them now. I'm surrounded. I can see the hate and lust in their eyes. The sweat glistening from their faces. A bald portly man carrying a lantern steps forward.

"We gotch ye now, dere ain't no wheres to go" , he says.

They start to close in on me. I look at the men surrounding me and I know what waits for me if they take me, I then look over the cliff and I know death would take me.

Neither option is ideal but I make my choice. I take a step closer to the edge. I look back at the men and nod.

" Tell Charles that he will never have me, not in this life nor the others after it. I will never choose him" , I say to the portly man.

With that I jump...

-‐------

I jolt upright screaming. My heart is pounding and I'm sweaty. Hair matted to my face. I look around and realize I'm in my childhood bedroom. I relax as I realize it was just a dream.