*RE-EDITED*
Prologue
August 17, 2006
He was searching for her. His obsession with her was to the point of terrifying. She crouched down lower into the darkness against the old pine. It seemed like her world had tilted on its axis and would never be the same again. Her life, once fun and exciting, had changed completely because of a conversation she had overheard. It seemed she knew too much. Now they were going to “dispose” of her. A stirring in the breeze cause her a sharp intake of breath.
A murder...her murder, was hanging in the air. She trembled as the light from a flashlight passed over her bare shoulder. Crouching closer to the ground, her heartbeat raced as her breathing became ragged. He wouldn't stop looking for her, at least not until she was dead.
A twig snapped a few yards from where she crouched, making chills run down her spine. What am I gonna do? She thought, pressing her back as close to the tree as she could. It was a good thing she was small, or else he probably would have found her by now.
The sound of distant passing cars on a freeway just through the woods caught her attention. Maybe if she tried...No he would catch her, and kill her if she ran. She had to stay put. What if he had a gun? Oh God! I'll never get away, will I?
Another twig snapped, closer to her hiding spot. The light flashed again, this time near her exposed throat, which stood out against the stark darkness. The light stayed fixed on her, wavering a bit. Seconds passed by as she waited. Her body jumped of its own accord when his voice boomed throughout the darkness.
"Mona!" Her name echoed throughout night and she grimaced, sinking back further against her support. She barely made out the outline of the bulky figure as it slowly advanced towards her. She winced as she heard her name called again, her pulse kicking into overdrive.
"Mona...I know your there,” His taunting voice echoed throughout the silent woods. “Now be a good girl and come out." She pressed against the bark of the tree, debating with herself. I can't run! He'll kill me for sure. She looked frantically around, looking for some means of an exit. Aggravated, she nearly screamed with frustration when she heard the sound of car engines. She could tell from the sound which direction she should run, but she didn't know if she could make it. If you don't run, he'll kill you! The figure was getting closer, just a few yards away now. She could feel the muscles in her back as she strained against the tree. He was getting closer, too close. She had to run.
"Mona!" His voice, the guy she had sworn she would do anything for, came to her through the trees. She leaned forward, ready to run if she had too. She saw the glint of metal just before she took off, sprinting as fast as she could towards the sound of the passing cars. The sound of him chasing behind her made her strain for more speed. Her heart nearly stopped when she heard the sound of a bullet striking a tree just above her head. Panicking, she pushed herself, her legs nearly giving out, and burst out the woods into the oncoming traffic. A car skidded to a stop in front of her, and she froze like a deer caught in the headlights. The sound of running caught her attention and she ran around the car, jumping into the passengers’ seat yelling "GO!"
The driver threw her a bewildered look and she glared. “I have to get the hell out of here now!” she yelled, jamming her foot onto the gas pedal, sending the car speeding off. After a moment, the driver pushed her out of the way and continued. She sat there tense, her heart racing. Taking a deep breath, she chanced a look in the rear-view mirror and nearly screamed when he stepped out of the woods, his expression obvious. Pure malice contracted his face into an unrecognisable blob. The message was clear. He was going to find her though; He was going to find her, and he didn't care how long it took.
And when he did, he would kill her.
