Hearing him sent a surge of panic through me, and I forced myself to run faster, though my legs screamed in protest. The thought of what he might do with that shovel flashed through my mindwas he planning to bury me? Alive? The horror of it paralyzed me for a moment, but I shook the thought away. There wasn't time to dwell on it.
My strength was fading fast, though. His footsteps, heavy and deliberate, grew louder behind me. He wasn't fast, but he was relentless. Each time I dared glance back, the sight of him, shovel in hand, sent a fresh wave of terror through me. My heart pounded in my chest, and my legs felt like they would give out, but I couldn't stop.
The road ahead stretched out endlessly, with no signs of life anywhere around. I needed shelter, but the fear clouded my thoughts, making it hard to think clearly. Each step hurt, but stopping wasn't an option.
Finally, my body began to betray me. My legs faltered, and I knew I couldn't outrun him any longer. His voice rang out again, closer this time.
"Stop!" he bellowed, the fury in his voice shaking me to my core.
I felt like I was trapped in a nightmare, running but getting nowhere, the world around me fading into hopelessness. Suddenly, I felt a strong hand clamp down on me from behind. I screamed, thrashing in his grip, but it was no use. He yanked me backward and threw me to the ground.
"You can't escape," he growled, his voice dripping with cold malice.
I hit the ground hard, the impact knocking the wind out of me. Pain exploded through my body, but fear overwhelmed everything. I tried to scramble to my feet, but he was already on top of me, using his weight to pin me down.
"You think you're smarter than me?" he snarled, pressing me into the dirt. "You're wrong."
I struggled, kicking and thrashing, but I was too exhausted. His strength was too much. Despair closed in around me as I realized I had no way out. How could I escape this? The weight of the chase and the fear bore down on me, suffocating my thoughts.
His eyes glinted with malicious determination in the dim light.
"You're not getting away," he said, his voice filled with menace. "You've caused too much trouble, and now you'll pay for it."
I lay there, helpless under his weight, trying to think of a way to get free, but everything seemed hopeless. He was too strong, too intent on seeing this through. My body was drained of strength, but then I thought of my son. His face flashed through my mindDennis. I couldn't leave him. I had to survive for him. I had to keep fighting.
A surge of determination flooded through me. I couldn't give up. Not now. Not like this.
I tried to push him off again, but he was faster. He slammed me back down, his hands wrapping around my throat.
"You think you can get away?" he roared, tightening his grip.
I gasped, my lungs burning for air, my limbs flailing weakly beneath him. Tears streamed down my face as I choked out,
"What… what did I do wrong? Why are you doing this?"
His face twisted in anger.
"You still don't get it? People like you always think you're better than others. You don't know that everything comes with a price."
His words sliced through me like daggers. What had I done to deserve this? Why did he hate me so much? I couldn't understand. Who was he?
Just then, my phone rang, shattering the silence. I recognized the ringtoneit was Dennis. A flicker of hope sparked within me, but it quickly dimmed as the driver reached into his pocket and pulled out my phone. He glanced at the screen, and I saw the name: Dennis.
My heart sank. My fear for myself shifted to fear for my son. Dennis was calling, worried about me, probably wondering why I wasn't home. Tears welled in my eyes again, not from fear but from the thought of him.
The driver's lips curled into a wicked grin.
"Your son, huh? What do you think he'll do when he finds out his mom isn't coming home?"
That was it. I couldn't take it anymore. Summoning everything I had left, I thrashed wildly, catching him off guard for a moment. But he recovered quickly, pinning me down again.
"Don't even think about it," he said coldly. "You know you can't escape."
Despair washed over me again, but I couldn't give up. I couldn't let this man take my lifeor ruin Dennis's. I thought of my son, of his smile, and it gave me the strength to keep fighting.
As he held me down, I noticed a small rock nearby. I stretched out as far as I could, my fingers scraping the ground until I grasped it. Time seemed to slow as I raised the rock and, with all the strength I could muster, smashed it against the driver's head.
He screamed in pain, releasing his grip and falling to the side. Without wasting a second, I scrambled to my feet and ran toward my phone. I grabbed it and screamed into the receiver,
"Dennis! Call the police! Mom's in danger!"
"Mom! Where are you? I'll call the police right now!" Dennis's voice was shaking with fear.
I didn't have time to explain. I just knew I had to keep running. I bolted into the darkness, hoping the police would arrive in time. I could still hear the driver groaning behind me, but I didn't look back. I had to get away. For Dennis. For myself.
Each step was agony, but I kept going, every ounce of my will pushing me forward. In the distance, a small light flickereda house. It was my only hope. I had to reach it. The darkness enveloped me, and the road ahead seemed endless.