3b.

Trees, branches, and stones were all she could see for at least one mile, the basket in her hands way too light to cause any damage. As time passed, and the woods were getting denser and darker with the crowns of the big trees blocking  the sun rays, Amelia was getting more nervous. She knew that at any moment the stranger could approach her, and she needed to figure out what to do. Her grip on the basket grew stronger.

She tried to remember how she used her senses that day when she was a child and was lost in a place very similar to the one she was now. Tried to hear the branches breaking at their feet, to smell their scent to know how far they were. But it was useless. The years she kept her promise to her mother - pretending it wasn't real - have proved to be successful. It was like it never existed, even if she wanted - and she really did at that moment - she couldn't bring herself to use them. If it wasn't for the tiny scar on her left hand, she would doubt if that day had even been real or just a very creative imagination of a child.

She looked at the scar as a form to remember that her senses existed, she just needed to learn how to use them again. After trying for a few more minutes  - going as far as closing her eyes to concentrate on the sounds but tripping too much to keep this tactic - she gave up. It was impossible. But only a second later, she heard footsteps behind her. For a millisecond she thought she had made it, that she was using her senses but that thought vanished when she realized that she was only hearing it because they are almost reaching her, they wanted to be heard.

Panic overcame her. What am I going to do? How I will defend myself? Her mind was loud. Keep calm, she tried to argue with herself, maybe they are just walking. Maybe they will pass you and go away. But even for her, it seemed too optimistic.

As casually as she could, Amelia turned her head slowly to the right, as if she was looking at the view. Still, with slow movements, she looked over her shoulder, to see how far away the person was. And she wished she had done that before.

There was a man, about five feet from her, not more than six foot two in height. He was wearing brown clothes: pants, a shirt with long sleeves, and boots, all brown. The boots and the sleeves of his shirt were made of leather. His hands were covered with leather gloves. She recognized the cloth. It was what the hunters use to hunt animals to sell them in the city. But it wasn't the clothes that made Amelia shiver. No, it was the look on his face.

He was looking straight at her, calculating, as if looking at a prey. He was approaching her slowly, and she suddenly had the feeling it was because he was studying her, waiting to see what she would do, waiting for her to do the first move. On top of that, he was holding a long and sharp knife tight. It was rusty and looked very old, but none of it made it any less scary, especially with the tip pointing at her.

Her breath stopped at her throat, and so did her feet. He took one more step and then stopped, staring at her up and down. Amelia shivered feeling he was analyzing her just like her mother analyzed the beef to see if it would fit in the freezer. Stop! She commanded her brain. It is not the time to compare yourself to something dead. Think. What are you going to do?

She took one step back but regretted it soon after. "I wouldn't run if I was you. It catches the predator's attention. And this forest is full o them. Didn't your mother tell you that a girl shouldn't go out alone?" he teased, a creepy smirk adorning his face. It only made her even more scared.

"Sir, I just want to reach my grandmother's house, it's near here. I don't want any problems." She wasn't sure if he could hear her. Her voice was lower than it usually was and trembled so much that even she couldn't understand all of it. He made a fake sad face.

"Oh, poor girl. I am sorry for it, but you won't be able to finish this task. You know what they say right? The ones who enter the woods, never come back." There was a pause for only a few seconds, it was enough though, for Amelia to realize the threat. She didn't know why, but this hunter was going to kill her right there if she didn't do anything to prevent it.

His reasons were the last thing in her mind. Amelia just wanted to think about something that could help save her life. But she didn't have the time to look around, the hunter went in her direction raising his hand with the knife, ready to carve it in her skull. She didn't need to think twice, as her grip on the basket loosened until it fell spreading apple pie on the ground, she turned around and started running faster than she did her whole life, the red cape flying behind her.

As she ran, she screamed so loud she was sure even her grandmother could hear. She screamed for help, for somebody to save her. She didn't look behind, she had learned her lesson about it. She concentrated on what was in front of her, and not to stumble nor fall on her face. The only thing between her and her possible assassin was the distance she got while running, and she was determined to keep it that way.

While yelling, running and trying her hardest not to fall, she was looking for some potential weapon. Anything that could hurt the man badly enough to make him stop. She saw something at the corner of her eye, a movement, and she made a mistake. She looked at it.

It could be someone to help her. Or it could be another person to help the hunter kill her. Or even some animal. But she wasn't able to see it, because when she stopped looking straight, she tripped on a tree root and fell to the floor.

She tried to raise her hands so they would cushion the fall but it was too fast. Her face was the first thing to reach the ground, hitting her head on another root of the same tree. The impact was strong, she could hear the sound her head made when it hit the ground. Her body rolled over twice in a mess of red velvet fabric before she stopped altogether when reaching a tree, feeling the pain in her ribs as it hit the wood too hard. Soon after she felt the viscous warm liquid dripping in her face. She groaned rolling to her side to stand up. She felt pain everywhere but there was still a man wanting to kill her.

The fall made her lose the advantage and he was now really close to her. He was no longer running, as if saying it didn't matter because she wouldn't be able to run away or defend herself. Her vision was blurred, she could now feel the metallic taste of her blood that had reached her mouth. The pain in her head was so overwhelming that she couldn't focus her vision or her thoughts on anything, she was feeling dizzy. But it didn't stop the hunter from coming her way with his wicked grin, neither did it take away the feeling of something sharp against her back.

Slowly - and feeling so much pain she almost gave up the idea - she took the sharp object feeling it as a rock, not too big and heavy in her hand and held it tight, hiding it under her cape. She looked up to the man - now standing in front of her - feeling pain in every move. He was speaking, but she was too dizzy to understand anything. She got only a few words "... job... you... monster... payment". She didn't care though. She was focused on trying to see right, to be able to make the best target she could.

When he leaned over her, she knew it was her only opportunity. She waited until he was over her, probably to say something to her, maybe rejoicing he had caught her and she hit his head with the rock with all the strength the adrenaline running in her veins could give her. They both screamed. He, because of the new injury. And she because of the excruciating pain spreading through her whole body with the abrupt movement.

She doesn't know exactly what happened next. The only thing that felt real was the pain. It was like poison and she could feel it running through her veins. Every single part of her body was hurting. Inside and out. She was sure she was screaming but she couldn't hear. She only knew she was crying because her face was wet.

She could feel herself coming in and out from unconsciousness. She didn't know if she should fight the darkness, she wasn't hurting in the dark. And even if she'd lost the fight for her life, she'd be happy if she had caused any damage to the man who hurt her.

After the initial shock you have when you know you are dying, Amelia felt... peace. She wasn't one to contemplate death, but she wasn't afraid of it either. Her life wasn't something worth fighting for, so it would be senseless to even try.

At those few moments Amelia could see her life in a light she could never before. The moment when she entered the forest was the first time she felt free. When she was scared of her stalker, that was the first time she allowed herself to think about that day when she used her senses. That day was the last time when she felt like herself. When she fought the man, it was the first time she had done something for herself. She wasn't shaking, like she always is, when she held the rock. She didn't hesitate when she hit the man's head with it like she always does before doing anything.

Even if the consequence of all these new feelings was her death, she was happy she could at least feel it. Her vision dimmed little by little, but before the darkness could take her away, she felt two strong arms holding her, one under her legs, and the other supporting her back. Her face was carefully pressed against a warm chest. She could hear the heartbeat of the stranger.

"I will help you. The pain will go away, I swear." Affirmed the unknown woman in a tone as soft as she'd never heard before. Amelia didn't know if she believed in God, but at that moment, she believed in angels.

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A/n: what do you think about this chapter? Let me know. (It's my personal favorite tbh lol). And please, don't forget to vote it's important. Thank you. <3