The Chase

Bow stopped only to pull her skirt free of the underbrush before she set off again at a run. The sun was rising staining the sky with beautiful shades of gold, orange and pink but Bow had no time to stop and enjoy it as the distant shadows grew larger and closer. Her lungs protested as she ran, blood dripping from scratches on her legs, face and hands. She jumped over a bush and then hurtled head first out of the trees into an open meadow. One glance around her revealed that there would be nowhere to hide on this new plane so she continued at full speed making a beeline for the city ahead.

The grass was thicker here, thick and matted. She was slowed down by the weeds that tangled around her ankles and threatened to trip her. Tears streamed down her face and her feet were so sore she felt like she was running on broken glass. The shadows were gaining on her now, entirely unimpeded by the change in terrain they moved like liquid against the bloodshot sky. She could hear them now, voices calling orders, calling her name. She was just chancing a look behind her when her toe bounced painfully off of something solid and wooden. Bow went sprawling forwards into the brush, scrapping hands and knees as she fell. Before she could get her bearings they were on her.

She felt an iron grip tighten around her left arm dragging her bodily to her feet, she scrabbled around helplessly trying to find some purchase, trying to run but another hand grabbed her hair and whipped her around. He towered over her, almost twice her height with a menacing smile twisting his rugged features. She struggled uselessly as another pair of hands moved to grab her from behind forcing her into a kneeling position. Fingernails dug into her arms and she felt someone’s hot breath on the nape of neck, she took small solace in the fact that her captor was clearly very worn out from the chase.

‘When you’ve finished running, little girl’ his voice was smooth like honey and completely mismatched with the flash of madness in his eyes. ‘I believe we have something very important to talk about’

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Bow woke with a start. She found herself face down and trapped. In her sleep her blankets had twisted around her so tightly that it was as though her dream had been reality and strong hands had really been holding her in place. She took a moment to collect herself, allowing her eyes to become accustomed to the light streaming in through her open curtains before she ventured out from the safety of her pillow. Amber was sitting on the corner of Bow’s bed, watching her patiently.

‘Good Morning, Sleepy-head’ she chuckled lightly. Her shoulder length hair was pinned back neatly in a style Bow’s fly-away hair could never achieve and she was dressed in a brand new dress ready for a dinner party

‘OH NO!’ Bow’s horrified cry resonated off of the high ceiling as she hurtled across the room into her bathroom, she washed her teeth and brushed her hair at lightning speed and then began attacking her chest of drawers with a ferocity she usually reserved for buffet tables. She was just about to give up all hope of finding something that didn’t need ironing when she heard her sister giggling softly behind her. Bow turned around just in time to see Amber walking out of the door, a freshly ironed dress and clean shoes were lying on the bed waiting for her.

Moments later Bow was running down the three flights of stairs to the entrance hall clipping back her hair as she went. At the bottom of the stairs she found her mother and sister standing arm in arm looking to the door. Slowing to a walk so as she didn’t look too flushed she drew level with them and tried to act like she had been ready for hours, her mother wasn’t easily fooled though, she gave her eldest daughter an exasperated look before brushing a strand of hair out of Bow’s face and offering her arm.