Run Jesse- Part 4

               Jesse felt as though her lungs were on fire as she fell to rest against a boulder on the far side of the clearing, and she panted heavily in an attempt to recover her breath, lifting her badly trembling hands and letting them rest flat against the cool surface of the stone as she gave in to quiet sobs at the fear that was moving through her at the thought of her predicament.

               "Let me wake up..." she whispered softly through her quiet sobs, closing her eyes and bowing her head to let her forehead rest against the cool stone, "Please, just let me wake up."

               "Not giving up on me already, are you?" his low voice behind her made her gasp as she whirled on her heel to face him again.

               She barely got to register the fact that he'd lifted his arm before he struck her hard across the temple, and everything went black, leaving her slumping to the ground before him, and leaving him towering over her.

               "I hope not," he grinned down at her, his eyes glittering hungrily as he crouched down over her, reaching out his hand to brush her long, dark silken hair back out of her face so that he could see her fair features better. "I'm looking forward to breaking you, Jesse. And if I have to break every bone in your body to do it... again and again..." his smile widened as he regarded her unconscious form, his voice almost purring now in his enjoyment at the mere thought of it, "... so much the better..." he purred, lifting her into his arms and straightening as he cradled her against him, turning on his heel and making his way across the field with ease in his stride.

*************

(Yes this one is short, but if you read the part I post tomorrow, you'll understand why I had to cut this one off so soon.)

AVSongbird blog vid #2 5 31 2015

Run Jesse- Part 3

               Jesse wasn't sure which was worse as she leaned against the tree, struggling to catch her breath and trying not to think of her injuries-- the times he caught her, or not knowing where he was.

               No one was that quiet... that fast.

               How could she never hear him coming? It didn't make sense.

               She was determined not to let him catch up with her again as she stood there, feeling her heart pounding away heavily against her ribs. If he managed to catch her---

               No. She couldn't bear to think about it.

               Reaching up to absently slip the one remaining strap on her night- shirt back into place over her shoulder, she turned around and peered carefully around the tree, focusing her eyes on the darkness and sweeping her gaze over the meadow, looking for any sign of her attacker, and feeling herself relax only a little bit when she realized he wasn't anywhere in sight.

               "Oww..." she groaned softly, sobbing softly as she clenched her right hand flat against her lower abdomen, feeling her knees give out as she let her full weight rest against the trunk of the tree, closing her eyes as she collapsed onto her knees beside the tree and bowing her head against its rough bark as she pressed her hand against her stomach, remembering him kicking her hard and sending her flying only moments before.

               "Dear me," his voice rumbled in her ear suddenly, making her gasp and whirl to find herself facing him, leaving her pressing her back against the tree behind her as she found him standing only inches before her, a wicked grin on his lips as his black eyes bore into her wide ones, "Did I hurt you?"

               She was trembling all over as she forced herself back onto her feet before him, and as she held his gaze, struggling to get her tongue to function long enough to let her answer him, she knew he realized it as his cruel grin widened until it seemed almost cartoon-ish before her.

               "What was that?" he smirked at her, lifting his hand to tap his fingertip against his ear as he batted his eyes at her, mocking her lack of speech, "I couldn't hear you over the sound of your knees knocking together," he grinned, glancing down at her knees before he met her gaze again, his grin widening as he saw her press her knees more firmly together in the wake of his sudden shift in attention.

               "...yes..." she managed finally, swallowing hard and feeling grateful for the fact that she'd gotten even that one word out, with all the screaming she'd done during the attack, feeling her body aching still from the fight she'd put up in her futile attempts to force him away from her.

               "You can cry if you want," he said as their eyes held, then he suddenly bowed his head low before her, his black eyes burning into hers suddenly from the top of his vision as his smirk widened further still, "In fact, I'd prefer it if you did. The louder the better."

               "No..." she managed softly, shaking her head as their eyes held.

               "Didn't seem to have a problem with it before," he smirked cruelly at her.

               She swallowed hard over the urge to cower before him as their eyes held, searching his gaze with her own.

               "You enjoy it," she breathed suddenly, her forehead creasing as he grinned at her words.

               "Why wouldn't I?" he smirked at her, stepping in closer before her, and despite herself, Jesse shrank away from him, pressing back hard against the trunk of the tree at her back, and biting back a low grunt of pain as the rough bark bit into the tender flesh of her back, still sore all over from all the times he'd managed to catch up with her that night, throwing her down so many times she'd lost count.

               "This is all a game to you, isn't it?" she asked him as she stood there, holding his dark gaze.

               He didn't answer her, and it was getting harder by the second for her not to cower before him as he stood there, staring her down with his cold, hungry gaze, the cold, cruel grin on his lips.

               "Isn't it?!" she demanded, her eyes accusing as they clashed with his own, and she felt anger shoot through her body at the thought that he was enjoying making her suffer for whatever reason.

               "The more I scare you, the better you smell," he purred, reaching out to suddenly take a firm grip on her long, dark hair, making her cry out as he tugged at it hard, forcing her head back.

               "No..." Jess panted softly, seeing him lift his hand and seeing him reach out to cup her face in his hands again, her voice breaking in the wake of the screams that had torn from her throat in the not-so-distant past.

               Suddenly, he felt something slam hard into his most sensitive areas, and he doubled over, his hands going to the injured area.

               An animalistic growl left him as he saw her move to dash past him in her desperate need to get away from her attacker, and, reaching out, he caught her by her long hair and gripped hard, jerking her backwards and making her cry out as she arched her back, lifting her hands to try and pry his hand loose.

               "How'd that smell?" she spat through gritted teeth, grunting softly in pain as he tugged hard on her hair at her words, forcing her head back.

               "I'm going to make you pay for that," he growled at her, his voice full of warning.

               Bringing her head back hard suddenly, she caught him directly in the face with the back of her head, sending him staggering backwards, his forehead creasing with surprise as she turned to face him.

               "You'll have to catch me first, you bastard," Jesse managed in her ruined voice, feeling some satisfaction when she saw a trickle of blood trailing down from where he'd bit his lip.    

               Turning, she took off running again, her eyes scanning the darkness as she fled into the woods without looking back.

               Touching the tip of his tongue against the cut on his lip, he allowed a low chuckle as the taste of blood hit his senses, and he lifted his gaze in time to see her disappear behind a tree some distance away, her long, dark hair bannering out behind her as she ran.

               "I'm looking forward to it," he purred under his breath, taking off after her once more, his dark eyes glittering with hunger as he went.

************

Run Jesse- Part 2

               If she'd ever run faster in her life, Jesse couldn't remember it as she tore across the seemingly endless field, making for the outcropping of trees in the distance.

               She might not have known where she was, but she figured any cover was better than none at all, and steeling her jaw, she put on a burst of speed, throwing herself headlong into the grouping of trees and allowing herself to fall back against one of them for a moment as she closed her eyes, to allow herself a moment to catch her breath.

               She was trembling visibly from head to toe as she stood there, desperately adjusting whatever tatters remained of her clothing after he'd managed to catch up with her only moments ago.

               Whoever he was, it quickly became apparent to her that his reason for attacking her hadn't been the one she'd initially believed it to be, which ironically made her feel better.

               No, whoever he was, it was clear he wasn't after....

               Which meant that whoever the hell he was, he was after her for another reason altogether, she'd reasoned somewhere amongst the punches and kicks he'd caught her with before he lifted her onto her feet and shoved her away again, to set her running off again so that he could follow.

               Whatever the hell he was, she reminded herself, feeling various parts of her body that burned still from where his hands had scorched her at the mere touch.

               She hadn't thought he could've hurt her any more than he already had as he caught up with her the second time.

               She was wrong.

               As she sat there, struggling to recover her breath, he'd knelt before her, cupping her head between his hands, and all thought was obliterated as she felt him lift her onto her feet with his grip, his hands burning her more than any fire had burned her in her life.

               Suddenly, she felt the same fire dig into not just her flesh, but deeper still, into her mind, and bowing her head low between his hands, she screamed from the searing pain of it all, her body aching all over already from everything he'd put her through that night.

               And then, feeling her knees buckling from the pain, feeling as though she'd black out, she felt him shove her away again, and she let out a breath as she felt the searing pain in her head stop, leaving her feeling drained, exhausted as she stood there, struggling just to stay on her feet before him.

               "Not giving up on me already, are you Jesse?" he asked her quietly, that cruel grin still on his lips as he stood there, his dark eyes hungry as he watched her standing before him in the darkness.

               "Go to hell," she shot back at him, her eyes angry as they clashed with his, and she forced herself to stare him down.

               "How do you know you're not already there?" he asked her as he regarded her with his cruel sneer, and she shivered as she somehow got the feeling that there was something off about his voice as he said it.

               Turning on her heel, she took off running again, with no thought in her mind other than getting as far away as possible-- that anywhere had to be better than where she was.

               "That's my girl," he purred wickedly as he watched her head off into the darkness again. 
*************

Avsongbird vlog #1 (5/19/2015)

Run Jesse- Part 1

Run Jesse
By Jen K.

Part 1

               Waking with a low, pained groan at her already aching head, Jesse lifted her head off of the ground and lifting herself up onto her elbows with effort, she swept her gaze over the immediate area.

              Her forehead creased as she realized she had no idea where she was. From her initial sweep, she could tell that it was late-- the moon was high overhead-- and that she was in the middle of a field of some kind. A low, hollow breeze was stirring the tall grass all around her.

               Despite the full moon, visibility was shoddy at best, and as she sat there, feeling nausea set in as her migraine pounded away hard behind her pained eyes, she wished she had a flashlight.

               "Where the hell am I?" she managed softly as her eyes swept over her surroundings, feeling her stomach clench uncomfortably as she realized how small her voice sounded in the darkness, feeling it closing in all around her, "Am I dreaming?"

               Feeling the dirt bite into her knees, she looked downward, and her forehead creased as she realized she was still wearing her green spaghetti-strap night-shirt and her black sleep shorts, and that her feet were bare.

               Well that answered that question, she reasoned, shifting back onto her backside and drawing her knees into her chest, lifting her hands to brush the loose gravel and dirt off of her knees.

               "Good evening..." a low voice suddenly spoke in the darkness, and she leapt to her feet, whirling around to see who had spoken them.

               She swallowed hard as she stood there, realizing she was still alone in the field, with the darkness feeling oppressive all around her, leaving her feeling very much exposed as she stood there with nothing to defend herself with.

               "You didn't think you were all alone here, did you, Jesse?" the voice came again, and again she whirled to look behind her, her long hair whipping around her shoulders with the action, forcing her to lift her hand to sweep it back out of her face, to keep her vision clear.

               Again, she found only darkness all around her, and she felt the low breeze stir the hair hanging down around her ears as she panted heavily in the wake of her fear, her heart hammering hard against her ribs as ice shivered its way down her spine.

               "You're not alone," the voice came once again, and she swallowed hard.

               "It's just a dream," Jesse assured herself.

               "Are you sure?" the voice smirked, practically in her ear now.

               Gasping and spinning around hard as she took a step backwards, she sucked in a sharp breath through gritted teeth as she lifted her left foot almost immediately after stepping down on it, bending to rub her thumb over a small cut made by a sharp rock she hadn't noticed before she'd stepped down on it.

               "Who are you?" she whispered under her breath, searching the darkness with her eyes as she stood there, feeling exposed and feeling her foot throb softly.

               "Why aren't you running, Jesse?" the voice again, and again she whirled, to no effect, keeping her weight on her good foot and the front of her left foot, to keep dirt from getting into her cut.

               "Because you're not real," she said through gritted teeth, her eyes searching the darkness for any signs of movement.

               "I'm as real as you are," the voice was lowered even further still, barely audible now above the low whisper of the wind as she stood there, scouring the darkness with her sweeping gaze for any sign of whoever it was who was speaking to her.

               She was trembling all over now as fear and panic began to set in, feeling more than anything that she was being watched by whomever it was.

               Turning when she heard footsteps from behind her, she gasped and whirled to find her wide eyes meeting the gaze of an imposing figure a full head taller than she was, if not taller.

               His eyes. More than anything of his figure swirled in darkness, she saw his fathomless black eyes, and she felt her blood turn to ice in her veins as his soulless eyes gazed right back into her own eyes.

               "Who are you?" she breathed softly, holding his gaze and unable to move as they stood there, face to face, "What is this place?" she asked, shifting her weight awkwardly beneath his cold gaze, biting back a low grunt of pain as she accidentally stepped down onto her cut foot.

               "We're in your head, Jesse," his lips curled slowly into a creepy, leering sort of smile as their eyes held.

               "What?" she regarded him curiously, her look confused in the wake of his words.

               "I've always been here," he murmured, taking a single, measured step towards her as their eyes held.

               Suddenly, he came forward, and she cried out as he shoved her hard with both hands, knocking her flat onto her back, sending a jolt of pain shockwave-style through her body as her elbows and her backside hit the ground hard only a second before the back of her head hit, making her vision swim as she blinked hard, grunting softly from the pain of impact as he stood there, staring down at her with his soulless eyes, the same cruel, leering grin on his lips.

               "Time to run, Jesse," he chuckled lowly as he watched her with those cold eyes, towering over her.

               "Why?" Jesse blinked, shaking her head and trying to clear the dazed feeling that clouded her mind, forcing herself to sit up before him and lifting herself onto her knees, "Why are you doing this?"

               She gasped as he bent suddenly, taking a firm grip on her arms, then she cried out in pain as she felt the sensation of searing pain in her flesh beneath his touch, and she felt him lift her onto her feet as though she weighed nothing at all.

               Suddenly, he shoved her away hard, making her pinwheel her arms and stumble over her own feet to keep from falling, and feeling a jolt of pain shoot up both of her outer arms, she lifted her right hand, turning her gaze to her left upper arm and letting out a soft gasp as she realized that her skin was red and raw where he'd gripped her, as though she'd been burned by his touch.

               "Run for me, Jesse," he purred, his low voice rumbling at her as his dark eyes glittered in the darkness, making the hair on the back of her neck stand up as she turned her head and lifted her wide eyes to meet his gaze.

               Feeling her heart already pounding in her chest at the hungry look in his dark eyes as they held her own, Jesse turned on her heel, taking off running headlong into the darkness as fast as she could manage on one good foot without looking back, feeling the cool night air sting as it passed over her newly-injured arms.

               His grin broadened as he watched her head off into the darkness, and he bowed his head, his eyes still following her as he stood otherwise unmoving, for the moment, giving her a head-start.

               "I like it when you run," he purred in his low, rumbling voice as his grin spread across his face in the darkness, his dark eyes glinting hungrily as he started after her.

*************

Main blog

I've been posting on Blogspot since the middle of May, but decided it might be a good idea to start a separate blog to keep my short stories separate from my poetry and drabbles. Here's the link to my main blog: http://avsongbird.blogspot.com/

Happy Reading!
Jen