08

Aurora's heart was pounding in her chest as she ran through the dense woods. Her bare feet thudded against the cold, hard ground, and her breath came in short gasps as she tried to outrun the man on the horse behind her. The branches of trees clawed at her skin, and the damp earth clung to her dress, weighing her down.

She had been running for what seemed like hours. The trees towered above her, casting dark shadows on the ground. The only sound was her own ragged breathing and the pounding of the horse's hooves. Aurora knew that she was no match for the horse, but she couldn't stop running. She had to keep moving, keep running, and never look back.

Her dress caught on a branch, causing her to stumble and almost fall. She managed to catch herself and keep running, but her breathing became even more ragged. She glanced back over her shoulder and saw the man on the horse, gaining on her. He was getting closer with each passing second, and Aurora knew that she was running out of time.

Aurora's feet pounded the ground, and she pushed herself to run faster, despite the burning ache in her legs. The woods were becoming denser, and she knew that she could easily become lost if she veered off the path. The man on the horse was getting closer, and she could hear his breaths coming in short gasps.

She had to think quickly. The only way she could escape was to hide. She quickly scanned the woods, looking for a place to conceal herself. And then she saw it: a small cave in the side of a rocky outcrop. It was her only hope.

She ran towards the cave, not daring to look back. The man on the horse was almost upon her, and she knew that she had only seconds to hide. She scrambled into the cave, pressing herself against the rocky walls. Her heart was pounding in her chest, and she could hear the man outside, his horse's hooves pounding the ground.

She held her breath as he rode past, the sound of his breathing filling her ears. She waited for what seemed like hours, until finally, she dared to peek outside. The man was nowhere to be seen. She had escaped.

The cave was dark, and the only light came from a small opening in the ceiling. Aurora's heart was still racing, and her breath came in short gasps. She slumped against the rocky wall, her heart pounding in her chest. She closed her eyes, trying to calm herself down.

The woods were silent now, and the only sound was the sound of her own breathing. She could hear the rustling of the leaves outside, and the sound of a bird calling in the distance. It was a serene moment, and Aurora took a deep breath, letting the fresh air fill her lungs.

She looked around the cave, taking in her surroundings. The walls were damp and covered in moss, and the ground was littered with leaves and small rocks. The ceiling was high, and she could see the stars twinkling in the small opening above her. The scent of damp earth filled her nostrils, and she could feel the cold, hard ground beneath her feet.

Aurora took another deep breath, trying to calm herself down. She knew that she couldn't stay in the cave forever. She had to keep moving, keep running. The man on the horse was still out there, and he would not stop until he had caught her.

She pushed herself to her feet, her legs trembling beneath her. She took one last look around the cave, and then she stepped out into the darkness, her heart racing once again. She had to keep moving, keep running, and never look back

Aurora tried to suppress the pain in her legs as she resumed running through the dense forest. The twigs and branches whipped at her face and tore at her clothes, but she kept moving, gasping for air. She could hear the sound of hooves behind her, getting louder and louder, and she knew she had to keep running.

The trees were tall and dark, blocking out the sun, and the forest floor was a mess of roots and rocks. Aurora stumbled and fell, scraping her knees and hands. She looked up and saw the horseman bearing down on her. He was dressed all in black, with a black mask covering his face. She scrambled to her feet and started running again, but she knew it was hopeless.

She could hear the man laughing behind her, a cold, cruel sound that made her blood run cold. She didn't know who he was or what he wanted from her, but she knew he meant to harm her. She was completely alone, with no one to help her.

Suddenly, Aurora tripped on a root and went sprawling onto the ground. The man on the horse rode up to her and dismounted, grabbing her roughly by the arm. "Where is it?" he demanded, his voice harsh and angry.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Aurora gasped, trying to pull away from him. "Please, let me go."

The man didn't let go. He pulled her up and pushed her against a tree, tying her hands behind her back with a thick rope. "You're lying," he snarled. "You know where it is, and you're going to tell me."

Aurora shook her head, tears streaming down her face. "I swear, I don't know," she whispered. "Please, just let me go."

The man looked at her for a long moment, his eyes dark with anger. He hit her hard on the side of her head and she lost consciousness.

****

Aurora woke up in a strange, dark room. She felt her wrists and ankles bound tightly to a pole as she tried to move. She was confused and scared but stayed calm in hopes of escaping the situation.

Suddenly, there was a voice coming from behind her. It said “Where is it?” Aurora didn’t know what he meant so she kept saying that she didn’t know. The voice kept getting louder and more aggressive with each passing second but Aurora still had no idea what the man wanted from her.

The man then stepped into view, wearing an eerie black mask that hid his face from view - only his eyes were visible through two small holes cut out of the fabric.

Aurora felt a chill run down her spine as he stepped closer to her. He repeated his question again, this time with more force and anger in his voice. Aurora still had no idea what he was talking about and told him so.

The man then grabbed Aurora’s throat tightly and started shaking her violently, screaming “Where is it! Tell me now where it is or else I will kill you!”

Aurora's heart was pounding in her chest as she felt the cold steel of the knife against her skin. She closed her eyes and waited for the inevitable.

At that moment, Aurora knew she had to do something drastic if she wanted to get out of this alive.

In one swift motion, she used all of her strength to grab a sharp object from nearby and slit her own throat before the man could react. As she fell to the ground, her eyes slowly closed as darkness engulfed her.

As Aurora lay on the floor motionless, the man quickly stepped back in shock. He had not expected this kind of reaction from his victim and he was now filled with fear and guilt for what he had done. He hurriedly removed his mask so that he could check if Aurora was still alive but it was too late - she had already taken her own life.

As the man’s mask came off, Aurora opened her eyes in surprise to see Derek standing before her - it was him who had been questioning her all along! She couldn’t believe what she saw and felt a wave of emotions come over her - anger, betrayal, sadness and confusion.

Suddenly, Aurora woke up from her dream in a cold sweat. She was back in her bed, safe and sound but the fear still lingered inside of her as she remembered what had happened in the dream. Her heart raced as she realized that Derek had been behind it all - he was the one who had abducted her

Suddenly, Miranda broke free from her trance in a cold sweat. She looked around, breathing heavily like one who had just missed several minutes of oxygen.

She was now back to the real world, safe and sound but the fear of what she had seen still lingered inside of her as she remembered what had happened to Aurora in her vision.

Her heart raced as she realized that she had to warn Aurora before it became too late.

It was certain, Miranda's visions were never wrong.