Please let me live

The questions raced through her mind as she struggled to comprehend her surroundings.

The air was thick with the scent of gasoline and smoke, and she realized she was upside down, suspended in a world that had become her own personal nightmare.

With effort, she tried to move, but the pain surged through her like fire, forcing her to gasp for breath.

‘I have to get out’

She thought, panic rising within her chest. She had to escape whatever darkness awaited her beyond the wreckage.

Using every ounce of strength she could muster, Ava fumbled with her seatbelt, her fingers trembling as she fought to free herself.

As the metal creaked in protest, she felt the weight of the car pressing down on her, a suffocating reminder of the danger that had pursued her.

Finally, with a desperate yank, the belt gave way. She fell against the ceiling of the car, the movement disorienting as the world spun around her.

Gritting her teeth against the pain, she pushed herself upright, surveying the wreckage. The windshield was shattered, and outside, the moonlight glinted off the twisted metal and broken glass, painting a surreal picture of chaos.

Ava took a deep breath, her heart racing as she fought to steady herself. She had to get out, had to escape whatever had followed her into the night.

With trembling hands, she pushed against the roof, feeling the sharp edges of the wreckage bite into her skin as she fought to crawl toward freedom.

The darkness outside loomed like a specter, and she could hear the faint echo of an engine in the distance. Someone was coming. She couldn’t let them find her.

The adrenaline surged anew, igniting a fierce determination within her.

With one final push, she tumbled out of the wreckage, landing hard on the ground, the impact jarring her body.

She fought through the pain, her instincts driving her to flee as she looked around, searching for a place to hide. The road stretched before her, dark and empty, but the shadows felt alive, whispering secrets of danger in the night.

Ava stumbled away from the wreck, heart pounding in her chest as she pressed forward, her mind racing. Whoever had chased her was still out there, and she had to stay one step ahead. She couldn’t let the night swallow her whole.

As she ran into the darkness, the sound of an engine roared to life behind her, a reminder of the peril still lurking in the shadows.

After a while, she heard footsteps behind her.

“Ava,” a voice called out, low and smooth, sending chills racing down her spine. It was a voice she recognized, laced with a sinister edge that twisted her stomach into knots.

The realization hit her like a punch to the gut. He was the man she had felt such animosity towards, the one who had taunted her at the celebration.

He’s here..

“Ava, you shouldn’t have run,” he continued, his tone mocking. “You really thought you could escape me?”

Her blood ran cold as the implications of his words sank in. It was personal.

She was prey, and he relished the hunt.

The weight of his gaze felt like chains binding her, constricting her lungs and suffocating her will to fight.

“Please,” she croaked, her voice barely a whisper. “Just leave me alone.”

A low chuckle escaped him, a sound devoid of warmth or humanity. “Oh, Ava, it’s too late for that. You brought this upon yourself.” He took a step closer, the moonlight finally catching a glimpse of his face, and the twisted smile sent another wave of panic surging through her.

The reality of her situation crashed over her like icy water, chilling her to the bone.

She was alone, while the man who had relentlessly pursued her now stood just beyond her reach, a predator preparing to strike.

Ava's mind raced, searching for any glimmer of hope, a plan to escape the nightmare that had ensnared her.

But the darkness loomed ever closer, suffocating and oppressive, as if it sought to swallow her whole. She could feel as if the silent walls of trees were closing in, the weight of despair pressing down on her chest.

In a moment of desperation, she took a deep breath, trying to steady herself against the rising tide of fear.

Just then, the sound of a gun being cocked echoed through the night, sharp and unforgiving.

Ava’s breath hitched in her throat, her heart dropping into her stomach as the reality of the situation struck her with horrifying clarity. He had a gun.

“Why are you doing this?” she asked, her voice trembling as she fought to keep the panic at bay. “You don’t have to..”

“Don’t have to?” he interrupted, his voice dripping with venom. “You think this is about necessity? This is about power. You thought you could embarrass me with that lover of yours, and now you’ll pay the price.”

Ava's heart raced as the gun pointed toward her, her instincts screaming for her to run, to fight, to do anything but remain frozen in place.

‘This can’t be how it ends.’ The thought echoed in her mind, a desperate plea against the encroaching darkness.

“Please,” she begged, her voice cracking with fear. “I can help you.. Just let me go.”

“Help?” he laughed, a cruel, derisive sound that made her skin crawl. “You don’t even know the game you’re playing, do you? This isn’t about help; it’s about control. You’ve always been a pawn in someone else’s game, Ava. But not anymore.”

His words cut deep, resonating with the fear that had settled in her heart. In that moment, she realized she was utterly at his mercy. The weight of despair wrapped around her, threatening to pull her under.

The gun trembled in his hand, a sinister glint in the moonlight as he took aim.

Ava felt the world around her dissolve into a blur, her thoughts racing as she fought to grasp the fleeting fragments of her life.

‘I won’t let it end like this. I refuse to go out like a coward.’

“Say goodbye, Ava,” Dominic sneered, his finger tightening on the trigger.

In that heartbeat, time seemed to stand still. Everything froze.. the forest, the moonlight, even the shadows that danced around them.

Ava's mind screamed for her to fight, to survive. She couldn't let him take her like this, not after everything she had fought for.

With a surge of desperation, she made a split-second decision. Just as he pulled the trigger, she twisted her body with all her strength, using the last of her energy to shield herself.

The shot rang out, a deafening sound that shattered the stillness of the night, echoing through the trees.

Pain exploded in her side, a white-hot intensity that sent her spiraling into darkness.

The world around her faded, a blur of shadows and agony as the force of the bullet tore through her. She gasped, a desperate breath escaping her lips as the life she had known slipped through her fingers like sand.

As the darkness closed in, her last thought was a desperate prayer..

‘Please let me wake up. Please let me live.’ But as the edges of her consciousness blurred, she felt herself sinking, a weightless descent into the void where nothing remained but silence.

In that moment, Ava Montgomery faded into darkness, leaving her fate uncertain, a fragile thread dangling in the abyss as the world around her fell silent.