Erica Runs A short story

     The wind was fierce and Erica had trouble keeping herself balanced, but she was desperate to get away.  She kept pushing herself to go; running as fast as she could up the hill and into the woods before her captors realized she was gone. She had to make it, but she knew she didn't have long, the dogs had surely heard her as she escaped and the basement window dropped shut. The dogs were certainly going crazy by now, barking and waking the monsters. It wouldn't take them long to get into that basement through the locks. They knew how many girls they had, they would notice immediately if one was missing.
      She had to keep going, she pushed herself to go harder and faster. Any minute now they would burst out of that house with the guns and dogs and come after her. Her only chance was to make it into the woods, then she could find somewhere to hide.
      She continued to push up the hill ignoring the wind and the cold as she ran, finally the tree line was just ahead, she was almost there and she started to feel some relief. But when the wind died down for a second she could hear the dogs, and the men. The were after her, she didn't have time to rest, she had to keep running.
     Erica stumbled on a branch as she came into the woods, she wanted to scream, she knew they had heard her fall, and now they were that much closer as she scrambled back to her feet. Erica kept going now hearing them as they came closer. Her heart was pounding, her whole body aching from the abuse she had taken in the last twenty-four hours. She had to keep going, she had to get away, she couldn't go through anymore. She'd take her own life first.
     She thought of nothing as she ran, nothing except getting away. She was focused only on where she was going. The sounds of the dogs and men were now accompanied with the sounds of breaking branches. She knew they were close. She wanted to stop and hide but she was afraid the dogs would find her, Erica pushed to keep going despite needing to stop.
       She ran for what seemed like an enternity before she didn't hear the dogs anymore, and she ran on a little longer. She needed to put as much distance as possible between her and that place. Erica continued running until she came upon a road, fearing that the men would look for her a long the road she decided to cross it and stay to the woods. She hoped it wasn't a mistake.
       Eventually, the sun started to come up and she could see, her body was bloody and bruised. Her newly manicured fingernails now ruined, her clothes missing, and what was left was torn. Her feet hurt and were cut and bleeding from the run. She wanted to rest, she needed to rest, but she was so afraid.