The squelching sound of decayed mud echoed in her ears matching the rhythm of her pounding heart against her ribcage. Her ears expanded and in wait for what is sure to come. And come it did a moment later. Its resonance sending tremor her entire body like electric magnet coupled with the cruel claws of cold chills that slither down her body messing with her already messed up nerve. Her eyes never losing its focus in ready for any possible danger jumping in on her. The once distance sound reverberated again like the cries of thousands of damned souls; only this was hell on earth gleefully scavenging for victims to devour in its insatiable belly.

Moisture raced down her forehead down to her face. If is wasn't for the salty content entering and stinging her eyes, she would have mistook it for rain.

With the almost last drop of her energy, she kept forcing her feet after the other even though they begged to be released from the onslaught they had been subjected to for like ages. But only it wouldn't have been over ten hours.

The little survival instinct that had kept her going all the while urged her deep into the depth of darkness with non notch of light to serve as a source of illumination. She swallowed heavily in hope of moisturizing her parched dried throat deprived of water and clean air. Tears repeatedly hit the back of her eyes. The fear that clouded her suppressed the liquid from sauntering out. Her shoulders hurt from the burden installed on them. The salty taste of her sweat snaked like a tricky serpent on top her lips, and she welcomed it in her mouth with all gladness. But it did nothing to satisfy her thirst. She hiccuped for the thirtieth time. Pang of pain stabbed at her chest, breath departed her, gushed back in the next instant.

She wouldn't turn back, she willed herself as she kept shoving her bundle of weak fragile self deep into the open arm of pitch darkness. Then, it sounded again. Closer this time like it only existed outside of her ears.

Anger and hatred directed towards the one that had beget the misfortune flared in her. She slapped her hands through the vacant air adding to the velocity of her speed that could be counted as that of a tortoise. The back of her skull throbbed as though a chainsaw was being driven through her head to relieve her of the nightmare that her life and hundreds of others had turned to.

Suddenly, she tripped, her feet collided an object causing gravity to take its natural course and she went tumbling freely to the ground that had swallowed billions of once living humans. She braced for the aftermath; nose crumpled in anticipation. However, nothing but the putrid smell of shit shot into her nostrils making it flare in rage and disdain. Pressing her mouth tightly together to avoid unwanted particles gaining through, she sighed pulling herself to her arse. A finger poked at the slightly congealed substance spread on her face. It came back smeared. She released an alien-like cry in her throat at the foul odour of it. Quickly, she tore a potion of her already torn and dirty dress to wipe the rubbish off her face. Bounded herself once more on her trembling feet and continued into the seemingly endless blackness of the night. The weight of her soaked cloth weighting her down. She wouldn't stop, she wouldn't just stop now, she whispered to herself as she kept reaching towards the unknown. The thought of her life ending because of her delay motivated her forward. If following the loud language of her body, she would have given up and surrender to what is certain to happen. A little voice occasionally voicing its opinion at the back of her head kept her going.

How long does she have left before she vanish from the surface of the earth? The answer she doesn't have a clue of. And the prospect of not knowing when and how made her teeth clatter with fright.

Even with her eyes as wide as two saucers trying to discern what lay ahead, she could barely sight a feet away. That also added to her raptly multiplying misery. As if toying with her, the foot she had sent flying came down on nothing but void; and it was too late to jump back, she went falling, falling and falling into what she perceived to be a bottomless pit. The ability to scream that had deserted her earlier returned with force and she let it out in the air. This wasn't the way she had wished to die. On a blissful day, when life was good, she had pictured growing pure snowish grey hair. Body all wrinkled and quivering. Eyes losing its potential as she gaze at her first to third generation on her inclining chair. Telling them stories of her time. Folk tales of her forefathers: their bravery, strength and triumph over their enemies...

The flashback evaporated like vapor into thin air leaving cold grip of reality in its wake. She was going to die, no doubt about that. She was sure she had been falling for about half an hour still without getting to the bottom. What will she come in contact with? She sorrowfully mused. Snakes? Sharp object piercing right through her heart and emerging from her back? Will it be slow and torturing or in a blink of an eye? All these questions raced over and over in her mind above her bloodcurdling scream. Then, just then, as if being splashed with icy water, she realized she was lying flat on a soft surface. She blinked once, twice in confusion. Reached out with a hand to feel and to confirm her finding fearing the worst. A pang of emotion resembling hope zigzaged in her on touching handful bed of grasses. She leaned up with the other hand up to touch the wall; shock gave way to excitement as it smoothly sailed past through to nothing but stiff breeze. She rose on her knee and squinted her eyes open; indeed she had fallen into a fissure not more than half a feet but her fears for the worst created an illusion of one as wide and deep as atlantic ocean. She groaned in exhaustion. Her whole essense protesting for her to flatten herself back down for they found confort on the warm surrounding. But she knew better than to obey. Wincing, she leveled her arms beneath to push herself up. Gritted at the pain she felt doing so. A tear escaped resting beneath her lashes. Her hands trembled under her, head threatening to explode. Immediately, above, an unmistakable high pitched roar of a wild cat tore through the night silencing the chirps of crickets and sending goosebumps on her skin. It sounded so near...her blood froze. She hurriedly scrambled to her feet, stopped half way when something the layer of a rock tipped over from above to her head knocking her back down to the ground. Just then, a semblance ring of the sound she had became accustomed to hearing since the breakout of doom, but still squirm when ever she heard it, rented above as though in challenge to the cat of which to pounce first.

She tried to stand up to make a run, black dots already covered her vision thereby seizing her remaining ounce of strength. She felt herself slowly slip into oblivion and sadly could do nothing about it than accept the invitation even as the two competing dictators came close and closer to her lifeless self.

"Into your hands, I commit my spirit," were the last words she mouthed.

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Hi beautiful readers & writers. I know I kept some information hidden but I might reveal it in the next chapter.

I want to know your thoughts on this chapter. And be so kind as to drop a vote. 🤗