Running. That was all that filled her mind. The rapid beating of her heart. The "tap-tap-tap" of her sneakers hitting the pavement. The air coming out of her lungs in short, ragged breaths. What was she running from, you ask? The well, it's a long story. One that can wait until our protagonist loses her pursuers. Said protagonist dashes across the street until---pain.

Her vision went white, her ears rang, and red hot pain flooded the rest of her senses. Gradually, after what seemed like an eternity but must have been mere seconds, input returned to her. Even so, her mind was sluggish, and her newly regained senses were strangely muted. Dimly, she saw a man get out of a car and run towards her. Ah, she thought distractedly, I must have been hit. The man had reached her now. He was kneeling by her side, dialing in a phone, and rapidly speaking. He appeared to be trying to comfort her, so she started to listen. "-don't worry, you'll be fine. I promise kid, I promise. I'm calling an ambulance now-" her hand shot up and grabbed the wrist holding the phone.

"No," She rasped, her voice weak and tinged with a desperate edge, "No hospitals. Please."

The man stared at her for a moment, before giving her a grim nod of understanding. She gave the man a small, weak smile before her arm fell back and her mind drifted to the land of dreams.

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Epilogue

The man picks up the poor girl he hit and carries her back to his car and straps her in, before getting in himself. Then, the little Volkswagen Beetle and is passengers put-put-puts off, unaware of the two, seemingly human men watching from the street corner. "We're gonna have to call this in." The slightly taller, human-looking man mutters to his partner. He was frustrated. They had been so close to catching her this time, just for her to slip through their fingers once more. He received a vaguely affirmative grunt in response, and the partners turned and walked away together.