The thick orange rays pierced through the thick trees one by one, bringing some light in my way but not my soul, I had a feeling it was turning dark from what I had endured. The adrenaline had pumped out resulting to me feeling every pain in my body, from the itchy sore face to my over worked, poor muscles. Ruby looked worse though, her run had broken to a jog as it seemed like she would collapse any time now.

Our shoes were muddy and heavy, the bags seemed to way us down and I was as thirsty as hell. The sun was up and I knew they were looking for us so we had to be strong and continue running as there was no way back.

We never even got the second to admire the evergreen, beautiful trees, or the melody the birds sang as the glorious sun rose up to the sky. I came to a halt with my body boycotting on me. Everything was aching as I was drenched in sweat.

Ruby threw herself to the mud, heavily heaving. I ripped through my bag, looking for the water bottle and an apple. I knew that if I sat down, I wouldn't stand back up so I sucked it up and drained half of the bottle.

There was no hope for Ruby, she lay limp, looking paralyzed. I ate the apple up like it was nothing. I was hungry as hell but we had a limited food supply.

"Ruby, come on. We need to move on. "

No answer.

"Ruby come on," I pulled her arm causing her to groan before dragging herself up.

We walked for a while as ruby ate some bread and coke. She needed the energy more. After a few metres we broke into a run, pushing past our aching bodies.

I wondered if we would make it, if we could survive. It was better for me since I had been an athlete all my life, from ballet, tennis, and volley ball then cheerleading but for Ruby it was pure agony. I waited for a moment where she would collapse and break a leg but she stayed strong, dragging herself behind me.

When the sun was in the middle of the sky we decided to rest. I went to cut tree branches which we could lay on, perks of watching "the hunger games". I placed my bag down and took out two slices of bread and threw them down my throat. The bread tasted like shit on its own and it almost choked me. After having the bread, I took out the throw blanket and threw it over me before grabbing and grasping my knife tight.

I felt filthy with being so dirty and just laying around such an environment, part of me was scared that an animal would attack us or that they would find us and slaughter us in our sleep. Eyes scanned over the place, waiting for something to move or jump out to me.

I wondered how Ruby slept on the ground.

I don't know when I drifted off but I did and when I woke up, the sun was setting and there was a hissing sound nearby.

I rolled on my side, groaning loudly, my body was worse than before.

The hissing got louder causing me to slowly rub my eyes open.

"Aahh!" I screamed, I don't know how but I jumped as the thin yet long green snake struck and missed.

I ran off jumping like a lunatic, leaving everything behind. The snake chased after me as I screamed my lungs out. Down I went, running in an unimaginable speed, I didn't even know where I was going but I kept on going and going, not daring to look back.

I blazed through the forest, running like a girl with my lungs on fire.

"Aahh!" further I went in the forest and when I finally stopped and looked back the snake was gone.

I took a deep breath, relief washing over me but still scared as hell. It was getting really dark and I was scared to retrace my steps not that I could. I had ventured too far from Ruby and was now lost. I didn't even know where I was or how far I was from our original path and the only thing I had was a stupid knife.

My scared puppy eyes scanned my surroundings as the darkness engulfed the forest fast. My knees broke down and I hit the ground hard as I broke into a loud sob.

I was alone with no food, water, nor a clue of where I was, in a thick dangerous forest. It seemed like the world was against me, I cried until my whole body shook. What had I done to deserve this? Maybe I should just slit my wrist and let it be over with. No one would miss me, I would be doing the world a favour and Rafael would be so happy.

I lay there, drenched in mud with the tears trying their best to clean my face.

The moon lit up the sky with my eyes pinned on it, I didn't know what I felt right there or what I thought. My eyes never left the humongous moon, I probably looked like a zombie.

"Papa," it came out more like a whisper, my voice was husky from all the bawling.

"Why did you leave me papa," I wished to have died along my dad. I thought I could live without him but it seemed hard every day. He had had answers for everything and if he was alive, he would have ripped the earth to find me.

A tear rolled down my cheek.

"What have I done wrong papa?" more tears poured down.

"What? Please forgive me if I have, I just can't take this suffering," I cried and cried until my last tear hit the ground and I finally drifted to a deep, dark slumber.

My wish to sleep and never wake up never came true, I woke up, sleeping in an awkward position with the cold getting the best of me.

I shivered to the core, teeth chattering. Moving a toe was agony, my back throbbed like hell with my tummy grumbling loudly, these days I ate so much and it was weird. The moon was still up, shedding some light in the dark. I rolled on my tummy and held it tight. New hot tears came as hunger ate away at me. Pushing through all the pain, I dragged myself up and walked off to the west with my back bent and hand firmly placed on my belly.

You could do it, just keep walking and you'll find Ruby or maybe a fruit tree, I kept on encouraging myself as I tore through the trees.

I walked for a few hours, falling now and then but getting up and pushing myself. I was not a failure and I would not fail, not today. Gathering enough energy and will power I started running as fast as I could. The faster I got to Ruby, the better. It took all of me, drained everything I had but I pushed on and on, fighting the pain and hunger.

When the sun came up, I could barely see a thing, my eyes were closing shut with my body shutting down. I would collapse any second now, my head was heavy, my own body weighing me down. I felt myself fall before I blacked out. I went on and off into consciousness. I could feel my body give up, my limbs were limp.

Weakly I dug some mud with my hand and slowly brought it to my mouth.

The smell, taste led to me throwing up. I wrecked my lungs as I emptied my tummy with tears rolling down. There was something wrong with me, maybe I had caught a bug, and I turned to my side and blacked out.

I woke up and the sun was gone, the light was gone. I shivered to the core and the pain got worse and worse. My clothes were all wet. Crawling away, I covered a few metres, resting now and then. I continued crawling.

I rested under a tree which was risky since snakes stayed in trees but I had no energy to move. The tree was short yet broad. I didn't give a fuck what happened to me now. I had given up. Something seemed to rustle behind me and my eyes ran off scanning around. I remembered my knife but it was no longer in my hands, I had lost it.

The sound came again, I knew something was out there and as much as I had told myself, I wasn't ready to die. I wanted to live and when death was so near I couldn't help but pray. I closed my eyes and sat as still as possible, maybe the animal would pass. I thought of the people I cared about.

Ruby, I hoped she was okay, I hoped she had found her way and continued with the journey.

Rafael, he hurt me in a way I could never imagine, he took everything from me and stripped me off my dignity and self-respect yet at this dying point, I wish I could have known him under different circumstances.

Maybe he would have been my prince.

I did fight, I tried so hard but maybe this was where my story ended. The noise got louder and suddenly a hand was placed over my mouth as I threw soft weak kicks.

"I got her sir." The man who held me so firmly said over the earpiece.

You may have me but at least Ruby got away, I thought forcing a smile on myself.