Page 20 of Rescuing Mia

Every sound makes me jump.

Every flicker of movement sends my heart racing.

I feel like a hunted animal, pursued by an unseen predator, never knowing when the attack will come.

As the streets grow emptier and the darkness deepens, a new fear takes hold.

Where can I go?

I’m alone in a strange city, a stranger in a strange land, with nothing but the clothes on my back and my backpack clutched to my chest.

Desperation claws at my throat, threatening to choke me. Tears burn in my eyes, but I blink them back, refusing to let them fall.

I can’t let my fear consume me.

I turn down another street, my footsteps echoing off the narrow walls. It’s a poor choice, I know, but what other option do I have? The main streets are too exposed, too dangerous. At least here, in the shadows, I might have a chance of hiding.

I spot a dumpster, its metal sides gleaming dully in the faint light. It’s not much, but it’s better than nothing. I make my way over, my legs trembling with fatigue.

I sink behind the dumpster, the rough concrete scraping against my skin. The pungent stench of garbage is overwhelming, but I barely notice. All I can feel is the pounding of my heart and the rush of blood in my ears.

I close my eyes, trying to calm my racing thoughts, but every time, I see Agent Torres’s dead eyes staring back at me.

I hear the crack of the gunshot.

The images are like a vice, squeezing the air from my lungs, making it hard to breathe.

I force my eyes open, staring up at the narrow strip of sky visible between the buildings. The stars are hidden behind a haze of light pollution, the moon a pale, sickly orb.

I don’t know how long I sit there, huddled behind the dumpster, my body shaking with fear and exhaustion. Time stretches and warps, each minute turning into an eternity.

But finally, as the first light of dawn creeps over the horizon, my eyelids grow heavy. I try to fight it, to stay awake and remain alert, but it’s a losing battle.

My eyes drift closed.

My body slumps against the cold metal of the dumpster.

Sleep takes me to a dark, dreamless void that offers no comfort or respite.

But even in sleep, I can’t escape the fear, the sense of dread that clings to me like a second skin. I jerk awake at every sound, every imagined threat, my heart pounding and my breath coming in ragged gasps.

I can’t stay here forever.

I have to keep moving, keep pushing forward.

But for now, in this moment of stillness and silence, I let myself rest.

Just for a little while.

Chapter Eleven

MIA

I wake with a start,my body stiff and aching from the hard ground behind the dumpster. For a moment, I’m disoriented, my mind struggling to piece together the previous night’s events.

As the memories come flooding back, so does the fear, the overwhelming sense of dread that has become my constant companion.

I take a deep breath, trying to calm my racing heart. As I do, I notice the sounds around me—the distant cry of seagulls, the salty tang of the ocean, and suddenly, I realize where I am.

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