Run

A rivulet of blood ran down the side of her face. She panted as she ran, tearing across the rotting wood flooring, with him right beside her. 

They'd been running for a short while, but it felt like hours. Their pursuers were fast as lightning, and it was clear that they were intent on killing them. 

Their pursuers were human beings, but there was something unnerving about them. Maybe it was their animalistic nature, or that they were dressed in scraps of wild skins, crudely thrown together. Or maybe it was the psychotic look in their eyes, or that they were covered in lots, and lots of blood.

Why did these crazy people even want to harm them? It didn't make sense. Cassie was so damn scared. There'd be no negotiating with these people. There was just this crazed, wild look about them, so stone age, so caveman. 

Hell, how had this gone so wrong? It had just been a regular hiking trip, and they'd gotten lost. They'd found a random house in the woods and had decided to go in and ask for directions. They'd heard sounds coming from the top floor of the house, and knew that it wasn't empty, that there were people. They'd both felt relief, at least until they'd seen the occupants.

Cassie raced down the stairs. her legs screaming from exertion. But she couldn't stop to rest, not even for one second. One second would be enough for their pursuers to catch up with them, enough for her to lose her life. 

Where was the exit? She couldn't even see the doorway from which they'd entered. She was completely disoriented, not to mention that it was dark. 

Beside her, Chris was panting, but he kept running, sweat running down his face. There was a scrape on the side of his face, an angry crimson. 

"This way!" Chris shot towards the left. Cassie followed him, ignoring her burning limbs. This house was so large and ancient, she wondered if it'd go on and on forever.

They kept running, running. Cassie wasn't even aware of the burning sensation in her legs anymore; it was reduced to a distant throb. Everything was a blur now.

Then there was a light ahead. A doorway! Cassie could've wept with joy. They raced for the exit, and broke out of the house and into the light.

She couldn't hear their pursuers anymore. "We lost them..." she exclaimed. Chris nodded, breathing deeply. Cassie sobbed with relief. They both collapsed onto the floor from exhaustion.

And through the autumn leaves, something hard poked at Cassie's back. She struggled to sit up, and turned around. 

A bone.

Cassie picked it up.

A human bone.

Cassie dropped it, her hands flying to her mouth.

Cassie and Chris stared at it. It was caked with blood, fractured quite severely. There was still some charred flesh on it, the rest evidently torn away by someone's teeth. Cassie looked at the bite-marks.

Human teeth.

They both got to their feet, chests heaving up and down. "Good grief..." Chris whispered. Cassie sobbed again, but this time it was a sob of horror. 

"Cannibals." They'd wandered straight into the den of cannibals.

She heard footsteps behind her. They were soft. Sneaky. And very, very close.

And Chris fell, burgundy pooling around his lifeless body. Excruciating agony tore through Cassie, and she looked down to see a spear tip exiting her midsection. Her eyes widened.

Then she crumpled to the ground.