“Raine, wait!”
Footsteps thundered behind me, forcing me to run faster as my vision began tunnelling. Bouncing off the walls as I rounded corners, I attempted to trace my steps back to the exit through the labyrinth of hallways.
I could hear the footsteps growing louder, as if Nadine was right on my heels, but I couldn’t look without losing my rhythm.
Abruptly, I was jerked to a stop by a hand on my wrist. I spun at the touch, flinging my back against the wall with a scream. My movements were too fast to take anything in.
“What the f*** are you doing here?” The voice that snarled the words was not Nadine’s. Even full of malice I could never forget his tone. Despite that, my brain was no longer thinking logically.
I raised my hands instinctively to shield my face, the line between reality and my memories blurring. The brightly lit corridor was too tight and darkness encroached from every corner.
I was back in the alley. The rough bricks bit into my spine as I cowered into the building praying I could make myself invisible.
“No, not again,” I whimpered, my hands shaking. “Please, not again.”
In my mind they were coming at me, closing the distance.
No matter how tiny I made myself they could still see me.
“Don’t hurt me. Let me go!” White-hot panic rose in my chest, consuming me and fuelling the memory. Everything felt so similar, I wasn’t even seeing what was really in front of me.