The girl burst through the door, knocking over the woman who'd come to check on her.
Her heart pounded in her chest as she ran in the opposite direction of the village festivities.
Behind her, voices rose in confusion, followed quickly by screams as the woman cried out to alert the villagers.
"She's escaping! The girl is escaping!"
Panic surged through the village like wildfire. But the girl didn't stop.
She ran blindly into the night, her tiny feet hitting the cold earth, tears running down her face.
She didn't know how long she ran, minutes stretched into what felt like hours, her breath ragged, her chest aching.
Eventually, the girl stumbled to a halt in front of a dark, foreboding cave.
A chilling wind whispered from within.
She hesitated, trembling, the darkness within terrifying her, but not nearly as much as what awaited her if she turned back.
Taking a shaky breath, she stepped into the cave, the cold wrapping around her like a cloak.
