After being released by Dave, Tasha wasted no time slipping away into the outskirts of the city. The first light of dawn stretched across the sky like a slow breath, painting the clouds in soft strokes of pale gold and lavender. A low mist hovered over the fields, curling between the blades of grass as if trying to cling to the last remnants of night.
She moved briskly along a narrow dirt path, the air crisp and cool against her skin. Each step sent a soft crunch through the silence, gravel and twigs breaking beneath her boots. Tall grasses flanked both sides of the trail, swaying gently in the morning breeze like watchers whispering secrets in the dim light.
She had been walking for hours now, the terrain growing lonelier with each mile. The road twisted through pockets of trees and sloped hills, with not a single soul in sight. And yet… she felt eyes on her.
A presence.
