I have known pain and suffering for too many years, carried them like companions. Peace and a chance at joy are no longer optional for me—they are necessities I will claim at any cost, no matter the price.
Farewell.
THWACK!
***
However, just as Eve pulled the trigger, her body became locked rigid, frozen in place as if struck by lightning.
Every muscle seized at once, contracting with a force she could not control.
Her finger remained frozen against the trigger housing; her lungs refused to draw a full breath, trapped in her chest.
The crossbow stayed aimed, useless now, while a cold wave of paralysis rolled from the base of her skull down the entire length of her spine, spreading through her limbs like ice water.
[She… She spotted me?! How is that possible?!]
The thought slammed through her mind while her heart hammered so hard she could feel it in her teeth, the pulse pounding in her ears like a drum.
