The impact against the roof of the shed drew a muffled groan from her. The blow left her breathless for an instant, her body sore and bruised, but at least she hadn't fallen straight to the ground. The wood creaked under her weight, threatening to give way, but she resisted. Carefully, Eliza rolled to the side and dropped onto the soft earth of the back garden, cushioning her fall with her hands.
The silence of the night was broken by angry shouts coming from her house.
"-He's escaping, over the roof!" -her father's voice, charged with homicidal rage, chilled her blood.
Eliza staggered to her feet, her heart beating like a crazed drum. She couldn't stay. She had to flee, away from the accusations, away from her father's maddened gaze.
The darkness was his only ally. He moved cautiously through the bushes and trees of the garden, taking advantage of the shadows to hide his escape. She heard the sound of her bedroom door opening violently and the voices of men coming out into the street, calling her, searching for her like a cornered beast.
With bated breath, Eliza ran toward the edge of town, the sound of angry voices echoing in her ears. She knew the paths that skirted the fields and went deep into the forest. As a child, she used to explore them in secret, escaping the oppressive atmosphere of her home. Now, those forgotten paths were her only hope for salvation.
Brush scratched at her ankles and bare branches whipped her face, but Eliza didn't stop. Adrenaline and fear propelled her forward, refusing to be overtaken.
Finally, panting and exhausted, she reached the edge of the forest. The darkness under the trees was even deeper, but it offered a safe haven. She wove through the twisted trunks, stumbling over roots and hidden stones, until she felt the voices of her pursuers fading in the distance.
She stopped, leaning against a rough log to catch her breath. The silence of the forest enveloped her, a silence different from that of her home, a silence filled with rustling leaves and the distant hooting of an owl. It was a silence that, though mysterious, did not directly threaten her.
Eliza slid to the base of the tree and huddled against its roots, feeling the damp chill of the earth penetrate her thin dress. She was alone, frightened and not knowing where to go. The accusation of witchcraft hung over her like a sword of Damocles, unjust and incomprehensible.
Why had her father accused her of something so terrible? What "implements" had she found? Her mind struggled to find a logical explanation, but found only a dark and terrifying void. The words about her mother came back to haunt her. Was there something in her heritage, something hidden and unknown, that had made her a target for her father's paranoia?
As the evening hours slowly slipped away, Eliza felt exhaustion take hold of her. She fell asleep at the base of the tree, cradled by the soft sounds of the forest, dreaming of blurred faces and unintelligible whispers.
As she awoke, the sun was beginning to filter its golden rays through the canopy of leaves. Eliza felt numb and sore, but determination was beginning to break through the fear. She couldn't just stand there, helpless. She had to find answers, had to understand why her life had taken such a sudden and brutal turn.
She struggled to her feet, stretching her stiff muscles. Her stomach was growling with hunger and her throat was dry. He had no supplies, no plan. Only the certainty that he could not go back.
He began to walk deeper into the forest, guided by the faint sunlight filtering through the branches. He didn't know where he was going, but anywhere was better than Oakhaven and the accusing shadow of his father.
As she moved through the trees, Eliza noticed something strange. A subtle sensation, a barely perceptible vibration in the air around her. It was not the fear that had accompanied her throughout the night, but something different, something... familiar. It was like a distant echo of the strange sensation she had experienced the day before, a twinge of latent energy under her skin.
Ignoring it for the moment, he focused his attention on finding water and something edible. He vaguely remembered his mother's teachings about the plants of the forest, though those memories were scattered fragments in the mists of time.
After several hours of walking, he found a small stream of crystal clear water. He drank greedily, feeling the coolness revitalize his body. Near the shore, he discovered some wild berries. He hesitated for a moment, remembering his father's warnings about poisonous plants hiding in the forest. But hunger was stronger than doubt. Cautiously, he tasted a berry. It was sweet and juicy. He recognized the plant from his mother's teachings.
As he ate the berries, the strange sensation in the air intensified. It was as if the forest itself was vibrating around her, a subtle energy resonating within her. Eliza stopped, feeling slightly dizzy. She looked around, but saw only trees and underbrush.
Suddenly, a small wildflower, a deep blue color she had never seen before, sprouted right at her feet. Eliza blinked, incredulous. It hadn't been there a moment ago.
She reached out tentatively toward the flower. As she touched it, she felt a surge of energy course through her body, warm and vibrant. The flower glowed with a faint light for an instant before returning to its normal color.
Eliza froze, her mind confused and amazed. What had that been? What was happening to her?
At that instant, the realization hit her with the force of lightning. The strange sensation, the flower appearing out of nowhere.... could it be...?
Her father's accusation, the words about her mother, the energy she felt... it all began to fit together in a pattern that was both terrifying and unbelievable.
Could it be that her father's beliefs, the stories he had always despised, were real? Could it be that she? was what he so feared and hated?
Fear came over her again, but this time it wasn't just fear of her father and persecution. It was fear of herself, of what she might be capable of doing, of the hidden truth that was beginning to awaken within her.
With a mixture of terror and incipient curiosity, Eliza looked at her hands. She saw nothing different. But deep inside, she felt a spark, a small flame beginning to ignite in the darkness. The flight into the night had not only taken her away from home, but had pushed her to the brink of a much deeper and more dangerous discovery.