"No…please, I'll do anything", Ayla pleaded, stepping backward, as a dark figure moved toward her.
He was unfamiliar to her- a shadow of a person she had never faced before.
Fear seized her.
Ayla spun and ran, bursting from the alley and searching for anywhere—anywhere—to disappear.
But there was nowhere left to go.
Ahead: the forest. Behind: the town—and him.
She had reached the edge of town, where nothing lay ahead but the forest.
At the tree line she hesitated, eyes flicking left and right—then plunged into the dark between the trunks.
The town shrank behind her with every pounding step, his pursuit a steady drum at her back.
Just when she thought she might escape the danger that had found her that night, the man grabbed her wrist.
Fingers cinched around her wrist.
The contact shocked her still for a heartbeat.
She forced herself to meet his gaze, fear and fury warring across her face.
He looked about her age—too composed for a stranger in the dark, his face briefly carved by moonlight.
She could see that he was attractive- with medium-length hair, a chiseled face, and a muscular build.
The moonlight slipping through the trees caught his features, making them that much sharper.
His grip was strong, unsettling something deep inside her.
For one dizzy second, she wondered why his hands weren't cruel—why part of her didn't want to pull away.
Then panic snapped her back.
She yanked, lungs burning.
"LET ME GO!"
Her voice came out hard—too steady for how badly she shook.
She stomped on his foot and yanked her wrist at the same time, desperate to break free.
The stomp and wrench broke his hold.
Without hesitation, Ayla darted off into the thick brush ahead.
She could still feel his presence close behind, urging her to keep moving, though she had no idea where to go.
Where the hell could she go?
Branches clawed at her arms and legs as she shoved deeper into the dark.
Branches whipped at her milky white arms and legs as she pushed into the brush, praying the darkness would swallow her up.
Her torn dress was dark enough to blend in, but it wouldn't matter if he was close enough to touch her again.
The moon was high and bright in the sky, lighting her path, as she continued to run, looking fervently for a safe place to hide from her pursuer.
This was the furthest she had ever gotten while fleeing from someone.
People had chased her before—tried to take her—but none had driven her this far, none had gotten close enough to grab her.
Why did this feel different? His touch hadn't been cruel—just certain—and that was what scared her.
She shoved the thought away and focused on the woods ahead.
She couldn't run back to the abandoned nook she'd claimed in the alley.
If he saw it, it wouldn't be safe again.
This bounty hunter chasing her was skilled, relentless, and closing in fast.
The hunter was skilled and closing fast, and her legs were already starting to fail.
If she didn't change something—now—he'd catch her again.
On many occasions, Ayla was able to outrun any man who chased her and escape them, no matter what they planned.
Determined to be the winner of this chase too, like everyone she had unwillingly entered before, Ayla pushed toward the sound of rushing water.
She thought that maybe the turbulent river ahead could help her throw off whatever method he was using to track her.
With a plan in motion, she directed all her efforts to getting to the sound of her relief ahead.
Ayla knew that if she could get across the water, she could make it difficult for the tracker to follow her.
No matter the method, it would be less effective.
She pushed herself harder than she ever had before.
The young woman ran harder, faster, until the damp, earthy scent of the river filled her senses.
She knew she was close.
Bursting into a clearing, she froze.
Her heart stopped as she saw why the water roared so loudly from afar.
Frozen in fear, she only had seconds to take in what lay before her.
Fear gripped her harder than when the stranger had grabbed her wrist, but the sound of the cascade, though powerful, carried an odd calm as she stepped toward her fate.
She was standing at the edge of a large waterfall, staring into the dark void below.
The roaring of the water was finally all around her.
It was calming in a sense as she started walking to the fate that awaited her.
Ayla stepped forward into the middle of the river, where a small, raised rock broke the surface.
With nothing else to do, she stared down at her feet, feeling the water rush around them as if urging her to decide.
To her surprise, the water wasn't cold.
When her feet met the river's touch, it was pleasant and warm.
She was reminded of bath water as she closed her eyes, letting the water wash over her feet and the moonlight drape over her as if she had all the time in the world.
Her delicate feet were inching closer to the edge to give her the safest advantage and a little more time to think.
Ayla knew she didn't have much- some strange man was chasing her- but she stole a few seconds to calm her mind, which was needed.
The man was nowhere in sight, but did that mean he was watching her... maybe he was hidden somewhere?
The thought was unnerving; all of it was scary.
Before she realized what was happening, her time had run out.
Whoever was chasing her was there, emerging from the trees lining the river.
The unknown bounty hunter was now stopped on the riverbank, staring at her.
He quickly stopped moving forward and looked at her curiously.
'What is he waiting for?' she asked herself.
He didn't move closer, cautious that she might slip or jump if he approached, but he wasn't leaving either.
They stood in a tense stalemate.
She clearly didn't want to interact, and he wouldn't let her linger at the brink of a deep, dark, dangerous waterfall.
To him, she looked more willing to leap than to speak.
His curiosity was instantly piqued.
'What's wrong with this girl?' he thought to himself.
Was she really unaware of his presence, or was it a trick to make him think that so she could catch him off guard?
On alert now, he hesitated, unsure of his next step.
Could she be about to attack him again?
Still, he took a moment to catch his breath and gaze at the beautiful woman who seemed to be glowing in the moonlight.
The water was sparkling around her as it splashed off her calves.
She was mesmerizing.
Ayla was lost in her thoughts, so immersed that she barely registered her surroundings, which included the mystery man standing behind her.
She had noticed him breach the trees in her peripheral sight, but she hadn't truly processed that he was there.
One thing she thought was that she could always just cross the river and let the water wash away any trace of her if she were quick enough.
Maybe she could disappear forever this time if she just kept running.
Instantly, her tracks would vanish, and she would be untraceable, as she had originally intended when the sound of water hit her ears.
The man could easily anticipate that she crossed through the river, though.
He could keep following her, endlessly, if he crossed over too and found her footprints.
Ayla would have to keep running all night, and she was so tired of running.
Still, there was a chance for escape right there in front of her.
Sure, it was night; she couldn't see what lay below the darkness and mist, and it scared the hell out of her, but so did living alone and running.
She would have to trust her instincts in order to know whether she should or could do it or not.
What were the odds of something that awful happening anyway?
Did that really matter?
No one else would even know she was missing, no matter what the outcome was.
Both paths gave her uncertainty, but which gave her more hope?
After she turned sixteen, it seemed like one person after another was always after her.
She had been hiding for years and evading capture for so long that she started to feel helpless.
Ayla didn't know why they were after her, and she didn't care.
Then, a lightbulb popped off in her head as if someone flipped a switch.
'What if I did just jump?'
Even if nothing happened and she was fine, it could maybe seem like she wasn't.
Maybe it would be enough for whoever was after her to leave her alone, for good.
It would only work if there were a witness to think she was dead, she thought to herself as she gazed over the edge of the falls, watching the water plunge freely below.
Whoever was after her would surely give up then, right?
The idea began to take shape, and a faint smile tugged at her lips.
Ayla's mind envisioned her body, flying as free as the water on the way down, arms spread, feet pointed toward the dark depths, peace settling in her soul, anticipating the inevitable impact with whatever lay below.
That was when she felt it- the weight of someone's gaze on her.
She turned just enough to see him standing frozen on the riverbed, while she remained still at the waterfall's edge, locked officially in a silent stalemate.
The sudden sight made her nearly jump out of her skin, throwing her slightly off balance, her body swaying precariously over the drop, her arms flew up at her side, her body dancing unsteadily for just a moment.
"NO," the unknown man shouted toward her.
Not long ago, she had yelled that same word at him, just as sharply, when their evening had just started, and with similar vigor.
The word slipped from him so quickly that he couldn't take it back, so he followed it with, "It would be a shame if you fell," trying to mask his strange concern.
Ayla stared at him, confusion plastered across her face, wondering who he really was.
This man, who had chased her into the deep, dark, scary forest, only to suddenly seem concerned for her?
He wasn't like the others who pursued her relentlessly- her instincts were yelling at her that there was genuine concern in his tone.
None of that made sense, especially since she didn't have a clue who he was.
A familiar mood was beginning to creep over her.
One where she felt like playing a little with the man who was now showing he might care.
There were times when she rather enjoyed toying with the other sex, and this felt like one of those perfect opportunities.
So, she edged forward, while her head was turned watching him, confidence now lighting up her features with the moonlight.
His hand stretched out as if he was trying to catch her from the shore, his feet taking slow, cautious steps toward her.
Her eyebrow arched in suspicion, raising a hand and wagging a finger at him.
"And why shouldn't I jump? I'd be free of you."
Her voice was cocky and confident, yet it still carried a subtle sweetness to it.
She studied his face closely with each word she spoke.
"No sane person would jump in these circumstances," he replied.
Clearly, he thought she was sane.
"And what circumstances would those be? You expect me to stop just because you say so? Why would any sane woman want to keep running from you and everyone else who keeps trying to capture them for no reason? This curse of a life is not one I wish to bear any longer. What kind of a life is that?" she shot back.
She had no real intention of doing anything reckless; she only wanted to see how he'd react; how desperate he was to stop her.
Ayla had no plans of saying that out loud, though.
He seemed at a loss, still inching toward her, unsure how to respond when he didn't even know what she meant.
How could he respond?
She raised a hand as if to gesture for him to stop moving any closer, as she eloquently raised one foot over the tumultuous falls.
He halted reluctantly, his steps frozen.
The stranger shook his head.
"I get how this might seem like a solid plan to you, but I wasn't chasing you. I don't know what you've been through, but I just wanted to talk because I saw you and thought you were breathtaking. You took off running, though, into the woods, at night," he said without delay.
In his mind, if he could sweet-talk her just right, maybe she would step away from the edge of the waterfall.
She narrowed her eyes, unconvinced.
"You're lying. A good liar at that, too. You're just like the rest of them. If that was true, you wouldn't have kept following me so deep into the forest. Why would anyone chase a girl so far into the forest alone? Where are your friends waiting?" she asked.
He knew this was going downhill, fast.
"I wasn't chasing you exactly, and no one's waiting. I'm alone".
She looked at him, arching her eyebrow while she pursed her lips, pushing her foot further over the edge, his hands instinctively reaching toward her.
"I followed you because I felt guilty. I'm the reason you came out here alone. I didn't know what else to do".
A smirk tugged at her lip.
"So, you admit this is all your fault, then"?
"Yes. It's my fault you're out here. I didn't want anything to happen to you."
Ayla laughed at his words.
"You mean, like if I got attacked by a wild animal, kidnapped, or fell off the edge of a waterfall"?
He wasn't sure whether to agree or not.
"My point is, I'm alone. I would never forgive myself if something happened to you because of me. Maybe I was wrong to worry about you, or not," he said, watching her with concern.
Maybe he wasn't like the others after all.
The only problem was that she had no way to prove it.
That gave her an idea.
"How do I know you're telling me the truth?" she asked.
"You don't," he replied.
A small twitch at the corner of his mouth showed that he wanted to smile, but he was afraid to.
The last thing he wanted was for her to get the wrong impression now, when he was so close to talking her off the ledge.
He went on, sensing her defenses might be lowering.
"You'd have to trust me and take a step back off the ledge. It looks like you're attempting to take a leap of faith. Trusting me would be just as risky. Instead of this one being off the edge," using his hand to gesture toward the darkness beyond her, "it would be choosing to trust me," he finished, ending with a smile.
She glanced down at her foot, glistening in the water and moonlight.
She thought about his words as she watched her shimmering foot hang over the open vastness and what lay beyond underneath for a moment, then pulled it back and stood on it again, looking at the stranger.
Suddenly, her eyes shifted from cautious trust to pure fear as she looked at the sight before her.