This is for 1DERDOG. Your comments are really sweet. Enjoy!

I started to run. The false trail I set up would buy me no more than half an hour; Then they would realise I hadn't gone that way, at all.

If I was lucky then they wouldn't realise that it was a false trail and that I was, in fact, heading in the opposite direction, but I felt like I had used up all my luck already. I could only rely on one thing now and it was my own intellect.

Despite the clear skies, there was a slight biting breeze that sent the trees swaying slightly, side to side. Every so often, the occasional low hanging branch would snag onto my clothing but I pushed on regardless despite the rapidly growing tears my jumper was getting.

If I could just reach a town, a motorway, anything, then I would be safe. I would have escaped.

I would be home.

A burn started, first in my side, then in my thighs as I forced, relentlessly, for my body to keep going. The woods were eerily silent as if the trees and animals were holding their breaths as they anxiously waited to see the outcome of my escape. My breaths were loud and harsh, the only sound apart from the rhythm of my feet smacking into the floor.

My body cried for me to stop and rest but my mind cried for me to continue and run.

I couldn't hear the wolves.

Why couldn't I hear them?

Was I so far away that I couldn't hear them?

Or were they so close that they were silently hunting me down?

As I blindly ran deeper and deeper into the woods, driven by fear and anxiety, the tension grew and grew. Each second that passed felt like a minute and each minute felt like the chances of being caught grew.

Suddenly there was a searing pain across my right cheek as a thin branch whipped into my face, sending me reeling backwards. I clutched my stinging cheek and collapsed on the ground in a winded heap.

One minute.

One minute to rest and then I have to keep moving.

I laid back, gasping in pain as my body struggled to catch up to its lack of oxygen. It was unnerving hearing my harsh pants against the quiet backdrop. I took a few more deep breaths, forcing the air in and out of my chest whilst cradling my cheek and then got up again.

I had to keep moving.

The woods thickened in some places and thinned in some. The only reassurance I had that I was going in the right direction was the occasional glimpses of the moon I got. The moon was oddly large tonight, almost a perfect circle.

Tomorrow night, it will be a perfect circle. It would be a full moon.

Tomorrow night, I had to be safe.

How much longer did I have until they discovered the false trail? The woods were quiet - too quiet. It was eerie and echoey, painfully enunciating every step, every breath.

I stopped for a minute, painstakingly breathing in and out. I had to check if I really was going the right way.

I could tell from the way that the sun rose which way east was and west from the sunset. I remember my grandfather taught me a trick to remember which way would be north or south just by knowing which way was east and west; Face your right palm west and your left palm east and the direction your body would face would be south. I did as my grandfather taught me and gratefully corrected my course. If I wasn't careful, I could end up walking back in circles.

I picked up my pace till I hit a light jog, my shoes crunching into the dried leaves below with the occasional snapping twig echoing through the air.

It should be fine, I told myself. I might be too far away for the sound to be heard.

Snap.

I froze, foot mid-air, and looked down. That wasn't from me. I slowly turned around. I couldn't make out anything but I definitely heard something. I waited for a minute and just as I was about to continue, I heard another snap in the distance.

Shit.

I looked around wildly and my eyes fell on a large thick branch, one that was light enough for me to carry with a dangerously sharp pointed end. Maybe my lucky streak was holding up. I picked it up, eyeing my surroundings carefully.

Snap.

Holding my breath, I took a step backwards. Then another.

Everything was quiet once again but as the saying went; once a chance, twice a coincidence and third a tail.

I was no longer alone.

"Dammit it", I murmured. There was no point running away from a wolf - it could outrun me. I had to trigger its predator/prey instincts. If the wolf saw me and I posed a threat, it would immediately mind link for backup. If it saw me as weak, it might, just might not use the mind link and try to take me down and drag me back as the sole victor. Maybe there was a reward on my head.

I took the branch and using the sharp side, I dragged my thumb across the prickly bark, wincing as my skin tore and bled. I put my pressure on my thumb, squeezing out every last drop I could. Then I rolled up my trouser leg and tucked it in, spreading the blood under my left knee until it looked like my leg had a nasty bleed. Then I quietly dropped the basket from my shoulder and placed it under the tree that I stood next to. It would only hinder me.

The wolf was approaching closer, I could just about hear a faint rustle from in front of me.

I leaned against the branch as if I needed its support and turned to walk. Faking a hobble, I noisily walked on, noting with satisfaction how the wolf didn't launch in attack but watched lazily from the sidelines, believing it had me cornered.

Now to pretend like I was scared.

In a grand show of fear, I whirled around pretending I just noticed the presence. Hiding in between the trees, a pair of luminescent grey eyes shone owlishly and its mouth was opened in a wide gaping grin, a sharp row of glistening teeth smiling at me.

I gasped in mock fear and stumbled along as if I was trying to get away from the wolf. The wolf languidly stepped out from behind the trees, making a sort of cruel yipping noise as if it was laughing at me.

I didn't need to try to act scared, I was terrified. The wolf was huge, much larger than the average wolf I had seen in nature documentaries. It had a thick grey coat with streaks of black, towering over me with a pink tongue lolling out as it sauntered closer, the muscles rippling with every step.

"Please, please don't hurt me", I stuttered, trying my best not to drop the act and run away. Every human instinct in me was screaming to run, to run away from this fearsome predator that stood before me.

The wolf glanced down at my leg and made that weird yipping sound again, sniffing the air deeply. It worked - it could smell the blood. It stepped closer and closer until its face leered over me like a menacing shadow and growled, spit flying from its huge jaws, spraying my face.

I let out another whimper except this one was real. I was terrified. My hands started to feel warm and clammy, losing my grip on the branch.

It took another step, bridging the gap between us when I attacked. I struck forward, using the javelin like a spear, aiming for the wolf's throat. It was as if it all happened in slow motion. The wolf's eyes widened in surprise and its lips peeled back into a snarl as his body flinched away from the branch. The branch missed its target but instead tore through its side, making a superficial wound along the side from under its neck to above its flank.

The wolf growled in anger and pain, spit hitting my face. I grabbed the wet branch and tried to run.

Shit, I messed up. I was gone, I was going to die.

I stumbled in fear, my legs falling out from under me in pure undulated fear. I tried scrambling back, my hands furiously clutching onto leaves and rocks, my legs kicking up a cloud of dirt. The wolf growled again and let out a roar so loud it sent my hair and debris flying. The hair on my arms stood up on one end and my pulse began to race frantically as adrenaline raced through my bloodstream, activating my flight or fight response.

But I could do neither. It would easily outrun me and it could easily overpower me.

It took another step and my mind suddenly clouded with panic, sending me scrambling away. My legs shook with fear so badly that I couldn't even get up and now I was trying to crawl away, my fingers scrambling through the soil and dried leaves.

I had gone no more than a few steps when I heard a howl, reverberating through the trees, shaking the branches and leaves. There was a shrill ringing noise in my brain and I felt around blindly in pure disorientation. I felt small insects drop on my face, falling from the overhead tree as it shook from the power of the roar.

No, no, no.

I fumbled about and the tears started to pour out my eyes, thick and heavy, blinding my vision. I couldn't be caught, I couldn't.

I would rather die than go back.

Then maybe I should. I grabbed the branch with trembling fingers. It was now or never. My hands shakily gripped onto the branch and I held out my wrist. The wolf made a weird noise as it circled me like a lion about to close on a zebra and realised what I was doing.

I pressed my wrist against the same sharp end that injured the wolf and pulled my wrist against it, crying out in pain. Blood spurted out and my skin stung but it wasn't deep enough. I repositioned the branch when the wolf barked, a sharp deep noise, and suddenly pounced. I saw a blur but all I felt was pain. The wolf's jaw closed over my left leg and a loud crunch echoed through the forest.

I screamed in pain, so loud my ears rang. Its teeth were firmly embedded into my leg, slicing through my flesh and bone as if it was butter. I sobbed in agony as pain cleaved through my leg, overwhelming my brain.

The wolf began to pull me back, its mouth still gripping into my leg. Was it going to drag me back to the house like this?

I sobbed again as my leg throbbed angrily. As my body was dragged along, the leaves became matted with the blood pouring out of my leg, becoming slippery and wet. Then this fire started to grow as my leg started to burn and burn, like it was placed in a roaring furnace. Thousands of needles pricked my skin, over and over again, making me wail in pain.

The wolf had gone for my left leg, the one I had pretended was injured. It had done it on purpose, trying to weaken me further. Suddenly, my head hit a small rock as I was dragged along and the murky pain-filled cloud in my head disappeared.

Where was the branch?

I tilted my head back and saw the branch about a metre away from where I was. I looked down. The wolf seemed too focused on dragging me back to notice my crying had lessened.

I looked down at my leg, wondering why the pain had stopped and then realised in horror.

I couldn't feel my leg.

I couldn't feel my leg.

I couldn't feel my leg.

My heart pounded even harder as panic washed over me.

Why couldn't I feel my leg?

It was numb from below my knee and its place was nothing. Just nothing. The blood was still gushing out, a bloody, glossy, red mess, the muscle and flesh glistening under the moonlight but I couldn't feel it.

I couldn't feel it.

I sobbed in relief and anger. I could no longer feel the pain but was my leg forever gone?

Well, if that was the case, I didn't have much else to lose. The nothingness I felt now was my body fighting to keep going on. I can't give up now. I could keep on fighting and maybe the wolf would hurt me enough to kill me rather than going back. Inhaling deeply, I raised my right leg and kicked as hard as I could against the wolf's snout which crumpled against all the force my body could muster and it howled in pain, falling back. I quickly stood, stumbling to the branch, my left leg dragging along lifelessly.

The wolf looked around wildly, trying to find me but seemed disorientated from the kick to the nose. My hands closed over the branch and with a war cry, I threw myself at the wolf with the branch raised above my head.

There was an audible squelch as my body hit the wolf, sending us both flying. As I fell, I fell on the branch that had made its way into the wolf's side, pushing it in further.

The wolf screeched with pain and dropped its head to the ground. I grasped the branch and using all my weight and might, I pushed it in further. My hand slipped along the branch, my skin ripping against the rough bark.

The wolf whimpered in pain and I quickly scrambled back.

Mikhail would come any minute now, we had made too much noise not to be noticed.

My body began to feel heavy and I felt myself falling until I hit the floor with a muted thud.

I had to get away, I had to keep moving. I had come too far. My body disagreed and I could feel my muscles giving up. I clawed at the large tree root in front of me, dragging my body forward using the root as leverage.

I had to keep moving.

I had to.

I heard the distant sound of paws hitting the ground and I began to cry.

It might not be too late, I might make it.

How far? I'm crippled.

I glanced back and saw that despite all my efforts, the wolf's body lay close, too close. I hadn't moved far at all.

I blindly grabbed onto another root, pulling my body forward. My left leg lay like a deadweight, useless. My mind grew hazy from the blood loss and black spots decorated my vision.

A little more.

No more.

Just a little.

No.

I could... I could make it.

Where?

Home.

No, I wouldn't. It's too late.

No-

Yes.

Yes.

It was too late. My brain was filled with fog, I couldn't even see my own hand in front of me. My leg was gone, bleeding heavily. My wrist was bleeding. My hands were torn. My throat hurt from being strangled. My head hurt. Everything hurt. Too much.

It's alright.

Is it?

Yes.

I don't want to die... I'm scared.

It's the only way out.

It was. My only chance was dying before Mikhail found me.

My arms collapsed from under me and my head hit the floor. My left ear rested on the ground, and I turned my eyes to look up at the clear night sky.

It was beautiful with stars I would never normally see in London. It was a sight to behold. My breaths grew laboured as I forced my eyes to stay on the bright, twinkling, silver spots in the sky.

It would be a nice way to go.

Yes, it would be.

A small smile crossed my face. It was a small success. I would rather go down fighting than live as a captive.

My mind began to clear, empty of everything.

Mum, dad.

I couldn't even remember their faces. Who were they?

Who was I?

My eyelid began to flutter closed as my internal systems broke down. Through a slither of a gap between my eyelids, I saw two shining stars getting closer and closer, like the night sky had descended to wish me farewell.

It was beautiful.

It was captivating.

They grew and grew until they were two twin simmering golden orbs floating above my face.

"Malik". My lips subconsciously formed that word.

Who was he?

Malik.

Who was he?

The gold stars got closer until it was all I saw, my vision encompassed me in its fiery warmth.

My smile grew.

It truly was captivating.

Then I closed my eyes.

Annnndd this is the end.

We've come a long way, haven't we?

There will be no new book, just this sexy cliffhanger.

Just kidding, lower your pitchforks.

I was tempted for a second to end here but I have plans that must be followed.

Question for today:

How would you feel about a second book in this Captivated world?

Hehe, no promises.

The last chapter's first is a new winner... alaskabear13. Woohoo!!

Today's first comment here --->

Anyway bye

Xx