I stopped running once I heard a sharp yell pierce the regular sounds of my feet hitting the ground in rhythm.

Turning around, I ran back to where the woman and Audrey were. A man was dead on his ground, a knife protruding through his eye. I recognized him as a guard. The girl, Audrey, looked like she was going to puke.

The woman, though… what was her name? Knowing her name seemed important, somehow vital right now..

Get her name, the familiar voice kept repeating. It wasn’t as obnoxious or painful as earlier, but relentless.

I wasn’t going to listen to it. I wasn’t going to do whatever this person wanted me to.

It wasn’t going to work.

The voices stopped, mid-phrase, and for a moment, it was peaceful, quiet if not for the barking in the distance.

I knew what was coming.

This time, everything didn’t fade into darkness; the darkness seemed to overtake me.

The last thing I remember knowing was my feet still moving and my hand still holding the pocketknife.