Run to me by Darlene Gibbs (best sci fi novels of all time TXT) 📖

RUN TO ME
Chapter 1
My heart raced and the veins in my neck throbbed, the stitch in my side was overbearing but I dared not stop. What lay in store for me was enough to add wings to my feet and determination to my mind – I couldn’t let them catch me.
Most girls would be celebrating on their eighteenth birthday, but not me, there was nothing for me to celebrate. Eighteen years old made me fair game to the clan leaders. That was the rule, eighteen years old meant it was time for the ceremony, a ceremony that drove fear into the very core of my being.
I stumbled forward, grazing my knees, but I knew this was no time to linger; I picked myself up hurriedly and pressed on, my large dress bellowing around me and slowing me down. I stared ahead, by vision blurred by my tears; the forest loomed ahead of me, my one safe haven. The clan held several superstitions about the forest and they all feared to enter it. Today, I found my fear of the clan greater than whatever lurked in the forest.
“She’s getting away!” Col’s voice screamed from the group behind me, he was my half brother, Arkel’s son, but that didn’t stop him from wanting me. There was just something so wrong about the whole ceremony.
“Hurry!” Arkel, my father, screamed, he was much further behind. In spite of the fact that he was our fearless leader...he was overweight and out of shape. His only usefulness was to terrify young girls. “Shoot her if you have to!” Arkel yelled and his voice sounded so far away I knew he had given up the chase.
“Give me a gun!” That was Col’s voice and my breathing intensified, my arms pumped double time and my legs lengthened their stride...the forest, the forest, I couldn’t let them stop me. If they caught me now I’d be punished, I’d be the outcast, I’d be... I suppressed the thoughts; I couldn’t bear to think of the things that happened to girls that tried to run away and got caught.
The sound of a bullet whisking past the side of my face made my breath catch. God, help me; I just need to make it twenty more feet before I can reach the security of the forest.
“What’s wrong with you...you keep missing.” Talbot, another one of the hierarchy of our clan yelled angrily. The second bullet struck the tree next to me just as I fled into the safety of the forest.
I had only gone thirty feet in when I stopped and looked back. The twelve men that had been chasing me were already slowing down, apparently unwilling to even draw close to the edge of the woods.
“No point us following her in there. She’s already dun for.” A twig cracked off to the left and I glanced about anxiously. There was nothing.
“Darn it, Arkel, I was really looking forward to that one coming of age. We should have kept a better eye on her.” Col complained.
“She seemed so quiet...didn’t think she had it in her to run off like that.” Arkel grunted and spat out on the ground.
“Well, we got to keep an eye on Gracey, she’ll be eighteen in three months, don’t want her taking off too!” Talbot said and the others grunted their agreements.
I watched as they stared into the woods some more, I slid against a tree to hide myself, fearful that they may be willing to brave the forest and come after me.
“Let’s get back, it’ll be dark soon.” Arkel spat again and then the group turned and headed back towards our village slowly, dejectedly.
“She’ll get what’s coming to her.” Talbot said; his voice rose possibly with the hopes that I would hear and be afraid, it worked. My fingers slid across the breath of the tree and I pressed my face against it looking for both comfort and support, something that I could never get from the living.
“Oh...Lord...” Arkel had always spoken about god, but I wasn’t sure if the god Arkel served would be willing to help me, but I needed help now. I was away from home for the first time, and no idea as to where to go or even how I would survive in this god forsaken place. Perhaps I should go back, didn’t Arkel teach us these woods were filled with demons? Maybe...
“Aaaaaahhhhh...” My scream was cut off by the feel of a strong large palm across my mouth. Tears that had just dried started to flow again. My scream must have reached the ears of the men, for they stopped and looked back, almost pitifully and then they took off running in the direction of the village even faster than they had left it.
“If you scream I will kill you.” A strong harsh voice behind me said and my body went stiff and rigid. “Do you understand me?”
I was frozen to the spot, fear clawed at my heart and I nodded my head dumbly. When he released me I bolted back the way I had just come but he was too fast for me and within seconds I was lying on the ground, his body pressed upon me.
“Did I forget to tell you not to move?” He sneered. I blinked, staring into his face with a racing heart. He was a good looking man, much better looking than any one at the clan, but he was hairy, beard and moustache which made it difficult to determine just how old he was. Long black hair hung about his shoulders and tumbled over his face in disarray. He looked toughed, but was he a demon? I rather expected a demon would be red with horns.
“Are you a demon?” I asked; my voice sounding much higher than its normal level.
“Only if you disobey me.” He said frankly and I swallowed nervously.
“I...I..I won’t, Sir.” I promised.
“What is your name?” He demanded.
“Careella, Careella...Cut..Cutting.” I choked out; my breast heaving in spite of my best efforts to control my fear. His head lowered slightly to take in the top of my blouse where my bosom seemed to be bursting forth and I blushed. When he looked back at me his eyes were dark with the kind of desire I had seen in Col’s this morning.
“Perhaps it might be nice to have you around after all.” He said and I wondered if I had jumped from the frying pan right into the fire.
*****

Chapter 2
I caught my breath nervously, what manner of demon was this, and what did he mean to do with me?
“Do you wish to live?” He asked his fingers were now trailing a line along my cheek and I shivered nervously as he twined several strands of my waist length brown hair around his forefinger and tugged it slightly.
“Ye..yes Sir.” I stumbled out and waited with baited breath to determine what I would need to do to continue to enjoy the pleasure of breathing.
“Sir? Sounds far too gentlemanly for me, call me Anzel. I have a proposition for you.” He said and the lopsided grin on his face left me with little doubt as to what his proposition might be. I didn’t answer, I knew whatever I had to say was irrelevant in the negotiation.
“I find myself in need of a...wife.” He said and his cold dark eyes stared at me so intently I feared to even swallow. “And you appear to be well endowed with all the necessary traits for being a wife.” As he said that his hand cupped one of my breasts and squeezed it none to gently, and I gasped.
“And...and if I refuse?” I asked wondering where I got the courage from to even ask the question. He tossed back his head and laughed.
“I thought I made myself clear – marry me or die!” Saliva puddled in my mouth and I swallowed hard.
“Death or...or marriage to you?” I muttered nervously. He raised an eyebrow at me his face – what little I could see of it, seemed hard and set.
“Are they so close in distastefulness?” He questioned.
“I’ve...I’ve never been married...” I began, my light grey eyes staring earnestly into his hard black ones.
“And you’ve never been dead.” He cut in. “But one is permanent and from the other there may yet be a reprieve.”
“There are...are some fates worst than death.” I said and was surprised at my own audacity. He laughed and jumped to his feet and gripping my hand pulled me up with him, my body collided with his and my breath caught.
“Oh!” I shouted as his arms encircled my waist and he pulled me tightly against him.
“Perhaps if you had the slightest taste of both it would help you to make your mind up.” He said as his head dipped and his lips captured mine. My first reaction was to try to turn my face away but his other arm captured the back of my head and kept my face firmly in place. I pinned my lips determinedly, adamant that his tongue would not obtain passage to my mouth but his other arm gripped my face and applied pressure to my cheek, forcing my mouth opened so he could enter for his fill.
Tears stung the back of my eyes and terror ravaged my spirit – would he take me, right now, right here? I struggled against him, but my strength seemed puny and insignificant when compared to his. I could feel his body start to harden against mine and I stiffened instinctively, the feel of his lips on mine were hard, demanding and dominant. My heart fluttered and unaccustomed butterflies circled in my stomach and descended. My legs grew weak and had it not been for his firm grasp I would certainly have slid to the ground. I leveled my palms against his chest in a vain effort to push him away though my nails curled wantonly into his chest and my heart raced as his kiss deepened, awakening parts of me that I had hitherto never concerned myself with.
He drew away from me as swiftly as he had pulled me to him and looked down at me expressionlessly.
“That was a taste of marriage...this is a taste of death.” Suddenly his eyes were changing from their hard black coldness