Chapter 45

The world became a dizzying, formless blur as she bounced across the ground like a rock skipping over water until a tree brought her to a sudden, violent stop, briefly knocking her unconscious.

Awareness returned with all the gentleness of a bomb going off, ripping her out of the dark and into a world of torment.

Even through the endorphins trying to deaden her pain receptors, agony engulfed her body, became all-consuming, drowning out awareness of anything else.

Hearing the distant sound of someone approaching, she fought through it, knowing she had to get up before they found her.

Right arm useless, she pushed herself up using her left, biting her lips to hold back the screams while she removed her helmet. Her dislocated shoulder and broken collarbone were only the beginning of her injuries. A stabbing sensation accompanied every breath, telling her she’d broken at least one rib, her clothes stuck to her skin in too many places to count from multiple lacerations,