“She pushed her frail and weakened body through clusters of white lily bushels. Red scars left on her dirtied white skin, paled by the florescent moon up in the twilight sky. Her breath quickening, her pace echoing that of her heart; thud, thud, thud. Hollowed branches snapping carelessly beneath her soles. The end was nigh and she could feel it, but she kept running.

Isabella turned, glancing quickly at the tall, leafless trees as the cast eerie and daunting shadows on the path she had taken. A luminous, green glow in the distance signalled the castle; her once safe haven, now merely another hollowed shell in her ‘perfect life’. She knew it was too soon to stop. Manfred was near, she could feel it. Shivers ran down her spine as the wind whispered muffled ‘run’s and ‘save me’s; even the spirits knew she was in danger. The end was nigh and she could feel it, but she kept running.

With a final push, she finally escaped the forest and entered what seemed to be dead land. A screaming silence enveloped her; no whistling winds, no insects, no birds, just the sound of her heart; thud, thud, thud. Thick fog limited her vision. Anything could be out there, but she knew it was seemingly heaven here than with Manfred.

She ran into the fog, disorientated, no idea of direction, she just ran. Crisp grass tickled her beaten soles, she could almost taste the freedom. Mind distracted by this wanting trance, she tripped over airs of nothingness. Hitting the ground, all soul and drive left her body. A single tear formed a crystal in the crevice of her dead eyes. The end was nigh and she could feel it but, but could she keep running.

Isabella tried to stand but it felt as if the spirits once pushing her on, were now holding her down, pinning her to this fate and signalling her coming end.

‘Isabella, my dear, my beauty. Why did you run?’ Isolated in her thoughts, she hadn’t noticed the man who makes her blood run cold had finally caught her. The end was nigh … the end was here.”