The moon shone down between the naked tree limbs. Her blonde hair looked silvery in the moonlight and framed her face. Red was splattered on her nightgown, but she decided that it wasn't important to know whether the blood was hers or not. Thanks to the blanket of rain falling from the sky, mud covered her bare feet, up to her knees. Robyn heard shouts and dogs barking in the distance. They were getting closer. She heaved herself off the ground with a painful grunt. Her legs tried to carry her further from the chaos, but exhaustion forced her limbs to move with lethargy. Her breath huffed from her mouth, steamy from the cool night.
"They're gaining on me…" Her voice was low and filled with fear.
Sharp rocks cut through the soft flesh of her feet. She saw clear moonlight ahead, but was unsure if that was helpful or not. The trees cleared away to show the edge of a cliff that, after a steep drop, met with the churning ocean. Terror rushed through her body and wind whipped her hair as she stood, unsure of her next move. Whatever it was going to be, she needed to make her decision soon. She dared not to jump – years of exploring the coastline had proven shallow waters 30 feet from the shore. Her best bet was to scale the cliffside. With every step, her footing slipped and muscles ached with the task of clinging vehemently to the slippery rocks.
As she descended, barking drew nearer. When she reached the bottom, she found a small cove: Robyn darted in as the townspeople peered over the precarious drop. With any luck, they would think she took her own life. Her breathing slowed and tears welled in the corner of her eyes. Her strength left her and the water flowed freely down her cheeks. She wept for the future hardship and scrutiny she would be putting her family through and for the life that she was unmistakably responsible for taking. But mostly she wept from the fear of knowing what kind of monster she had become: a murderer.