The air grew heavier as they dragged me deeper into the jungle. It felt like the trees were closing in; everything, actually, was shutting in on me, swallowing me whole without mercy. Shadows stretched like claws across the path, and the last flickers of sunlight disappeared behind the dense canopy. I couldn’t feel my feet anymore. They scraped against the dirt, and each step Vincent forced me to take pulled more life out of me. My legs buckled under me, and I stumbled again, nearly collapsing if not for the brutal grip on my arms.

I was exhausted. Too exhausted. I didn’t know how many more steps I could take...