ISABELLA

As I ran out of the house, I could still feel his blood on me. It remained glued to my skin, my hands. My bare foot slapped against the cold marble, then grass, and then gravel. I ran towards the back gate, slamming into it since I was moving too fast to slow down on time. But I barely felt the pain in my shoulder as I searched for the lock.

I found it, and when I tugged at it, it unlocked.

“Oh!” I breathed a sigh of relief as I pushed the gates open and kept running. I felt sharp stones and sticks prick through my foot, but...