Runaway

"Runaway" by M. Lowery

Tessa panted as she clawed her way through the dense woods. She plodded through the brush, boughs, and shrubs, putting more distance between her and the slave catcher, an alien. She winced as a branch smacked her face, but she pressed onward. Cold wind bit her skin and eyes.
The woods lengthened extended for miles. Heavy and quick footfalls sounded behind her. Twigs and dead leaves crunched, and the slave catcher’s voice bellowed out at her.
“Surrender, slave!”
Never, Tessa thought defiantly. I have to find Sanctuary.
She vaulted over a line of hedges. A tear sounded, and a cool breeze licked at her skin beneath the rip in her pants. Tessa ignored it. Running and escaping was all that mattered. She longed for freedom. That freedom lay in one word erupting in her mind: Sanctuary. It was a place whispered about, a place rumored to shelter runaways and provide solace. She had heard it a few times while living under the roof of her alien master. Though she had never seen or experienced it, she desired to go there—whatever the cost.
“Stop running!” the slave catcher growled. “Your master paid many credits for your return.”
Tessa disregarded the alien’s words. She threw herself forward and rolled under a low-lying tree branch. Dirt, leaves, and burrs stuck to her tattered linen shirt, trousers, and short brown hair. Her heart hammered in her chest. Keep moving, she urged self. Don’t stop.
She righted herself and quickened her sprint. The forest path led her to a creek. Tessa hesitated a second. The water was brown and dirty, but she moved forward and stepped through the water and the rocks. Cold bit at her bare feet.
A whistling cut through the air. Her black flared with burning pain, and Tessa screamed in agony. The slave catcher had fired his blaster. Tessa considered stopping to tend to the injury, but her mind screamed at her to keep running.
When she reached dry land, she glanced over her shoulder. Through the thick vegetation came the slave catcher. He was monstrous and well-armed. He was an alien with scaly skin and pupil-less red eyes. A forked tongue darted in and out of his mouth. Like other alien slave catchers, he wore a padded vest, a belt with pouches and pockets, boots, and gloves. The slave catcher carried a laser rifle in his hands and grinned darkly at Tessa.
“There’s my prey,” he said. “Let’s stop this silly chase.”
“Go to hell!”
“No thanks. Now, give up, or the next shot will be your legs.”
“I’m not giving up,” Tessa said. “I’m going to Sanctuary.”
“Sanctuary?” The slave catcher laughed. “It doesn’t exist, my prey.”
“Screw you.”
Tessa whirled around. She gave a cry of defiance and anger before breaking into a full run. She pumped her arms and legs. Her back burned from the blaster shot. Pain strove to bring her down, but the woman persisted. Laser shots rang out. They sliced the air around her. Some burned the grass and trees. Some singed her hair.
The forest continued for miles. Tessa jumped, slid, and rolled. She tried to keep as much distance between her and the slave catcher.
As she dashed, Tessa thought about her life as a slave. She remembered being born on the planet Tyres, in one of its many settlements and cities. It was ruled by several aliens, and humans had been brought here by ships, bred like cattle, and treated as slaves. It was horrid. She remembered how her mother and father were collared and chained and ordered about by alien masters. She was no different. She hated the life. Day after day, she was expected to serve her alien masters.
She remembered how her master and his family resembled humans. But they had wings and horns and stood over 7ft tall. They also could fly at will and with ease.
Another blaster shot sounded. Wood chunks from a tree she passed exploded. Tessa gasped at that and stumbled. She tripped over a log and fell onto her face.
Tessa was about to get up, but the warm press of the rifle’s barrel touched her neck. Tessa paled. No, no, no! The slave catcher caught up to her.
“This is it, woman. On your feet.”
The laser rifle was pulled back. A scaly hand seized her neck, squeezed, and yanked her to her feet. Tessa cried out as she was spun around and faced the slave catcher. She flailed with her fists but the alien’s grip tightened.
His eyes bore into hers. His smile was wide and triumphant, showing sharp teeth.
“All this running was exhilarating, woman. I haven’t had to put this much effort in for 3 months. You’re different from the other slaves, Tessa Schmidt.”
“I will get to Sanctuary,” Tessa stammered. “I-I will.”
“No. You won’t. Sanctuary is a lie!”
“No, it’s out there.”
“You’re a damn fool.” The slave catcher reached into his vest and pulled out two black spheres. They were golf-ball sized. “Sanctuary is a lie, a hoax. No human has escaped and lived free on Tyres. I’m going to kill any hope you ever have. Ever.”
The slave catcher took Tessa’s hands and pressed the orbs to her wrists. The orbs flashed with blue light. Shifting and melting, the orbs wrapped around her wrists and formed shackles. The shackles burned hot and Tessa regarded them with venom and disgust. She lifted her brown eyes to the slave catcher.
“Time to go, woman. No Sanctuary, no running.”
“T-This isn’t over.”
“Oh, it is. Once we return to your master and his family, they’ll make sure you never run again. Once you receive the shock implant.”
Tessa frowned at that, knowing well that such an implant was for runaways that refused to stay in captivity. The implants delivered excruciating shocks before a slave could even leave a master’s property.
The slave catcher smiled and licked her lips. He took her by the shoulder and shoved her forward. He then pushed her onward with the barrel of his laser rifle. His laughter filled the air as Tessa was marched back to captivity, back to her master.