At first, Faust found himself cursing the gods for bestowing such speed on his victim, but now he could hardly find the breath to curse at all. His speedy escape was proving to be anything but quick. That brunette had been on his tail for over a few minutes now, drawing closer to him every second. He had long since abandoned the busy market road, choosing to use the back alleys he called home as his escape route. Though the network of paths between decrepit buildings could be confusing to navigate, Faust felt he knew this section of town like the back of his hand, or at least that’s what he had thought.
The soreness in his feet served as a reminder of his errors. Despite his familiarity with the area, he had never been forced to run through it before. He found his memory unable to keep up with the rate at which they ran. Notable features, such as doorways and graffiti, barely had time to register in his mind as he flew by them. The tall, run-down buildings all began to look the same.
“Damn, that corner was….” Faust muttered as he mistakenly passed yet another useful path. Glancing over his shoulder, he could still see the girl a short distance away.
“Give it up already! You’ve got no chance, kid!” He yelled, hoping she’d hear and lose hope, but it proved pointless. She simply kept scurrying after him, a mixed expression of hatred and despair adorning her face.
His thoughts wandered for a moment. He couldn’t help but wonder why she felt so passionately about retrieving her bag. Of course, none of this victims liked being robbed, but at a certain point they all gave in and accepted their fate. However, this girl, whoever she was, acted as if her life depended on the pack’s contents. “You know, I almost find your determination admirable….in a really irritating kind of way.” He shouted back at her.
A sudden twinge of pain brought Faust’s attention back to what he was doing. Chancing a quick look downward, he could see the fragments of an old wooden crate strewn alongside the dirt path, a shard of which had embedded itself in his foot. Faust had thought he couldn’t find anything else to regret about that day, but he had just found evidence to the contrary. He was absolutely regretting his barefoot lifestyle as he limped along. Shoes had always seemed like an unnecessary expense, but at that moment, he had to admit he would’ve willing paid the gold.
There was not much left he could do, no backup plan to employ, no distraction to make use of. Back at the market road, he had done his best to lose her and swiftly escape. Barrels were tipped over, carts of produce were flipped, and people atop ladders had been knocked down in her pursuit of him. However, nothing he did could cause her to falter. He had even resorted to depriving a passerby of his bath towel, in the hopes that the disturbing sight of a rather obese, naked man would disrupt her focus, and yet she seemed to unknowingly pass by it.
Faust mind was still working on a solution, when he came to a sudden realization. Ahead of him, a distinctive building with a long row of boarded up windows came into view, and he moaned upon understanding his location. Just around the corner lay a large wooden fence spanning between two buildings, effectively bringing the street to a dead-end. He had no other choice, his only option being to get over the fence. Reaching down and quickly pulling the wooden sliver from his sole, he dashed forward with whatever strength he could muster, leaving a trail of bloody footprints in his wake.
As he rounded the corner, he quickly slipped the bag strap from his shoulder and slung it upward, hoping it would clear the fence. Faust had a lot riding on this theft, and with that in mind he jumped with all his might, somehow managing to grab ahold of the tip of the fence. He felt his mouth break into a wide grin, his spirit rising with the glimpse of victory. Pulling himself up slightly, he could see the other side, but this glimpse of victory was short lived. A small pair of hands closed in around his neck, and Faust’s last feeling before blacking out was of an unseen mass on his back sending him crashing back to the ground.
He wasn’t sure for how long he had been unconscious, but a surge of pain emanating from his groin awoke him. Staring up at the perpetually dark sky, it only took a moment for the images to stop spinning and come into focus. He found himself looking at the brunette that had been chasing him, her boot firmly planted between his legs. Not wanting to aggravate her further, he simply lay back and waited, acknowledging that he was now at the mercy of his former prey.
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