He killed the headlights, plunging us into total darkness.

We rolled to a stop under a thick canopy of pines.

“Out,” Matteo whispered, grabbing his gun.

I opened the door and stepped into the freezing mud.

The rain soaked through my thin silk shoes instantly.

In the distance, the sound of the pursuing car’s engine got louder.

They were coming up the dirt track.

Matteo grabbed my hand, his palm warm against my freezing skin.

“This way,” he whispered, pulling me into the dark woods.

We walked quickly, the wet pine needles muffling our footsteps.

The blue light of the police car swept through the trees behind us, illuminating the falling sleet.

I tripped on a wet root, falling to my knees in the dirt.

My white dress was torn and covered in black mud.

Matteo pulled me up, his eyes scanning the darkness ahead.

“Just a little further,” he said.

We reached a clearing at the edge of a steep ravine.

Below us, the lights of a small village flickered through the rain.

Behind us, a car door slammed.