The rain was coming down in torrents, soaking the forest floor and turning the leaves and dirt into slick mud. Heart pounding so hard it felt like it had climbed into my throat, I struggled not to lose my balance and slip as I ran barefoot into the woods. In one hand I clutched the thing that had gotten me into this mess–the Stellarstone. I risked a glance at it–I could feel its weight in my palm, but I needed to know, needed to make sure it was still safe. It was, and I let out a breath of relief. It was okay. I was okay. Or, well, I would be. Soon. If I could just run fast enough. The shrill sound of a horn blasted across my consciousness, trumpeting an alarm to the surrounding area, and my heart sped up again. It was followed by the sound of dogs barking, and I forced myself to go faster, knowing that if those dogs caught up with me, it’d all be over. The Stellarstone would be lost. I might be lost. Sir Moneybags hadn’t shown himself to be particularly merciful when it came to thieves, and he’d let his dogs go unrestrained several times. More times than should really have been allowed, in fact, but who was going to argue with him? They’d just find themselves in chains. If I hadn’t stolen the Stellarstone… It had looked beautiful and perfect. But now there was a price to pay for my desire.
250 words prompts were desire, woods, trumpet, and panic
