He threw his head back and laughed, a cruel, mocking sound that echoed through the dark forest like a warning. “You think you can tell me what to do? You’re nothing. Weak. Helpless. Pathetic.” He spat the words, each one laced with contempt.
He began to walk toward her, his steps deliberate and menacing, the rock clenched in his fist. Hazel’s fear spiked, her mind racing for an escape, but her body was frozen with dread. Just as he was close enough for her to smell the stale scent of sweat and dirt on him, a sudden, earth-shaking thump reverberated through the trees.