Second Place

I left.

I’m done.
I’m free.

I ran for miles. I ran without stopping even though my lungs burned something fierce and my shaky legs threatened to give out at any moment. I ran until I reached the edge of the cliff, and I collapsed gracelessly onto my knees as I greedily sucked in gasps full of the salty air.

No more shackles.
No more Godless, sleazy men.
No more torment.

I allow the relief to wash over me and the anxiety to dissolve as I look out over the clear blue waters and rolling waves. I’m finally safe. They can’t hurt me anymore. After countless months of being trapped in the dark, damp cell, after being stripped of every ounce of my dignity, and after being forced to endure the endless torture of my captor and his companions, I’m finally free, and I'm never looking back.

I fought.
I’m alive.
I’m safe.

As the sea breeze dances through my unkempt hair, I allow myself to smile for the first time in months. I can finally breathe.