[CENTER][img]https://i.imgur.com/4JWqVyO.png[/img][/CENTER]
[center][color=darkgray][b][sub]B O O K   I  -  G E N E S I S[/sub][/b][/color][b][color=FF4500][sup][h1]A DEVIL, RUNNING[/h1][/sup][/color][/b][/center]
[COLOR=800000][INDENT][B][SUP][SUB][H3]MISSISSIPPI RIVER NORTH[/H3][/SUB][/SUP][/B][/INDENT][hr][/COLOR][INDENT][sup][color=SILVER]November, 2017 | [i]NEAR THE KENTUCKY BORDER[/i][/color][/sup][/INDENT]

Dani ran like the hounds of Hell were behind her; as far as she was aware, they were, and far worse besides. Dani remembered herself when she had been under the influence of the devil that dwelled deep within, and she was certain that far greater evils came for her now. Surely, greater still were the demons being conjured, down there in the dark pits of Tartarus. She [i]felt it[/i] - a deep dark worm that twisted inside her, granting her a terrible knowledge of what was being prepared. A knowledge borne of experience. 

Trees and bush and bramble all crashed beneath and parted in front of her, her heavy boots laying waste to twigs and weeds and insects alike. She had been running for several days, stopping only as night drew close and dusk descended around her, at which she would immediately halt and seek shelter and a way to sequester herself away from evil; she bore no fear for her own safety, nor any sympathy for the victims of what would be a righteous wrath - Dani was afraid of what would happen were the devil within was to be loosed upon the world at large. Evil's presence would draw it out as true as rain brought the worms, and naught but the sun and His holiness would seal it back within her - but the sun could not fix the damage wrought by its release, and either He turned a blind eye, or was powerless too. Dani did not ponder as to which. She could not.

For now, the sun shone brightly, bearing down on her from its high perch up above. Despite its assault, she hitched up the collar of her jacket, feeling the bitter November breeze bits at the nape of her neck and set her hairs on end. Around her, the woods chittered and chirped with life, and Dani almost found herself lost in the immutable consistency of nature - but then the wind picked up again, and the light of the sun dimmed behind ominous clouds. She quickly found her way. 

To her south lay Memphis, with Dani's last 16 years in Arkansas there with it. Somewhere behind that lay a half-wrecked town with smouldering ruins. In one of those ruins lay her parents, and several more besides - and somewhere else, between Memphis and her current location heading north along the banks of the great Mississippi River, were the agents of Mephistopheles, gaining on her with every mortal step she made. She knew a guaranteed way of stopping that slow gain, a method of outpacing her pursuers unequivocally. She knew she would not - [i]could[/i] not - utilize that method. Not unless they laid hands upon her. And if - [i]when[/i] - they caught up to her, they would. 

Dani kept moving. The state border was close.