Her feet hit the stone after the jump off of the wall.

Camorah runs as fast as she can. It’s all just for fun, she thinks to herself.

But it isn’t. Camorah has reached the end of her life.

Jackson is quick to dismount off of the wall after her, chasing after her as if he needs her to survive. His breathing is heavy, sweat starting to drip down his back.

“Don’t take too long,” Camorah yells back to him, her breathing heavy as she gasps for air. She turns back around and keeps sprinting forward, needing to get away from him.

“Camorah wait,” Jackson calls. He pauses, bending over at the waist to catch his breath. His heart beats rapidly. He twists the knife over in his palm. Could he do this?

Camorah pauses, and it’s a big mistake. Footsteps pound behind her. “No!” she cries as Jackson comes up behind her.

Reality is fast encroaching.

“I got you, Cam,” he says. Jackson backs them both up into a tree, slowly lifting the blade. Camorah squeezes her eyes shut.

I can’t do this, she decides. Camorah shakes her head and opens her eyes. She lifts her eyes to Jackson. “Please,” is all she can breathe out.

Jackson winces, squeezing his eyes shut. He doesn’t want to do this, doesn’t know how. Though, he never knew, did he? Jackson knew this was his fate. From the moment he was old enough to understand.

Jackson was born to kill Camorah.

What neither of them expected was to form a bond over the years. Unable to be apart for very long. And when came the day of Camorah’s death? Jackson was supposed to be the handler of her painful execution.

Camorah’s breath comes out shaky. “I trust you,” she says as his knife points to her throat. A tear slips down her cheek, exposing that she isn’t as calm as she appears to be.

“God, Camorah. I don’t think I can do this.” Jackson drops the knife on the ground, falling to his knees. He wraps his arms around her thighs. “Please, please forgive me,” he says.

Camorah strokes his hair, shaking her head. “I love you, I will always forgive you. Let’s run. Away from this life, our fate. I don’t have to die, and you don’t have to kill me.”

Jackson looks up, his face reddened from the salty tears. All he does is nods, and Camorah drops to her knees with him, wrapping her arms around him.

They sit in silence for what seems to be hours, breathing quietly in each other’s arms.

“Let’s go. Now,” Camorah murmurs into Jackson’s sleeve. He nods and stands.

Jackson outstretches his hand for Camorah to take ahold of, which she does. She stands and brushes herself off.

They look at each other, a look of understanding passing between both of them.

Nothing can be the same; they can never go home.

Clasping hands, Camorah and Jackson walk deeper into the forest, awaiting a new life, free of decided fate and decisions made for them.

It was time for a new story. A happy ending, because that is what they deserve.