Shaking, half-panicked, Arialla still almost defies Wessex. She still can barely believe the danger she's in -- the danger she's put herself in. Even with Wessex looming over her, part of her wants to just curl in and wait for it to be over. To hope that Wessex will get bored and give up. Arialla's mind is scrambled; she's struggling to see Wessex as a mortal threat, even -- perhaps especially -- after those nightmares. Half of her doesn't believe that Wessex intends to kill her, and the other half doesn't believe that running will save her.
It's the sound of waves crashing on the beach that pulls Arialla out of it, a little. If she can just reach the water, she'll be safe. So, after a moment's potentially fatal hesitation -- but Wessex isn't done playing with her, is she -- she does run, scrabbling in the dry sand, not towards the cover of the dunes but towards the ocean.
please don't take my sunshine away
