I was bleeding, and barefoot, and terrified.

But I was moving, and I was free of that house, and in my head, underneath the fear, one cold clear thought was running on a loop that kept my legs going: I am not the collateral.

I am the auditor.

And the audit is going to survive this night even if I have to carry it out of here on bleeding feet.

Because that was the thing I was really running to protect.