The Pursuit

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Maggie only woke up once that night and it was to start round two with Sam. By the time she awoken at daybreak Sam was gone but she felt fully sated. Her body ached but in the best ways possible. She licked her lips and felt the taste of his sweat mingled with hers. You did good, she praised herself.

Sam must have left prior to her waking up as the spot next to her was ice cold. She wondered who he was or if she'd see him again. What if he has a girlfriend? What if he's married? You'll probably never see him ever again. She ignored her pessimistic conscience and decided to bathe in the glory she felt. Her endorphins were still riding high and confidence was bulletproof. She felt good and rightly so.

After a quick breakfast she decided to go for a run and see how far she could ride out the endorphins. She hadn't felt this way in years. She dressed for her run and made her way out of the house. She left a note on the counter for her father who still wasn't home yet from his date.

As her feet hit the grass she chose the trail to the forest behind the house. She decided to turn down the dotted hiking trail as her property ended and the park started. She followed the markers on the trees and sucked in every ounce of the air around her. She felt calm, and at ease. Her outlook had changed slightly enough for her to be calmer than usual in the morning. A good fuck would do that, she remarked confidently to herself.

The pace seemed easy and she pushed herself to go a bit faster. The autumn foliage around her was mesmerizing. She could feel her lungs open and her hands tingle. Her music blared in her ears and felt content for once in a long time. Maybe he'll come back into town and you could do it again...and again, she wished to herself.

It wasn't until the hairs on her arms stood up that she knew something ominous was around her. She was about two miles in. The trail had gotten denser with upturned trees and deep thickets of branches and bushes. The feeling of being watched crept into her skin. She stopped and looked around the forest. The oranges and browns bounced back in her eyes as the sun's glare pushed through foliage. She looked around her surroundings and didn't see anyone. A hunter?, she questioned to herself. She felt the sensation grow into a panic. Her fingers tingled incessantly, and eyes darted around her, collecting any sight of something menacing. She paused her music and her ears perked up and listened to the world around her. She could feel her heartbeat pick up and breathing change. She knew it was only a matter of seconds before an attack came. This is what fear is, don't be stupid woman, get a move on! Her adrenaline pumped furiously in her bloodstream and she turned around to run back to her father's house.

Her body jerked like prey on the run for survival and she took off back the way she came. The realization that she was young female alone in the forest set in again. Her panic rose to a spiking level and she pushed herself faster. Her feet crunched on the earth's floor. Her muscles in her legs burned. The air seemed to scrap her lungs as she pushed herself harder. The burning sensation came to a massive pressure. She saw the fork in the path where she came from. The hairs on her arms rose with greater intensity and she knew whoever was watching her was getting closer. That flight or fight mentality was clearly directed towards flight. Why can't I hear them chasing me?

How much faster could she run? The path opened up and she moved towards the left. The terror began to subside as she pushed into a clearing. It was then in the open field with its wildflowers and tall grass that she realized she took the wrong path. She didn't recognize the marsh to the right or the cattails growing out of the damp soil.

The sweat from her hair dripped down the creases on her forehead and collected on her lips. She looked around and found herself stuck in a situation of high alert. The feeling of being watched was slowly subsiding but now she was lost. She took her phone out and tried to map her way back to her starting position. The cell service was poor but she luckily mapped a route back.