1836 Words
I stumbled against a protruding root on the forest floor, feeling the pain pierce my skin and pull out beads of bright red blood. My leg was on fire, but I kept running. My ankle was throbbing, and every step I took was another blast of agony. Tears were streaming from my face as I endured the pain. My lip was red with the courage I was trying to muster, sinking my teeth into the soft flesh.
Perspiration was thick through my hair, and the wet drops slowly dripped down my forehead. The tiny fruits of my running flew into my eyes, blinding me from the world around me. Fog was gathering thick around the mosses that sprung up through the soggy peat, and the branches that were pulling at me like demons from the shadows were tearing my clothes unseen. The stench of rotting bog was thick in the air, and my breathing began to labour as the dampness entered my lungs. My legs are giving out with every other step, and my hands and arms are slick with mud from trying to pick myself up. My frantic scramble seems to be coming to an end, as the heat from my pursuers is growing. I can feel their bodies coming close to my own. Their breath is rank, and they chase me with conviction. Yet I continue to run. My muscles are weak, and my limit seems to be near. Soon I will not be able to pick myself up again. The body I rely on is seizing, and I know if I don't continue, I will be a mere plaything for those behind. The sharp bark of those who want me split the night air and pierced my eardrums. The terror I felt inside spiked, and dread began to surge through my veins at a relentless pace. I realized that there was no end, but the one I will meet at the mouths of these beasts.
Love/Courage/3Their paws gave a melodic beat as they strode in unison over the damp mulch. The deep, earth-shaking thud of their pursuit snuck into my thoughts, and I began to be lulled into a slower pace. As I ran, the fog cleared, and the moon broke through the twisted branches above me. Now that I could see where my feet were landing, I wished the demons behind me had taken me already. The thick mud squelched between my toes and I could feel the graininess of dead creatures against my skin. This was the perfect hunting ground for the Devil. The creatures behind me glided through the whip-like branches adorning the trees, while I earned red welts across my already sore body. Blood began to dribble through my skin where the tree's talons had gripped me. Suddenly, there were no more trees for me to fall victim to. I could see the break in the tree line and forced myself into a burst of energy. I thought my body was going to fall apart, but I kept myself going, tears starting to cut through the mud that covered my face. I'm not sure how far I've run, but the moon was now accompanied by pelting rain. The weather fascinated me, yet I had no time to stop and ponder the wonders of this world.
I pause to take in my options. Now before me was an open plain, with crests and dips turning the landscape into a deathtrap. The bare grass and the weakening hills would be the end of my life, but what other choice is there? I couldn't make it through the bog again and turning around now would only hasten the painful end I was so avoiding. Yet to continue was certain death, although maybe prolonged. I chose the lesser of two evils and sprinted into the rain-soaked moor. The springy grass was a welcome relief to my poor frame, but the rain slicked the grass, and the mud that had found a home on my body limited my ability to continue at the stride would have liked. It seemed as if the world was trying to prevent my life from continuing. I could hear the howl of my pursuers clear in the open air, and I knew they saw me. The excited yips that rang out after chilled my bones. They likely didn't have prey that made it this far. The excitement they expressed was not comforting. I drove my feet into the ground, hoping I would somehow lose them. My eyes were wild with terror, and my shins were tattered from falling on the tough grass. The moor was unforgiving. A storm was brewing, and a flash of lightning rang down from the blackened sky. The moon was still shining bright, turning the
Love/Courage/5heathto silver. I took a glance behind me and saw what I saw inspired me to run further. There was drool dripping from the jowls of a large dog, with its pack racing close behind it. I had never seen anything like it before in my life. They were all black, their pelts shimmering with every strike of their powerful muscles. Their eyes were glowing red, and they moved like a wave of midnight ocean, looking to swallow me whole. Only their glimmering jaws and red eyes gave away the fact that they were not a cascading sea of death. I whipped my head forward, not wanting to waste time thinking about the imminent demise that was to await me. I kept my pace as steady as I could, but I was falling behind. I could feel the hot breath of the pack on my heels, and their oozing spit was swinging onto my legs. I couldn't help but glance back, and I saw they were almost upon me. Long and deep howls split the night once again, and their eyes were shimmering with the hunt. They were getting excited. They knew they would have their kill soon. I could hardly believe that these were creatures of God. Their mournful cries sent shivers through me, and I knew the good Lord would not be able to reach me here.
The moon-lit grass was stretching forward with yet more hills and ravines. I staged across the landscape, searching for the flattest hills and steepest drops, trying to gain momentum and escape with my life. Behind me was only more of the grass I had been running across. The bog that I had struggled through was far behind. I was utterly alone. My ankles were beginning to sting and give out. The burning sensation was ebbing, giving way to a cold, sharp prickling. Eventually, they would go numb. As I raced on, I looked down at my body and knew that even if I did find someone in this endless plain, they would run from me like I run from these dogs. I was doomed. A sudden high-pitched moan broke me from the retreat I had taken into my own mind, and I was brought back to the reality of my expiry. I could feel the moisture on the breath of the creatures, and I knew that if I turned back I would be met with the sharp white teeth covered in excited salivation. Their lips extended, and I could feel the flesh of their mouths on my skin. They knew they could take me at any moment. They were toying with me. It would take only one creature to become too hungry, to lose control. One lunge forward and I would be knocked to the ground, and they would be upon me.
I kept swinging my head from side to side, looking for any escape. As I looked I saw the wave come crashing down around me, and the night turned dark with the black pelts of the pack. I could see every detail of them as they ran by my side. I turned my head back to the path I was trying to take, to where the land stretched on forever. My body was in agony, and I began to slow my pace. My breath was caught in my lungs, and I knew there were mere seconds before I would collapse. Although my veins were laced with ice, I kept as steady as I could, hoping the burning of my muscles could warm the fear that held me. I could almost taste the excitement in the air as the dogs thundered on around me. There was a stretch of them ahead of me, and I knew they were going to be closing the last gap of freedom I had. The mournful howls gave way to excited yips, like something you would expect from a playful puppy. They began to slow their pace, for reasons I didn't know, and could not care to know. Perhaps I may be able to live after all. I seized this opportunity and put a distance between myself and them and somehow mustering a burst of speed. But I was halted in my tracks by the flash of a lightning bolt only a few meters away. It hit the ground with so much force that dirt flew, and in the light, I could see where the ground ended. Just then, a salty spray struck my face as a wave broke on the edge of the cliff. The sudden end of earth stunned me, and as I crept closer to the deadly precipice, the dogs surrounded me. I knew there were only a handful of options from here. Looking over the edge gave me the sight of a sheer drop, with jagged rocks crumbling away with each crash of the surging black mass. I turned to look deeply into the eyes of my pursuers. For as far as I could see there was black, broken only by the shining white teeth and red eyes of the dogs. It was as if their coats absorbed all the moons guiding light, and I was all alone. I thought of my flesh being ripped by the gaping jaws, and the imagined pain made me back up to the edge of the void. As I did this, a crashing wave hit the side of the earth, and almost dragged me back into the black expanse where it retreated. I could see the dogs were growing impatient, and they slunk low to the ground, crawling towards me. I could see the hard muscle just below the surface of their pelts. They all rippled in unison, and they were ready to strike. Working as one, they advanced on me in perfect harmony.
But I decided that this was not my end. I refused to let myself fall victim to their game. Looking back into the vast ocean I saw a death free from the agony of pointed teeth. Another wave rose up, and I let it crash into my body. I felt myself being sucked into the endless black abyss. The last thing I saw was the gleaming red eyes from the sea of dogs as they pounced, desperately trying to grasp me in their jaws. I heard their shrikes of sorrow, and as the void was swallowing me I smiled, with the shrill sound of sadness in my ears before everything was replaced with black, flowing water.
