ˣʰ 𝐔𝐍𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐋

#_00

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In the shadows cast by the faint moonlight,
I flee with a burning heart.
I abandon all worries as I rush through the bare branches of trees that scratch my face.
I can taste my blood, mingled with tears.
There is no noise in my ears, no warning or threat. All I hear is a deafening whistle bombarding my head, and my pulse pounding in my throat.

My heart races in rhythm with my panicked steps, echoing in the silence of the night.
The cool air burns my lungs as I gasp for breath, muscles straining with every desperate step.
Fear fuels my movements, driving me forward with an urgency born of pure survival instinct.

I glance back repeatedly but see nothing; there's no time to focus and search for whatever is behind me.
I breathe heavily, while leaves catch in my clothes.

Fear grips me, tightening my chest.
I feel crushed by the pressure, vulnerable, alive.

My mind is clouded, thoughts absent, only the overwhelming need to escape.

Time seems to both slow and race, my senses fading in and out.

My feet hit the ground heavily, and suddenly, it betrays me. I fall to the earth with a sickening thud. Pain spreads like wildfire through my body as I feel the bone in my leg snap like a twig, the agony echoing through every fiber of my being.
Time seems to stop as l lie there, sprawled on the leaf-covered ground, the sound of my labored breathing drowning out everything else.
Agony radiates from the broken limb, overwhelming my senses and rendering me momentarily paralyzed.

Panic sets in again when I realize the situation.

With a surge of desperation, teeth clenched against the pain, and skin slick with blood and sweat, I gather all the strength left in my body to drag myself away.
Every part of me trembles and aches, my throat dry and struggling to draw air into my lungs.
The vision before me is blurred by tears, and I curse myself for not being able to clearly see the figure in front of me.

A man, a boy.
No,
a fox.

His steps are slow, while I drag myself away quickly. My leg and the palms of my hands have lost all sensation.
In my ears, there's only my heavy breathing and my heart pounding like a drum.
I search for the strength to move away from him, but he only seems closer.
Until I find him above me, his feet at my sides, ensuring I cannot move.

And I remain there, because foolish rabbit that I am, attempting escape is impossible.
Awareness envelops me like a suffocating shroud, mingling with the burning pain and the bitter taste on my cracked lips.
Fear consumes me as l lie there, helpless and trapped in a limbo.

I don't have the courage to look, so l close my eyes and curl up, wrapping my arms around my fractured leg.
Moments of silence stretch into what feels like centuries, interrupted by sharp stabs in my neck.

And now, I can no longer feel anything.
Not the rustling leaves, not my labored breathing, not my pounding heartbeat.
But, as darkness surrounds me, I can still taste the metallic flavor of my own blood.
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