Fly

Falling into darkness

If someone were to ask me what I thought the most spectacular thing you could see was, I would have to say sunrise. The colours, the early morning chorus, just the general atmosphere that a fresh new day brings. I smiled at the thought. Then laughed at myself for thinking I would see something like that in Wales. Good old reliable rainy Wales. No, my eyes were instead tortured with the sight of another grey, drizzly day.

I was protected from the drizzle by the tree stump I had been sleeping in. However, the bitter winds hadn't failed to numb my long limbs, making getting up very difficult. With a finally grunt of effort, a long and satisfying stretch and a yawn to end all yawns, I left the tree stump and continued on my way to find Breeze.

The rain had made the scent of the mysterious dog I was following almost non-existent, but the wind carried what little scent there was left up to meet my nose; For that I was thankful. I don't know what I was going to do if I lost the trail of hope I was following. It was the only thing that could help me find Breeze.

I had been walking for a mere five minutes but I was already soaked in icy rain water. The bitter coldness of it seeped through my fur, stiffening my already sore bones and joints. I missed my green coat, and I missed the way my girl would rub my joints to warm them up. Mostly though, I missed seeing my girl happy, smiling at me, everyday. I shook off the thought, then shook out my fur sending little blasts of water droplets in every direction. I couldn't afford to get distracted right now.

The rain seemed to have eased off slightly, making my walk ever increasingly more comfortable. For the first time today I was truly able to appreciate the beauty of the mountains all around me. I vaguely recognised the place as it was somewhere my girl and I came walking last year.

No more than about thirty minutes later I saw a little village up ahead. I knew that I should be able to find some food and water there, so I stopped following the trail and headed in a new direction. The village was quaint and very picturesque; like something out of a child's story book. It instantly gave me a warm feeling which comforted me greatly. It was still early when I arrived at the entrance, meaning there were very few, if any, people going to be awake.

Still airing on the side of caution, I noiselessly crept down the long street trying to find myself something to eat and drink. There was a small café up ahead so I made my way towards it; the familiar smell of coffee filled the air, also filling my nose. A warm feeling flowed through me. For the first time all day, I felt a glimmer of happiness bubbling inside me.

-------------------------------------------

An hour later, my stomach had been filled, my mind refreshed and I was ready, once again, to go and find my friend. As I made my way back down the long street that now lead out of the village, I couldn't help but notice the few drops of rain that fell on my nose. I warily glanced up at the sky, almost instantly wishing I hadn't.

The clouds overhead were beginning to blacken, shadowing over the entire valley around me. I knew that meant only one thing; a storm was coming. Storms had always scared me. Ironic that I happened to share a name with one of the things that scared me most. Unfortunately, as much as I knew I needed to find Breeze, I also knew that I needed to find shelter. And fast by the look of things.

As the first crack of lightning momentarily lit up the valley again, panic gripped me. The deafening boom of thunder rolled down the mountains and the sound from all around me seemed to collide in the village to create an almighty noise, the resulting rumble shook the ground under me, and caused my legs to involuntarily run.

I had to get away; there was nowhere to go. I needed to escape; but where to? I was trapped and the storm was closing in; getting closer and closer by the second. In my panic-induced trance, I ran. I ran straight past the warning signs, straight past the metal warnings that could have stopped me. If only I had slowed down enough to see them, but I didn't.

A hollow creek under my feet echoed through the network of empty tunnels spread out all around the valley. The floor beneath me gave way and I found myself falling; falling into the darkness.