Like a Dream

The sun warms my back as I lie on my stomach and light plays across the water of the busy stream. Fish swim back and forth under the surface, flashing their shinning silver scales. A robin twitters in a nearby maple tree and is joined by a chorus of other small birds. Honey bees drone by the flowers surrounding me, sucking up nectar. I turn so I lay on my back and gaze up at the cloudless blue sky. The blue engulfs me so I feel like I'm swimming in its rich sapphire depths. A light breeze blows by and I smell the flowers and meadow grass. I sit up so the gentle breeze plays with my long dirty blond hair and tickles the back of my neck. I feel free. Like I can do anything. Standing, I smile and reach down to straighten out my lavender tank top and gaze at my pale legs. I've never been able to tan in my entire life; I only burn. That will never stop me from wearing my favorite shorts and tank top though; I've been waiting for this moment for too long. The moment when you know that Summer has officially arrived and you are free to do whatever you wish, whenever you wish. The breeze comes back, stronger, I spread my arms out at my sides and I feel like I'm flying. It feels like a dream.

A rustling sounds behind me in the dense wood across the stream. Thinking nothing of it I go back to "flying". The rustling grows louder and closer. An uneasy feeling sits in the pit of my stomach like a rock, so I open my eyes and turn around. Nothing. It was probably a squirrel or something. I can't go back to flying like this, feeling too paranoid to stand up and face my back to anything, so I lie down and watch a bug crawl up a blade of grass. The small bug flexes its wings and takes off from the blade of grass. Within seconds thousands of other bugs follow suit in a whirl of clicking and fluttering. What could possibly be going on? 

The rustling sounds behind me again, louder, stronger. The birds stop singing and the emptiness that follows is so deafening I cover my ears so I can pretend that the silence is my own doing and when I let go of my ears I will hear the birds again. I let go. Nothing, I hear nothing but the brook and the rustling, again. A twig snaps and the rustling stops. The hair on the back of my neck rises and my blood runs cold. All of the birds fly from the trees in the forest and the few trees in the meadow. They all join together in one giant flock and within minutes disappear behind the horizon line. 

I'm shaking. My body is visibly shaking with a deep fear of whatever is causing that rustling. It's coming closer too because it's now at the very edge of the stream bank. Gathering up all of my courage I  jump up and face the other bank. Just as I face the tall grass where the rustling was coming from it stops. Silence falls in the meadow so thick and uneasy that I am rutted to the spot. I keep staring at the grass for at least 3 minutes before the rustling starts again. Instinct tugs at my brain and I inch backward, slowly and carefully, without a sound.

Crack!

I stepped on a stick. My feet are now rooted to the ground with a fear so overwhelming that I can no longer hear the stream over the pounding in my ears. The rustling intensifies as if it can smell the fear wafting off of its prey. Screwing all caution I bolt in the other direction, my feet flying, my heart nearly beating out of my chest. Behind me I hear the thudding of heavy paws consumed in an exiting chase. My breathing becomes rugged and heavy and my pace slows. As I trip over a fairly large rock I stumble and the large being behind me quickens its pace as it prepares to pounce on its weakening prey.

My lunges burn and I can hardly support myself on my jelly legs much less run with them. The hot rancid breath of the beast heats my heals and my resolution to keep running. A root suddenly appears as I attempt to run past a towering oak and I fall flat on my face. As soon as my body connects with the ground exhaustion engulfs my entire body and my breath escapes my lungs in a whispering sigh. Paw-steps halt at my feet and with one last dying wish to look my killer in the eye, to know what has caused me such fear, I flip over onto my back and stare into an abnormally large wolf crossed with and eagle.

Seeing my defeated expression the wolf mutant bellows a terrible yet beautiful howl laced with an eagle's screech and full of ragging hunger. It's piercing yellow eyes burn into my soul and it's front paws kneed the ground in anticipation of the kill. My eyes well up with tears and blur my vision. The last thing I see is the vast blue sky peaking out between the leaves of the tree above me, and the beautiful angle shimmering clearly in my blurred vision beside me looking on in deep sadness.