When the Sun Goes Down

Nimae

The growling didn't wake me. Nor did the howling of the pack, or the scratching of claws on wood. No, I didn't wake up until one of them tried to eat my leg.

And here I thought sleeping in a tree would prevent something like that.

My eyes shot open and a strangled scream escaped from my lips. It only took me a second to unsheathe my dagger and stab the beast that had managed to grab hold of my calf.

The animal let out a loud whimper and released it's hold on my leg, hitting the ground below with a thud.

I pulled my dangling leg up onto the branch, ignoring the searing pain and the large, bloody bite mark it had left behind. Using the surrounding branches, I pulled myself up and stood with my good leg on the tree branch I had called my bed.

Down below, six hellhounds circled the tree, looking for a way to their next meal. A seventh lay dead with a massive wound on its neck.

There was no way I could possibly fight an entire pack. I didn't even think I could get down the tree safely with my leg in the condition it was in. All I could do was to hold on, close my eyes, and wait them out.

Hours seemed to pass by. I had to shake myself awake a few times, and after each time was disappointed to still hear growling.

I knew hellhounds were stubborn, but I didn't think they would be this stubborn.

The adrenaline had faded away, and a sharp, stinging pain took its place. My head was pounding and my muscles were weak. It was if I didn't sleep that night at all.

I was about to give up. Why not? There was no way I could keep it up forever. It would've been easy, no more pain, no more anything.

But I heard one of them whimper.

Then a whine.

Then I opened my eyes and saw something beautiful. Just over my shoulder, a burning red sun rose above the tree tops.

I smiled as I felt the sun's warmth on my neck. It's funny how it feels like forever since I've smiled, as if it wasn't just a week ago when the world came crashing down.

Looking down, the pack was pawing at the ground, defeated. They knew exactly what was going to happen.

Sure enough, the second the sunlight penetrated the leaves and touched their matted grey coats, they began to fade. They melted into the air around them, turning to a shadowy essence, like steam above a hot spring. Then the shadows faded into the world.

Relief flooded my system. Finally, it was safe to get down and continue moving.

I don't know what made me do it, though. Lack of sleep, perhaps, or just the rush of relief. Whatever it was, it made me an idiot.

And what did this idiot do exactly? It thought that the best way down was to jump.

Pain exploded from my leg the second it hit the ground. I didn't have the strength to hold back the scream that was all too eager to come out. My knees buckled and I crumpled to the forest floor.

Black dots danced in my vision when I tried to get up. I at least managed to roll over onto my back, but I had no way of getting onto my feet. After a while of catching my breath, I brought myself into a sitting position to survey the damage.

The hellhound had a good taste of me, alright. Underneath the ragged, blood-soaked cloth of my pant leg, a huge bite mark circled my right calf, a half-inch deep and still bleeding. Looking up, I saw red blood stains on the tree where I made my perch and more running down the tree trunk.

I reached behind me and grabbed the end of my cloak. The material felt thick and soft in my fingers. With my dagger, I cut a long strip at the bottom and used it to wrap around the wound, wincing as the pain shuttered through my leg.

After the make-shift bandage was secure, all I could do was sit there. There were no fallen branches to use as a cane, and, quite frankly, I didn't have an ounce of energy left to do so.

So I lay there, looking up at the sky through the tree tops. Seeing clouds roll by. Without thinking, I allowed myself to think.

I know, that sounds weird, but I've been a traveling zombie for the past week. I'm surprised I even kept track of the time. The first couple days went by in a blur, my mind still couldn't grasp what had happened.

No, I can't think on what happened. Not now.

See, this is why I didn't let myself think at all. Because the only things that would rush into my mind was...

Never mind. Forget it.

Now that I was thinking about it, I didn't even know in what cardinal direction I was traveling in, much less where I was headed. I was just walking for days on end with no destination but forward.

I thought I might have been going south. The weather had warmed a bit, to the point where I thought I would remove my thick fur coat. As to where I was headed, I had not the faintest idea. I just hoped I would come across some sort of civilization soon.

My stomach gave a loud rumble. Apparently my mind wasn't the only one who wanted to be heard.

I got up again and reached into the soft leather pouch around my waist. One by one, I took out all that I owned. A small compass that I didn't know I had. Three copper pieces, which won't get me anywhere. A canteen that I had emptied the previous day.

I froze when my fingers closed around something else. I needed not to look at it to know exactly what is was. My heart pounded as a rush of senses flooded my systems. Images rushed by, ones that I wanted to forget. Sounds rang in my ears, ones I couldn't bare to hear.

No...

The pain of it was pressing down on me, choking me. Suddenly, I couldn't breathe. I couldn't think. The world went dark as shadows swirled around me. My mind was lost in the memory I so desperately wanted to escape from.

No.

My hand shoot out of my bag. I was gasping for air, eyes stinging from holding back tears. Slowly, I placed my things back in the pouch and fastened it closed, leaving everything behind me.

Around me, birds sang in the trees. A clear blue sky was visible through the dark green leaves. The smell of new life hung in the air. Spring was starting to arrive.

Once again, I rested on the ground. The dirt felt cold underneath me, but it was calming. To everyone else in the world, it was a new day. But as the sun continued to climb, I closed my eyes.