Falling In Love With Death

30: Why'd You Think I Left

Amaryllis Roman

I was running. That much was clear.

I didn't know where I was but I knew I had been running for a while. My legs were aching and my muscles were screaming for me to slow down.

But I shook my head and ignored the pain running even faster trying my hardest to put as much distance between me and...the creature...

The one I had seen before, with the blood red eyes and enough fur to last him 12 winters. I knew it was chasing me. Taunting me. Never letting me rest.

It felt like I had been running for days, weeks, even months, but I could never get far enough. I just kept running along the same road each time.

"Run." I turned around trying to find where Mali's unmistakable voice was coming from, but she was nowhere to be seen. I gritted my teeth, as my run turned into a light jog, if she was playing with me I wouldn't let her.

As I continued along the road I noticed there were no houses, or cars, or even animals, there was just a sea of grass surrounding one single road of rubble. My jogging become slower and slower as the dream became quieter and quieter.

And then I heard it. I heard it before I ever saw it.

The sound of rumbling, the sound of something growling, the sound of feet slamming against the ground. My breaths started coming out short and fast as I started panicking.

As the sound grew closer I picked up my pace until I was sprinting across the road, screaming for help.

But no one was here to listen.

I suddenly jumped when I felt searing pain in my ankle and I collapsed onto the ground. I pulled my leg forward and found a slash, like a claw mark that had ripped through the flesh of my skin. I gaged at the smell of the blood pouring out and soon enough my entire foot was dripping with thick red blood. I tried to get the bleeding to stop but I could only apply pressure and hope for the best.

I kept looking around trying to see where the creature was but then I felt a tiny water droplet on my forehead. Soon enough it started to rain.

Thick waves of water fell onto my shoulders and onto my eyes blurring my vision. I peered into the road trying to find any sign of life, but there was none. 

Then I saw it, the shadow...of a beast. It traveled on all fours slowing walking towards me.

I almost fainted at the sight of it. It's large physique towering over me. The half wolf -half bear creature, was crouching low, saliva dripping from the corner of its mouth. I shook with fear as I tried to stand, but the throbbing in my ankle refrained me from doing so.

I couldn't get away. There was nowhere to run to.

The creature smirked, or atleast that's what it looked like.

"Attack." Mali's voice boomed stopping everything, even the rain itself seemed to hover in the air for a moment.

And then it lunged.

I screamed as it's fangs grew large and it growled at me.