Scarlett's Moon

Chapter 9: Dreamer's Worst

I was running surprisingly fast through the forest. It was a dark night; the full moon was nearly covered from the dark menacing clouds.

What was I running away from? I didn't know. My body refused to turn around.

But my ears hadn't refused to listen. For I had heard it.

A growl thick with malevolence. And the harsh snapping of teeth.

My feet picked up and pounded the ground harder. With every step leaves flew from the pressure and the wind I was exuding. The brush of the trees surrounding me moved as if a breeze were going through them. They traveled from my peripheral in a blur. I hopped over rocks and stumps. There were no other woodland creatures out. For they knew something dark was out to play tonight.

My heart pounded in my ears as my lungs heaved and begged for more air. Chilling sweat spiked everywhere around my body. My eyes were frantic as I looked everywhere but back. My hair flew behind me as the wind I created whisked it away from my neck and back.

The panic was so loud in my head. Every nerve was telling me to keep running, That danger was behind me. Keep moving.

The growl turned into growls. And the snapping of teeth became louder. My feet began to move even faster than I thought possible. I leaped over a small ditch which the creatures just splashed through. But what I didn't noticed was a small rock that happened to be there a few yards after the ditch. With that my foot hit the rock and my ankle gave out. I saw my life ending as I went down face forward into the ground. They had finally caught up to me. I screamed as they began to bite me.

Then the dream changed. I was running again. But this was different. I was the same height, yet everything seemed as though it shouldn't have been on the level it was. I felt like I was missing something. That's when my body gave out a growl.

A growl?

I looked down at myself and, if had the ability to, I would have shrieked. I was furry with russet colored fur. And I was running on all four. The four happening to be paws. Not hands or feet.

I looked around and noticed that my eyes were more precise. I could see from 100 yards away the slightest of movements.

It was then I looked in front of me and noticed the fiery red hair that was leading me through the forest....or rather, that I was chasing through the forest. It was bright in comparison to the dark forest. Like a flame.

It was then that I noticed how long and spirally it was...a lot like my own. My sub conscience brought my enhanced eyes down to what the body with the bright hair was wearing.  Huge black sweats and a white top.

That WAS me!

Human me leaped over the ditch as I went right through it. Then she ran for a second longer, that's when I noticed the rock. I wanted to tell her to watch out but I just continued to growl and snap my teeth with the other creatures who had joined me on my flanks. She fell as soon as she hit the rock and couldn't get up in time for I had lunged into the sky and slammed back down on my paws. Right on top of her. She screamed as did my mind as I barred my teeth and bit at the flesh.