Her Birth.

Chapter 1 - Running

Chapter 1

"Running"

 

"ASHANTI ! " I hear Aunt Elsie scream as I dash away from the stable on horseback. Her voice is filled with a mixture of hurt, fear and most touchingly concern. Concern for me. Concern that I do not in anyway at all deserve for what I have just done to her.

Making a direct dash towards the fence, I don't pause as I push Athos to hurriedly Jump the fence, swiftly entering the forest behind our home. No that's wrong. It's not our home anymore.

It's hers. I cannot go back, I could do this again. Or worse.

"COME BACK" she screams again in anguish as the trees pull me deeper into the forest, deeper in my shell - further from that house. Further from her.

I can still here her clearly as If she was right next to me. The wind forcing itself against my ears, the rustle of the trees, the thunder of hooves, the beat of my heart, and yet I can still hear her !

 Almost half a mile away from her, surrounded by the young forest as it grows older and I can still hear her easily. Her voice vibrating through my every nerve as she screams for me to return.

I want to.

I want to pull on the reins, and go back.

I want to rush Athos back the way we came.

I want to beg her for her forgiveness.

I want to make sure that she is okay.

I want to make sure that she is not to badly injured - because of me.

I want her to know that I did not mean it, that I don't know how it happened.

I want to.

I don't.

Minutes later I pull hard on the reins, guiding Athos to the left and off the forest trail. She could follow me on the trail. I do not want her to be follow me. I need her to stay away from me in case I lose it again.  Leaving the safety of the forest trail is the only way to do this. It's the only way to protect Elsie.

After all it's not as if I've never left the trail before. I grew up here. I know this forest, this is MY forest. Well it was before... No I cannot think about it anymore.

Dark clouds begin to sweep across the sky. Their lining's threatening to burst and devour the forest in mists of rain. Almost as if the rage of emotions tumbling through me are turning into a storm of nature.

Finally almost a mile away from her my absurdly good hearing refuses to detect her shouts. Either she has given up or even my acutely good hearing has gone deaf. Even though I desperately want her to forget about me, I still desperately hoped that my hearing now refuses to pick her up.  And not given up on me already.

She is still my aunt, the only family I have left. I love her, and I still want her to care about me. The pain of what I had just done cuts into me. I push all thoughts of her voice to the back of my mind. Desperate to get away.

Deeper, and deeper we plunge into the depths of the forest the density of the trees increasing. The light disappearing into darkness as the trees grow larger and closer together. The leaves crunching under his hooves.  Even in the thickest parts of the forest I have always been able to see my way as if it was daylight. Strange. Not only is my hearing exceptionally good and my eyesight but now I have to add some sort of abnormal speed to my list of freakishness.

Ducking and diving, dashing left and right in order to avoid low hanging branches. Moving further away from Aunt Elsie. I cannot think about her. I must not. How could I do that to her? She has cared for me all my life. She has been like a mother to me.