Listen to the Raiyn

3 - Forest Run

Keria awoke half asleep. she looked over to her sister and saw her slow even breathing. Keria was falling back to sleep watching her sister breath when the sound that had woken her up came again. Keria sat up slowly in bed, transfixed. it came again, a long and eerie howling. Keria slipped out from under the blanket, not noticing when her sister stirred and then fell into a deeper sleep.

 before keria knew that she had moved, she had her hand pressed up against the window that was facing the forest, the widow at the side of the house, farthest away from the bed. it was cold, and her hand fogged up the glass as she pressed the window harder, wishing that she were outside instead of safe in her room.

 the night was black and clear, the moon was full and bathed the land in an unearthly, glow of white. the earth looked peaceful and serean with a gentle breeze blowing the wheat so that it looked like the sea on a gentle night. the leaves on the trees swayed smoothly, waving invitingly. Keria made up her mind.

 Keria glanced back at her sister and opened the window slowly so as not to wake her up. she swung around and slowly edged out of the window feet first, with her belly facing the ground. Keria was almost half way out the window and she put her hands on the window sill to steady herself. she put her hands back on the ground when she tipped forward and the window came crashing down onto her back. Keria gasped, but didn't cry out, not wanting her sister to wake up. Keria would be ashamed if her sister found her trying to sneak out the window.

 Keria let her legs go limp and search for the roof. her feet brushed nothing but empty air. Keria silently cursed her petite size and put her hands onto the window sill and slowly, gently wiggled around until the window was resting on her stomach. she pushed the window up so that she could continue her escape. she tapped the window, having placed a hand underneath it so that she could catch it if it fell again. when the window didn't fall after a few minutes of tapping and Keria was satisfied with it, she pushed herself the rest of the way out and touched down on the roof. Keria was pleased with herself for having gotten that far.

 "i'm not out there yet." she reminded herself, looking to the forest.

 Keria crept carefully to the edge of the roof and jumped. she landed in a crouch, but slipped and landed on her side, clutching her ankle. she had landed wrong and some of force of her jump had gone to her heel instead of the balls of her feet. she put pressure on her foot and grimaced at the soreness, but it didn't hurt so she got up and stopped in her tracks.

 the howling had started again and it was even more beautiful without the walls and window to muffle the sound. Keria walked silently a few steps away from the house before breaking into a jog that grew faster and faster until it was a run. she continued to run faster and faster, ignoring the small rocks that jabbed at her feet as she raced across the earth. she was use to the rocks jutting out at her and her feet had hardened over time because she refused to wear shoes unless it was winter and snow covered the ground.

 she raced through the field of wheat and only stopped once she reached the first trees of the forest. she leaned against a tree that had a thick trunk with rough bark and caught her breath.as she was breathing hard she looked back to the cottage and a small but light smile crept onto her face. the house looked so small from here and looked so peaceful with the wheat blowing in the wind. Keria shivered as she thought of how the fields looked as though they were a place where the dead would linger, where the dead would sleep. she decided she liked the look of the moon lit field with the single house standing in the center. with that last thought she turned and walked into the forest.

 Keria rubbed at the small of her back where the window had hit her. she knew that a bruise would form and that she would be stiff for a few days. she hoped that her sister wouldn't see it and that if she did, that she wouldn't ask questions. she let out a sigh and started to jog deeper into the forest.

 it was darker in the forest because not as much of the moon light could get through the thick canopy of trees. Keria didn't worry to much about the dark because she didn't feel that it would be too much trouble. she could feel something deeper awakening in her, something more animal than human. she stopped moving for a minute and stood still, closing her eyes as she proded at these feelings of pure instinct. everything seemed to stand still as she let these instincts take over. when she opened her eyes she started to run as fast as she could and she was just like an animal herself, moving swiftly among the forest.

 she stopped in mid run as she heard the howling again. it was a long howl and it didn't stop after the first howl this time, it just kept going over and over, refusing to cease. before Keria could put a thought to it she started to run faster than she had ever run before.

she did not run from the howling, like any sensible person would, but ran towards it. she could feel the desperation and pain in the voice of the howl and she wanted to put the creature to rest, to help it through the pain and to end it's suffering.

 Keria came to a small clearing and what she saw astounded her. the corner of her lips pulled up until what was on her face was a true, genuine smile. the kind that no human had ever put onto her face. what she saw before her put a smile on her face but also frightened her.

she was not afraid for herself, but for the creature. there in front of Keria, was a wolf giving birth to it's cubs, and it was all going wrong.

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