Trees. So many trees. I must be in a forest. When did I walk into the woods? How long have I been here? Hours? Days? I'm so tired, I need water, but I can't stop. Why am I so tired? Oh, I'm running! That is why my feet are aching, why my head is pounding, why my muscles are throbbing. Okay, great, I'm running, problem solved, crisis averted. But wait, why am I running? I should look behind me. No, I mustn't! I should keep moving, trust my instincts, and keep surging forward. But can you hear them cry? Is that the shrieking of the trees? I've never had to listen to such pain. I can hear it back there and whatever is, it is catching up to me. If I can just reach that city, the golden city. The answer to my prayers, the solution to my mistakes, the absolution of my wrongdoings will belong to me. The sun is going down. What once seemed like a bearable darkness is slowly becoming an impossible blackness. If only I could stop moving my feet for just a brief moment, sit down, and collect my thoughts. Perhaps this thing, whatever it is chasing me, is in need of a rest as well. Maybe we would both benefit from an unspoken courtesy. Just five minutes, vile beast, is that too much to ask for? My thoughts are slowing me down, I can feel the presence of evil inching closer with every blink, every stride, every swallow of air. Each twig that cracks beneath my feet, every stone upon which I stumble is making it easier for the voice to catch me. I feel as though it could reach out, extend it's morbid grasp, and tackle me beneath the earth. The sun is setting and I'm losing hope. I can not be left here alone with this-this thing. Maybe I can hide amongst the trees as running is becoming less and less of a privilege, and more of a punishment. The footsteps are deafening. Keeping my eyes locked straight ahead no longer seems like an option, or even the right choice for that matter. The tenebrous unknown is gaining precious inches with every passing second and panic is starting to set in. How much more can my body handle the rhythm of this chase, the exigency of this forbidden dance? Only a few more strides and swear will no longer invade my eyes. A couple more deep breaths and my legs will no longer buckle from exhaustion. One final leap forward and the golden city is mine.
