Eyeseffendee

6

I ran to the North. I ran and ran without at the border, like I normally would. And I didn't stop after that. I ran over hills, through canyons and sagebrush and around great mesas of red and purple sand. I didn't watch as the last of the sun's rays hissed off the top of these great mesas, twisting the landscape into a dark nightmare. I had never, ever in my life ran so far for so long without stopping. It felt horrible.

I felt like a coward. I did what I do best; run away from my problems and my feelings. I didn't try to make myself feel better. I couldn't blame anyone or reason myself out of guilt. I couldn't even blame the shifter or Snake; It was my fault.

All my fault! My brain moaned. They're all in danger because of me. Because I was so stupid! Hare, Delta, Negrita, Bat, Sego, even Creek and Horizon, are all in danger! And I ran away from them!

Of all the heart ache I felt for my tribe, Sego wrenched my heart the greatest. The pain in her beautiful eyes would be forever branded in my mind; an ugly scar that would never heal.

I climbed up a sandy hill, slipping more than making progress. Slobber, blood and tears covered my face. I couldn't see much besides the red dust getting in my eyes. And I still run!

I didn't understand anything. All I felt was hurt and guilt. My body was physically aching, but the demons in my mind were torturous.

You gave up.

You ran away.

You don't deserve to live.

Hare shouldn't have helped you.

They were right . . . they were right!

I pulled myself over the ridge of the hill frantically. The top was made from flat, solid rock and extended to a ravine, like a deep cut in the flesh of the earth.

I ran to the deep scar, and without much thought, I flung myself over, screaming.

<----•••---->

"I hope I made this right and it doesn't make you sick. I know aloe helps for burns, but it may not be so great for cuts and scrapes. But you probably don't care, since you're unconscious."

Someone was slathering a cool, goopy paste on my shoulders. She kept talking, but I didn't understand her.

My head swam back to reality from it's mucky state in the pond of concussions. I opened my eyes, one at a time. There was a bright, crackling red light and a dark figure over me.

"I don't know if you can hear me." She mumbled, mostly to herself. "Hello? Can you hear me when I'm talking to myself!" She barked loudly into my ear canal.

"Agghh!" I screamed, quickly jumping to alertness and rolling away from her.

"Wow! I suppose you can. I must have shocked you." She said. "I thought you were still unconscious."

I waited for my heart to slow down and for my vision to focus. In the flickering of the bright red light, I could tell she was a coyote with big, round ears and eyes.

"I'm glad you're awake!" She continued. "I was starting to talk to myself. I talk to myself when I'm worried."

"I thought I was dead . . ." I muttered. "I hit my head when I fell . . ." I suddenly felt like collapsing, but she caught me.

"Woah, you better just lay down right here. You probably didn't hit it that hard, I'm more worried about the scrapes all over you. They got a lot of sand in them." She sputtered on. "But don't worry, I washed them out and put some medicine on them."