Fear The Light

Muddy Travel

I woke to the smell of mud, the sound of rushing water and the taste of blood in my mouth. I'm alive. Determinism sparked in my soul as I pulled myself off the muddy bank. I gripped the trees near me as I stumbled through. My skin, hair, and clothes were wet and coated with mud, at least I could blend into the ground, I thought. I wandered through the forest trying to find my way out as quickly as I could, with the fear of danger following me. My legs collapsed under me, my knees dug into the field I had stumbled into. Sleep sucked me into its oceans and drowned me in its peaceful darkness and for a moment I wasn't afraid.

The mornings fiery sun blazed the tree tops as it tore back the blanket of dark night and seared its warmth into my chilled body once more. Energy seeped into my veins as hope instilled little comfort in spirit; I pushed my heavy body to my feet and realized I wasn't alone. The hair on the back of my neck stood up as I slowly looked around; I spotted something in the trees to the left of me but it was too faraway to know exactly what it was. Sweat dripped down my face as my eyes tried to focus in and see what was hiding in the trees. But what came next made me wish I would have just started running, it, stepped out from behind the trees. That bitch was STILL alive! I made a mental note to never go hiking again before I broke into a frantic run to where I hoped was safety.

Branches swiped at my face as I waved my hands around in front of myself failing to stop them from hitting me as I ran for my life, once again. A huge oak tree came to view and I ran faster to it and leaped but I only managed to face plant into the rough tree. I jumped again and again but I couldn't reach, the lowest branch was almost twice my height. With the fear of death inside of me sprouting out like wings of terror carrying me up, my fingernails gouged into the branch and I pulled myself up. Again and again dragged myself upward until I was sure I was high enough. I looked down through the branches and leaves and prayed to anyone that would hear me that I would not be found. Even from so far up I could see the disgusting oozing gashes that now looked angry and infected, her hair was matted so heavily with mud, sticks, leaves and other things that it almost looked alive as she trudged around the area dragging her sickeningly twisted and mangled right foot behind her. She looked almost monstrous with her unruly hair, crazed eyes, hands flapping and swinging everywhere. She stopped dead. I held my breath. She hunched over with an unusual whiny grunting sound. Her  bulging broken spin showing through her torn ruby colored T-shirt. She continued to look around, presumably sniffing the ground for me for another hour before taking off in another direction. I thanked the gods in heaven and hell that she did not look up.