The Story No One Knew (Third Book In 'The Story We Live' Series

Rabid

About a half hour of absentminded wondering went by before I spot a somewhat large, brownish dog on the other side of the road.

My heart leaps with excitement as I say, "Hey, Echo, look! A dog!"

Not waiting for her reply, I start to jog across the street but I'm already half way there before i hear Echo yell, "That's not a-"

But then my mind blocks out her voice as adrenaline kicks in when seeing the animal bare its teeth. I had no time to evaluate.

Retreating, little pebbles that make up the dirt road slip from under my feet and I stumble, catch myself, rocks stabbing at my palms, then make the split second decision to run into the only protection in sight; the cornfield.

I sprint passed Echo, seeing her dread for only a split second, and into the tall bundles of corn, paws loudly following fast behind.

My minds racing but I can process the obvious fact that I can't outrun it and that my best chance at avoiding injury is to lose it.

I duck into the bundles of corn so I'm not in a cleared row. Firm plants continuously hit my face and scratch up my bare arms.

I catch a leaf to the eye as I run past a sturdy stalk and my hand instantly flies up to cover it as I continue running. Every now and then I hear Echo's voice in the distance calling out to me but there's not much I can do at the moment.

My injured eye almost instantly started to overflow with tears as my body's reaction to the blow. The fact that my hand was over an eye cut my vision in half and I didn't even take the time to look down at possible obstacles.

I just keep my sights in front of me in hopes to keep my fast pace but this proves to be not a very thorough idea.

My foot gets caught in a mud pile made by the irrigation system I just notice overhead. The thick mud prevents me from running mid-stride and I topple over with a thud.

I take the chance to catch a breath and see if my pursuer had given up or at least lost sight of me. I look up and down the row I ended up in and from what I could see, it had.

The irrigation spurting water overhead felt great against my aching, scratched up skin. Unfortunately now, my pants are incredibly muddy and only getting muddier every second I spend under my short lived protector from the sun.

I sigh as I stand up and only then does it hit me that I'm surrounded by seemingly endless stalks of green and yellow and I have no sense of direction anymore.

In an act of desperation, my mouth opens, entirely ready to yell out to my only chance of escaping but I withhold. What if the rabid animal is closer than I can see? If I yell it'd lead it right to me and I rolled my ankle in my fall, I don't think I can run too much further.

Maybe I should risk it. How else will I find-

Then, almost right on cue, I hear rustling a ways down the corn row I was in and peering towards the noise I soon realize it's not who I was hoping for.

I don't hesitate much longer and begin my sprint in the opposite direction but not even three or four steps later, I can tell I wasn't going to be able to go as fast as I had before. My ankle was aching but I tried my best to ignore.

As my adrenaline pierces it's way through my brain I realize how stupid I've been thinking lately. Obviously if I pick a row and follow to the end it'll lead me out, not sure where I might end up - either the side of the road again or the complete other side of the field, but at least I'll be out.

I do just that and continue my sprint unaware of what I was going to do about the animal once I reached the exit area.

There's no point in even running if I'm just gonna have to face it once I get out.

With this thought, I go into panic mode. I have no idea what to do so I just start screaming out for Echo as I start seeing the end of the row in the distance.

"Echo! Echo!"

I see the last of the crops on either side of me come to an end and there I am where I had started - back at the side of the road.

But I'm not there for long.

I continue my dead sprint, wind whipping passed my ears, my breathing growing heavier. It takes almost no time for me to cross the dirt road but almost as soon as I'm across my foot hits a rock hard root protruding from the dirt and I'm nearly thrown to the ground.

I catch myself with my hands but the dog had been at my heels the entire sprint and this was enough for him to close the distance.

I feel him instinctively nipping at my pant leg and ankle. Flipping around, I start to kick but he's only angered.

I finally get a good look at him and he's huge. His blood shot eyes glare into mine and white foam drips from the sides of his mouth as he bares his yellow and brown stained teeth.

The kicks don't have much affect on him and he's made his way on top of me now, nipping continuously at my face. I'm only catching small pinches of his teeth on my cheek.

My struggles won't allow him to get a good grip. I push his face away with my hands. I'd much rather let my fingers take the damage rather than my face.

He takes his chance to get real good bites at my hand and I feel his teeth cut through my skin. I let out a cry and shut my eyes tight. At this point, I don't even know if the liquid I feel splattering on my face is his spit or my gushing blood.