G H O S T R U N N E R

<P R O L O G U E>

© Amber Kalkes 2014

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<Prologue>

The mud sloshes under the rhythm of her bare feet as they pound into the ground below. She’s cold, naked and scared as she tries to keep her wheezing and panting to a minimum knowing that more likely then not, they’ll hear it. She doesn’t want to be caught again and brought back. She can’t go back or this time they’ll kill her or even worse, keep her alive.

The silver collar they’ve left latched around her throat for the past month is burning against the freezing skin, making a sizzling sound every time a stray raindrop hits it. Her long hair is plastered to her body snarled with more mud and soaked from the rain, her only cover from the storm swirling above.

She’s weak, too much blood loss from the last draining and from the latest beating she has been delivered. She hasn’t been able to rest for two days and hasn’t been gifted even a crumb to eat in three. They knew what they were doing keeping her as weak as they did. They wanted to make sure she wouldn’t be able to do what she just did…escape.

As the woods and brush start to thin out she catches an odd scent. Human, her wolf informs her though it’s faint from how exhausted they both are. She doesn’t know how much a human can help her but she knows anywhere is better then nothing considering they’re almost out of Blue Bay pack land. Not stopping her pace she run towards the faint scent that the rain is washing away by the second and prays to whatever god will listen that she makes it.

Snarls and howls of her old pack echo through the trees making her feet propel her faster forward. She can’t be caught, she can’t. She won’t survive this time. When the image, blurred a bit by the onslaught of rain, of a house comes into view she almost feels relief. Another snarl from deep in the woods but still too close for comfort reaches her ear making her spring into motion.

Reach the border. Reach the house.

Reach the border. Reach the house.

This mantra pushes her closer and closer toward her destination. Finally she feels a snap on her brain, like a rubber band, and bites her lip to muffle her cry of pain. Still she can’t help the smile the tugs are her lips, she is out of Blue Bay pack land, she is no longer of the pack and she has escaped. The joy gives way to exhaustion as she collapses to her knees about six feet away from the house.

Her chest moves rapidly as she looks up at the gray sky in devotion.

She is free.

A roar of rage sounds by the Blue Bay forest edge making her look over her shoulder to see the large brown wolf she has come to fear. His fierce green eyes seem to glow even at the distance she finds herself as they narrow at her. He knows as well as her that he cannot cross the boarder or risk starting a war with a stronger pack. She in turn knows that he will not give her up without a fight.

He’ll be back and she knows this better than anyone.

The large brown wolf turns around with a growl before starting the run back. She can feel his underlings follow his lead and leave the tree line as well in favor of heading back into more comfortable territory. As soon as she senses their departure she relaxes her shoulder and lets out a strangled sob of relief.

Collapsing farther onto the ground she absorbs the impact with a grunt as she settles into the long uncut prairie grass. She looks up into the still leaking gray clouds above and lets her face split into an expression she hasn’t felt in the past ten years of her life, happiness.

For once she feels happy.

 And with that thought she succumbs to her exhaustion and passes out.

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So that's the prologue! Excited? I am! 

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