Entry #12050104001305

Stopping Is Not An Option

The dim light from the setting sun shone through the trees. The shadows created by the trees and animals began to stretch, warping and creating monstrous figures. At this time, with the sun disappearing over the horizon, it was definitely not wise to be out. It would be even worse to be lost in the forest. Unfortunately, that was the mistake Jay had made. Camera in hand, he had wandered off the trail and gotten lost. He could try to find his way back, but the smartest move would be to wait until morning. As much as he hated the forest, he hated it even more at nighttime when the masked figures would most likely be out. The red battery light of his camera began flashing rapidly until, a few moments later, the screen went black. Great, and now my camera's dead Jay thought in exasperation. Leaning back against the thick trunk of a tree, he slid to the ground.

"I need to be brave," he whispered, immediately regretting it. It sounded like a corny line from a movie no one's ever seen and having said it made Jay cringe slightly. Nevertheless, he repeated "B-R-A-V-E" over and over until the word and letters themselves were nothing but a jumble of confusion, awkward on his tongue. He knew he should be vigilant, especially when God-knows-what was lurking among the trees, but he couldn't help letting his eyelids slide closed just slightly. Just resting my eyes he tried to convince himself, though he knew he was lying to himself. Nothing will happen. I'm just going to rest for a moment...

The snap of a tree branch jolted Jay out of his peaceful sleep, the first good sleep he'd gotten in months. Pushing himself to a sitting position - he had slid into a horizontal position in his sleep - Jay came face to mask with the strange man that had been following him. The figure didn't move, only watched, as Jay pushed himself against the tree, subconsciously trying to make himself smaller. Crouched in what must have been a very uncomfortable position, the figure reached up and held a finger to the lips on his mask. Suddenly, Jay felt like he was the loudest person in existence. His breathing, his heart beat, his pulse, everything seemed as loud as the roar of the ocean. He held a hand against his mouth to try and silence himself (or at least slow his breathing) as he stared at the figure.

His head soundlessly whipped to the left, staring at something in the darkness that Jay couldn't see. He hadn't realized how dark it was. How long have I been asleep? Jay wondered. The masked man suddenly lunged forward and Jay put his arms up to protect himself from the blow... that never came. His arm was grabbed in a hold that said "I mean business" before he was pulled to his feet and dragged behind the man as he ran. Jay struggled to keep up but somehow managed. He didn't know why he was going with him, though it probably had something to do with the death grip on his arm. Then there was also the fact that, if the man was running from something, it must be pretty awful.

Putting more trust than he probably should have in the stranger, Jay picked up his pace, matching the man's speed but not passing him. The grip on his arm never loosened in the slightest.

"Where... Where are we... going?" Jay asked in between pants but his question was met with only silence. The man continued to pull him along, almost tripping once or twice but managing to keep going. "Please," Jay finally said, the first time he had spoken in over ten minutes. "I can't... I need... to stop..." His pace had slowed to almost a crawl and his legs felt like jell-o. He made a mental note to start running regularly. As he slowed down and finally stopped, hands on his knees and gasping for breath, the masked man stopped too, giving him an unreadable look that Jay interpreted as annoyance.

Before Jay could utter a word of complaint or even surprise, the man picked him up and threw him on his back before taking off again. Jay held on tightly, almost falling off a handful of times but always managing to save himself. The entire time the man ran, Jay couldn't stop his racing mind. Where are we going? Why is it important? Why did he pick me up? Who are we running from? What are we running from? The thoughts piled on top of each other and fought for Jay's attention but in the end, none won. Eventually, Jay rested his head against the man's shoulder and tightened his grip before resting his eyes again.