Flee

My mouth ran dry, my knees trembled. My breaths came in gasps.

Not again. No, no, no!

I sprang up and ran-- a force within me kept me running. How can I be such a fool?

I knew it was too good to be true. I gave in to the distractions and now I must face the consequences.

The sky grew dark in the short span of time I darted from the oak to the patches of leaves and vines of whence I came. I did not look behind. It was no use after all to scare me even more when I can barely keep from tumbling headlong into the dirt. I barely noticed the way the grass limped and the wildflowers lose their sweet aroma as I crushed them. But I did realize how dark it became and felt rain pattering down hard on my back.

I reached the vines and plunged in. They didn't part as easily this time. I panicked and trashed at them and soon I was tangled. Lightning flashed and for a second I saw the vines with slimy, scaly skins writhing and hissing at me with red, sadistic eyes. I screamed with sheer fright. Thunder clapped and I clawed my way through he vines. I landed with a splatter of puddles onto the forest floor.

From behind me came a rustle and the soft, slow and malicious, "Tsk, tsk, tsk.." My eyes grew wide and I hastened to stand up once more. I ran as best I could in that dark slippery underworld.

Then, I tripped.

The mud dragged me down and the rain pushed me harder unto the ground. I opened my mouth to scream. No sound came out. I tasted mud and coughed. Some entered my nostrils as I tried to breath. The pain shot through me. I was out of energy. What more could I do but stay still.

My eyelids grew heavy. My whole body caked in mud felt numb. I fainted then just as the lightning flashed and just as my stalker gave his triumphant grin.