The Run

7 - Grace

I hear the gun shot ring out and stop, listening to the male wolves as they howled eagerly, my body shaking with rage. I had to move and fast.

Continuing where I left off I veer towards the sound of the river, relief flooding into me as I leap into the sapphire water, padding to the middle of the softly flowing water and shifting, taking a deep breath and diving down under its depth, my silver hair billowing out behind me as I swam in my natural form, my human form.

My safest rout would be to swim up stream to the edge of the barrier and then follow it to the other side. I think, turning my body around as I expertly kick my way upstream, my scent now lost in the river as I lift my head above the water every now and then to replenish my intake of air.

I knew the topography of the run. Where all the hide outs where located and where the traps were most likely to be placed. Don't get me wrong, I hated the idea of The Run but my chances of survival relied on how well I knew the area I was force to be in.

I guess those long night going through all of the logs and maps from The Run paid off, hey dad. I think sarcastically, my mind playing memories from my days as a pup.

"Listen Gracey, one day you will be in the run, and when that day comes you need to accept your fate." My father's voice fills my ears as the twelve year old me stares at the three dimensional map placed on my desk with disgust.

"But I don't want to be in the run" I pout out, glaring at the man who raised me.

"Its your duty as a shewolf to be mated and produce strong pups, no arguments." My father growls agrily, his hand rising into the air and connecting with my cheek, sending me into the wall.

I hated my father, always have. He was a monster and loved to hit me when I wasn't being a proper submissive women and from my spot on the floor I glare up at him, my body shaking.

"You'll see, I'll beat the run and make something of myself." I state angrily, feeling the impact of his steeled toe boots to my ribs.

"And when you do I'll give my postion up as Beta and become a rogue." He laughs out, turning to walk out of my room and slamming my door and leaving the map for The Run with me.

Tears fill my eyes as the memory fades, and I look up to find that I was sitting in a shallow part of the water. Every night since then I had stayed up and memorized the map, not wanting to give my father a reason to gloat about how weak his only child was.

Weak just like the woman who died giving birth to me, the women who was captured and raped by him a few minutes into the run twenty years ago.

With a sigh I swim to the shore, the glow of morning filling the forest as the sun stakes its claim to the sky. This was the beginging of day one.

I was only half way to the edge of the barrier from where I had started and I was exhausted, needing to find a place to rest. I knew that the weakest of the shewolves would still be up, aiming to keep running no matter what the cost, even if that meant not stoping for sleep.

This would be their down fall.

As I lay on a flatt rock, I take a moment to look at where I was. The river beside me cut through most of the forest and if I kept swimming up stream I would reach the halfway mark in another two days, leaving me four days to run to the lodge.

Sighing again I sit up and look towards the tree tops. There had to be a shelter somewhere.

My tired sapphire eyes scans the forest over and over again, looking for any clue that would suggest a place for me to rest and in a few momemts a smile takes my lips as I stand, heading for the tall weeping willow who's trunk was set halfway in the river on the opposite bank.

With little effort, I swim across, my muscles begging for a rest, I just hope that this place had clothing food and fresh water.

The roots greet me first and I sigh, resting the top half of my body against it as I hang over them, wanting nothing more then to just fall asleep.

With a small whimper, I pull my body out of the water and step carefully towards the trunk, smiling when I see the rope ladder that led to the hidden tree house. This would be my spot for the next few hours.

Quickly I scale the ladder, my body protesting as I finally make it into the shelter, pulling the ladder up and out of sight and I lean against the wall trying to catch my breath.

The tree house was small, just big enough for two people to hide in. There was a fresh matress on the other end and beside it a bag that looked to be full.

I smile.

In that bag lies tools I could use to survive and so I crawl towards it, sitting down just a few feet away from the matress so that I didn't get it wet with my soaking body, the bag now in my lap as I start pulling the contents out to examine it.

A water proof flashlight, a canteen full of water, a container full of beef jerky, a swiss army knife, a pair of pants and a long sleeve shirt, a pair of runners which -thankfully- were my size, a towel and a blanket. The bag seemed to be waterproff as well so that was an added bonus and I replace everything back where they belong, keeping the large towel and wrapping it around myself as I finally give into my protesting body and fall asleep on the cloud like matress.