Breathe.
In... Out... In.... Out.....
Open your eyes.
It's dark. The only sounds are those of the forest and my own breath. I'm alone, thankfully. I lean back against a tree, dew droplets soaking into my shirt, and let out a soft sigh. I can't relax, but I can rest; for now...
Footsteps. The sound of rustling leaves and snapping twigs getting closer by the second. Flashlights, in the distance. Damnit! How long was I asleep? No time to figure that out now. Crouch down. Stay low. Move away from the source of light and noise. Careful not to make any yourself. Shit shit shit. A twig that I didn't see, snapping under my knee, alerting them of my presence. Fuck fuck fuck! A shout from them and I'm up and running, still trying to keep low, but only enough so that their bullets whiz over my head. They're slower than me, I know that. There's no way they'll catch me unless...
Barking. Damnit. They've brought the hounds.
I can hear them, getting closer by the step. Barking, growling, snapping at my heels from far away. But not far enough. Unless...
There, up ahead. A cliff edge and underneath it, the sound of rushing water. The river.
Closer now. Closer, ever closer. Until I can feel them right behind me. Hot, stinking breath on my ankles. Teeth, about to clamp down on my leg. But the mutts jaws close on thin air. I've already jumped. Plummeting down to the river below. I could die here. Drown, or bash my head open on a rock. But rather that than they drag me, bleeding and defeated, back with them. With a rush, I sink under the water's surface, my feet just touching the river bed as I kick off it and up. Bursting out of the water and gulping in a lungful of air before making my way towards the bank. I pull myself up, dripping wet, heaving breaths, and pounding heart. Turning back to look up at the ones who now stand at the edge, shining flashlights down on me. I laugh, triumphant once again. Unless they dare to jump too, it'll take days for them to reach me. However, unlike me, these people have lives, families, hobbies to get back to. They don't dare to test the river. Begrudgingly, with hounds still barking, they turn back the way they came. I flip them off and turn away also. In the distance, the sun is rising over a small town. I grin. Good. I'm running low on supplies.
