Learning To Trust Again

Chapter 4

       "Run" is the only thought that comes to mind in my state of fear and adrenaline.  There's no accurate way to tell how long I've been running but my only guess is it's been five to eight minutes. An increasing ache has formed in my legs, tempting me to slow down, but I'm relentless to do so. An unavoidable stinging sensation greets me as I continue running forward, the soles of my feet becoming rawer. Rocks and sticks naturally litter the ground providing my bare feet, not protection as I journey through the uncharted forest. With my heart racing widely I find myself gasping in the air around me uncontrollably. A sharp pain throbs in my chest, attacking me with each gasp of air I inhale. Sweat drips down my face and back, but I pay the least attention to this small inconvenience. The next phase of my plan will be finding mud to coat myself in, so that I may prevent the pack from tracking my scent.

         Before slowing down to a complete stop I force myself to continue running for a few more estimated minutes. Creating enough distance between the pack and me is crucial for my plan to be successful. My search for a damp area that may contain mud begins once I'm no longer running. My eyes start sweeping the surrounding area, looking for any mud I can utilize in masking my scent. When creating my pan, this step seemed the easiest out of all the other steps, because I'd been confident in my ability to find mud. Yet as my eyes repeatedly scan the forest floor I'm finding myself unsuccessful in locating any mud. With the seconds ticking by I keep looking but find nothing and my anxiety surges.

        I can't find any. What am I going to do? I'm gonna run out of time. These thoughts spread like wildfire along with my sky-rocketing terror. My heart races and I whip my head around trying to frantically find mud somewhere. I stop my frantic searching, knowing I need to have control or they will find me for certain. Following my instincts, I look up towards the sky and see the vast trees that block my view. I focus on the different shades of green the leaves possess, the soft breeze blowing around everything, and the sunlight peeking through the trees; focusing solely on the immeasurable beauty that nature has surrounded me with. A few moments pass, which allows my heart to slow and the anxiety to subside slightly. It takes me another minute before I have a new sense of calm to where I'm able to return to the plan. Scanning my eyes around less frantically I begin a light run in hopes I'll find some mud nearby.

        Minutes pass and as I continue I'm still unable to find any mud until relief fills me as my eyes land on an area of dark mud. Increasing my speed I sprint over to the area and once there I immediately fall to my knees. Laying down in the mud I commence the second part of my plan in hopes of masking my scent. I quickly roll in the mud, making sure to coat myself fully best I can. This process only takes a minute or so before I'm fully coated in the dark mud, and I force myself up. My running begins again as I move onto the next part of my plan, knowing I need to create more distance between myself and the pack. The pain in my body resumes in full swing, taking my breath away slightly but I don't allow it to stop me.

        Unaware if my thirty minutes are over or not, I've continued running, disregarding the aching pain in my body. The mud that paints my body has hardened onto my skin, clothes, and hair, concealing my dripping sweat and scent. There's no way to tell if I'm close to any type of waterway, other than the sounds of running water, which I've not come across. My ears listen intently for any sounds that may suggest the pack is nearby. Luckily I haven't heard or smelled anything alarming, but I remain alert. If unsuccessful in discovering a waterway my plan won't be ruined but my chances of being found will increase.

        Picking up a certain sound my body automatically tenses and I slow my run. Straining my ears I listen to the sound, analyzing it carefully until concluding it's some type of waterway. A feeling of hope fills me in which provides me the energy I need to run towards this promising sound. Running towards this sound, I silently hope my assumptions are correct for this water could do wonders for me. Some large thickets block my path and without hesitation, I begin pushing through them forcefully. Small branches scrape against my arms and face, only motivating me to move faster.