Running Alone

                 I sat prodding my dying fire, the hot white coals gleaming in the harsh darkness of the dense forest.  It made a satisfying crackle and off in the deep forest I heard a eerie howl.  Deciding I should lay down and rest I set more logs on the fire and set out my bed roll on a damp bed of pine needles and crawled inside my toasty warm, down sleeping bag.  Just as I set my head down I heard a twig snap.  I sat up alarmed, my heart pounding faster then I normally preferred.  As I turned in the direction of the noise fear shook my entire being.  Piercing my soul through the foggy night air stared a pair of eerie yellow eyes.  They had found me, all these months in hiding, they had literally sicked their dogs on me.  I could feel the dogs moist breath and smell the fierce stench coming from it’s matted mane.  The beast sneered and bared its yellowed teeth, releasing the wretched smell of rotting flesh.  It lunged forward aiming for my throat, thirsty for new blood.  I reacted with the little strength I had left; I rolled to the side as the dog landed where I lay moments before.  Forcing myself to compose my thoughts I stood and took off running.  I was running without an idea of where I was headed or what I was doing.  Just like any animal my only interest was survival.  The forest turned into a blur as branches slashed across my face.  My feet quickly felt the pains of hunting the night before; my heart thundered inside my chest.  Just as I knew I could not trudge on any longer, my face dripping sweat and blood I felt an abrupt force thrust my body to the muddy earth.  I could smell rancid breath upon my neck and knew I had but little time before sharp teeth would tear into my flesh.  They couldn’t win! They won’t win!  I reached for my knife; it was gone. No! I left it back at the fire, all seemed lost, I grasped at the ground bracing myself for the searing pain of my flesh being viciously torn.  Then I felt my way out, a jagged rock; I only had moments left so I began to clobber the beast’s skull.  It yelped in pain as I slowly beat it, over… and over again, teeth thrashing only inches from my throat.  Dead silence.  I felt the beasts weight bear down upon me.  Somehow I managed to roll it off and rose barely victorious covered; in wet, warm crimson blood from the dogs wound.  I painfully began my way back to the fire.  The air was freezing and seemed to claw at my exposed skin.  About to let the night take me I sighted the glow of my fire in the distance and my heart sank.  Standing there, were at least 20 armed men, tearing through my belongings; looking for me, for their dog I just brutally murdered.  Before I could turn and run a net came dropped over me and nearly in sync something hit me from behind.  My vision went fuzzy, and then; darkness.

To be continued... possibly...