Abby
July 9th, 2014, 10:42 PM
The girl ran and ran through the dirt, on and on until she felt the cold night air would burst her lungs. Painfully aware of the rising dust clouds that marked her progress and the crackling of the dry grass underfoot she tried to make her tread lighter, willing herself to be silent. Moonlight turned her eyes into shining coins as she snatched a glance over her shoulder, she could see no sign of him but it gave her no comfort.
Her breath was coming in short harsh whoops, each intake tearing her throat into fresh ribbons of pain. She stopped for a moment to try to calm it down and instantly her left calf muscle locked in an agonising cramp. No, No, No, not now! Hot tears sprang from her eyes as she kneaded her leg with one dirty hand, the other pressed to her mouth to stifle her cries. She had to keep moving, if she stayed here she would perish. He would have no mercy, he had her scent and he would catch her, and when he did only the Gods could save her. Be that as it may every ounce of her was screaming for rest and her exhausted body just refused to take another step. Stopped here like a rabbit in the moonlight she was easy prey, but there was no alternative. She needed to rest, or she would die, no one could keep up this pace forever.
She was in a small clearing leading to the edge of a wide stream, in the gloom she could just make out the flat glaze of the water and the cloud of drifting flies above its surface. Silently she dropped to her hands and knees and scuttled towards it, hoping against all odds to find a hiding place where she could rest up and wait for him to pass. As she crept closer to the stream the springy moss turned to wet sludge under her feet and then she was suddenly knee deep and gasping as the icy water took hold. Her rudely awakened senses scrambled for a means of survival…there! Just beyond the water’s edge on the far side of the stream there was an area of deeper gloom, she couldn't make it out yet but it could be a cave...if she could just reach it before he saw her maybe she could hide out there until he was gone. She launched her slight body as silently as she could into the water and glided through it neck deep, her toes propelling her across the river bed, arms sweeping like wings towards that dark haven. As her outstretched fingers gripped the ledge she allowed herself one swift look over shoulder and froze. The beast stood at the far side of the stream, its great furred back steaming as it stood swaying in silhouette against the night sky, its eyes punching tiny red pin pricks in the dark, marking its prey. It turned its face up to the sky and drew in a great wet rasping sniff of the night air, tasting her scent, but it didn't follow. Darshi realised with dawning comprehension that it couldn’t follow her into the water. She thanked the Gods for small mercies but her situation was not good. Her teeth had begun to click incessantly and the pain in her chest was almost unbearable. She was too small and too weak; if she stayed here she would not survive the night. She remembered tales of men many times stronger than her who had perished after their ships had dumped them into icy waters…the water here was shallow, but if she stayed in it long enough the result would be the same. Luckily the dumb beast didn’t know its depth in the dark, but how long would it be before he realised he had her trapped? There was always a chance that he might turn back, she thought. The water was a problem for him, maybe he would give up and search for an easier meal. Maybe. Then again, if he had half a brain he would realise that she would have to leave its cover eventually, all he had to do was wait it out. Frarks weren't the brightest of creatures but what they lacked in brains they made up for in ferocity, and he had her scent. As long as he thought there was a chance he wouldn't give up until he had her, to think anything different would be playing right into its bone crunching jaws.
The Frark was still there, its silhouette like a nightmare image projected on the sky. It reminded her of a game father had played with her every night by candlelight, he would make his hands into shapes which grew large on the wall behind the glow and she would guess which animal he was playing. Sometimes it was a horse, with little ears made from the crooks of his fingers, sometimes a great lizard with snapping jaws. He would make no puppets now, Darshi thought sadly. Wherever he was he was better off than her, no more pain can befall the dead. Keeping her eyes on the beast she hoisted herself into the shallow cave. It was only just wider than her head but quite deep, she wiggled in as far as she could and allowed herself to relax. The Frark was still there, swaying. Hal had once told her that Frarks hibernate in certain conditions, she had laughed and walloped him at the time, sure he was pulling her leg as usual like big brothers do, but now she wondered. Maybe they did hibernate in a way. It had been there for some time now, swaying. Maybe after a period of stillness it went into a kind of paused state…awake enough to stand but not really there. If she were to leave the cave and climb the bank, would it hear her? She raised her hands and felt slowly along the roof of the cave until her fingers snagged on a loop of root. Gingerly she pulled and got a face full of powdery dirt as the root came away bringing in the ground above. Darshi looked to her left and saw the swaying beast still hadn’t moved. She took a deep breath, closed her eyes and yanked as hard as she could. Dirt pattered down on her bare chest and legs and the root grew slack in her grip. Something scuttled across her face and she squeezed her lips and eyes together as tight as she could, fighting with all of her will to stop the panic from taking her senses. After what felt like an age at last the dirt stopped falling and Darshi felt cold night air stirring the hairs on her arm. She opened her eyes and saw stars like diamonds in the velvet night sky, it was a beautiful sight. She took a deep breath of that cold night air and turned her head. The swaying beast still stood, oblivious.
Her breath was coming in short harsh whoops, each intake tearing her throat into fresh ribbons of pain. She stopped for a moment to try to calm it down and instantly her left calf muscle locked in an agonising cramp. No, No, No, not now! Hot tears sprang from her eyes as she kneaded her leg with one dirty hand, the other pressed to her mouth to stifle her cries. She had to keep moving, if she stayed here she would perish. He would have no mercy, he had her scent and he would catch her, and when he did only the Gods could save her. Be that as it may every ounce of her was screaming for rest and her exhausted body just refused to take another step. Stopped here like a rabbit in the moonlight she was easy prey, but there was no alternative. She needed to rest, or she would die, no one could keep up this pace forever.
She was in a small clearing leading to the edge of a wide stream, in the gloom she could just make out the flat glaze of the water and the cloud of drifting flies above its surface. Silently she dropped to her hands and knees and scuttled towards it, hoping against all odds to find a hiding place where she could rest up and wait for him to pass. As she crept closer to the stream the springy moss turned to wet sludge under her feet and then she was suddenly knee deep and gasping as the icy water took hold. Her rudely awakened senses scrambled for a means of survival…there! Just beyond the water’s edge on the far side of the stream there was an area of deeper gloom, she couldn't make it out yet but it could be a cave...if she could just reach it before he saw her maybe she could hide out there until he was gone. She launched her slight body as silently as she could into the water and glided through it neck deep, her toes propelling her across the river bed, arms sweeping like wings towards that dark haven. As her outstretched fingers gripped the ledge she allowed herself one swift look over shoulder and froze. The beast stood at the far side of the stream, its great furred back steaming as it stood swaying in silhouette against the night sky, its eyes punching tiny red pin pricks in the dark, marking its prey. It turned its face up to the sky and drew in a great wet rasping sniff of the night air, tasting her scent, but it didn't follow. Darshi realised with dawning comprehension that it couldn’t follow her into the water. She thanked the Gods for small mercies but her situation was not good. Her teeth had begun to click incessantly and the pain in her chest was almost unbearable. She was too small and too weak; if she stayed here she would not survive the night. She remembered tales of men many times stronger than her who had perished after their ships had dumped them into icy waters…the water here was shallow, but if she stayed in it long enough the result would be the same. Luckily the dumb beast didn’t know its depth in the dark, but how long would it be before he realised he had her trapped? There was always a chance that he might turn back, she thought. The water was a problem for him, maybe he would give up and search for an easier meal. Maybe. Then again, if he had half a brain he would realise that she would have to leave its cover eventually, all he had to do was wait it out. Frarks weren't the brightest of creatures but what they lacked in brains they made up for in ferocity, and he had her scent. As long as he thought there was a chance he wouldn't give up until he had her, to think anything different would be playing right into its bone crunching jaws.
The Frark was still there, its silhouette like a nightmare image projected on the sky. It reminded her of a game father had played with her every night by candlelight, he would make his hands into shapes which grew large on the wall behind the glow and she would guess which animal he was playing. Sometimes it was a horse, with little ears made from the crooks of his fingers, sometimes a great lizard with snapping jaws. He would make no puppets now, Darshi thought sadly. Wherever he was he was better off than her, no more pain can befall the dead. Keeping her eyes on the beast she hoisted herself into the shallow cave. It was only just wider than her head but quite deep, she wiggled in as far as she could and allowed herself to relax. The Frark was still there, swaying. Hal had once told her that Frarks hibernate in certain conditions, she had laughed and walloped him at the time, sure he was pulling her leg as usual like big brothers do, but now she wondered. Maybe they did hibernate in a way. It had been there for some time now, swaying. Maybe after a period of stillness it went into a kind of paused state…awake enough to stand but not really there. If she were to leave the cave and climb the bank, would it hear her? She raised her hands and felt slowly along the roof of the cave until her fingers snagged on a loop of root. Gingerly she pulled and got a face full of powdery dirt as the root came away bringing in the ground above. Darshi looked to her left and saw the swaying beast still hadn’t moved. She took a deep breath, closed her eyes and yanked as hard as she could. Dirt pattered down on her bare chest and legs and the root grew slack in her grip. Something scuttled across her face and she squeezed her lips and eyes together as tight as she could, fighting with all of her will to stop the panic from taking her senses. After what felt like an age at last the dirt stopped falling and Darshi felt cold night air stirring the hairs on her arm. She opened her eyes and saw stars like diamonds in the velvet night sky, it was a beautiful sight. She took a deep breath of that cold night air and turned her head. The swaying beast still stood, oblivious.