I run faster, lungs burning, legs pumping.
I had to get away.
I had to keep moving.
My head is aching, eyes searching for cover, air rushing out of my nostrils.
No matter where I ran, I can hear them following. Right behind me. Panting, sniffing.
Howling.
Getting louder.
Getting closer.
Almost on top of me.
I trip on an exposed tree root, stumbling forward. Managed to right myself and carry on running.
It's getting darker. Tall trees in the forest are pressing closer together, blocking out the daylight, reducing visibility. Getting harder to see.
Keep moving.
Panting. Mine and theirs.
Feet pounding the ground.
I had to get away.
Howling.
Closer.
Louder.
I had to run.
Closer. They're getting closer.
Faster. I have to be faster.
The light is almost gone. The trees are closing in. It's getting harder to weave around them.
Keep going.
Keep moving.
Don't stop.
Run.
Run.
Run.
Don't let them catch me.
Please.
I don't want to become one of them.