It was cold and the air was saturated with moisture, the occasional gusts of wind whipped droplets of fine rain into the hood of his cloak, each hitting his face like tiny icy needles as he made his way through the forest. 

The ground was so sodden, that each step he took needed to be taken with care so that he wouldn't slip and become even more of a mess than he already was. Even the slightest bit of pressure would cause his foot to sink into the muddy ground with a squelch and it took him much more effort to pull his foot out than it took to place it down again. 

Visibility was also poor, he couldn't see very far in front of him, due to the rain and fog, but it was also quickly getting dark, and this was no place to be when it was dark.

He tried to pick up the pace, but it was as if the waterlogged ground was intentionally sapping his energy with every move that he made, deliberately slowing him down.

With each passing minute, the night was slowly taking hold of the forest. He could feel the energy shifting around him, a shiver ran down his spine and rippled out across his entire body, he knew this feeling all too well; a foreboding.

"I need to move faster" 

he thought, 

"I need to find shelter"

He kept pushing forward driven by the desire to find sanctuary, somewhere inconspicuous, somewhere where he'd be hidden, somewhere where he'd be safe. As he marched onwards, his eyes flicked back and forth scanning the surrounding area, hoping, willing something to come into view that would grant him the respite from the approaching malice. 

Still nothing. 

His legs were beginning to ache and his muscles burned from the struggle to move quickly through the mire, his breathing became heavy, he could feel his temperature rise and his heartbeat begin to race.

"This is no time to start panicking, just fine a rocky outcrop or a decent sized tree and bed in"

He said to himself to try and steady his nerves

"You'll be just fine if you can just get somewhere where you can get some cover"

He surveyed the area again, his eyes wishing for some form of salvation but still nothing.

The situation really was becoming dangerous now. Night had all but fallen and what little visibility he'd had during daylight was all but gone, replaced by murky, damp darkness. He looked to the sky for familiar stars to gather his bearings but none could be found, not a single star, just an expanse of inky black.

He needed to keep going, he had to keep going, if he failed...well he didn't want to think about that, he had enough on his mind already with his current situation and worrying about 'what ifs' rather than dealing with the problem at hand was a sure fire way to end up dead.

"And there is certainly no shortage of ways to die in this forest..."

He gulped. 

Another shiver ran down his spine, but this time it was stronger, the ripple across his body made the hairs from head to toe stand on end.  There was definitely something out there, he could feel it, but what it was, he didn't want to find out. 

He shook his head and body to drive away some of the sensations of the second foreboding and as his eyes refocused on the forest ahead, they met with some large boulders scattered around some tall, thin trees. 

"Finally!"

His inner voice cried, 

"A place to rest and hide." 

He rushed over to the rocky pile and started to climb over them, searching for a place to retire. He found what he thought would be a big enough gap between 3 of the rocks so he joyously pulled himself in, lay down and covered up with his cloak to get some rest.

He closed his eyes and just for a moment felt content with his little hideout and that he'd even managed to find one, but just as the contentment had come to pass and he breathed a sigh of relief, it was shattered by a screech that reverberated throughout the forest.

His eyes bolted open.

"Shit, that sounds close…" 

He thought. 

"...Whatever that screech was, it can't be good"  

Trepidation began to seep into his body, he knew it, he just knew he'd never make it through the forest without coming across something; but he couldn't afford to not take that risk, getting caught was not an option.

"Think damn you, think! What direction did the screech come from?..." 

His mind began to race again. 

"Where was it coming from? What even is it? Oh man it's definitely going to try and kill me, why did I have to come this way? Stupid beasts…"

He surveyed the rocky hideout again, he wasn't entirely exposed, but there was not enough room for any kind of evasive movement, whatever that thing was could quite easily have him cornered in here.

"Do I stay out or do I make a run for it? Where would I go if I was to run?"

Another screech, this one sent fierce ripples shooting out across his body; he really had to go, a foreboding like that meant certain danger. It was now or never, he had to make a break for it. He hopped over the rock in front of him and made haste forwards, his mind racing with the unbridled fear of what may be hunting him.  

"Whatever that thing is I can't let it catch me, I can't get caught, I mustn't get caught…"

He fought with all he had through the quagmire, while the rain had stopped, the ground was still sodden and movement anything but easy; but he pushed himself onward regardless. Still no sign of his pursuer, but then again, he didn't want to find out what it was. He hadn't got the faintest idea where it was either, and that was even worse. 

As he marched onward, the ground underfoot started to feel firmer, rocker almost, he could feel he was able to exert more pressure with his steps. He picked up his pace, his energy levels rising because of this minor blessing. He started to move faster, his pace became a run, he could feel and hear the grittier earth start to crunch underfoot with each step.

"Yes, I must be near the mountain now, not far now, come on move!" he said to himself as he dared to hope that he may actually make his escape. He smiled at this thought. The next thing he knew, he was flying through the air. 

As his body hit the ground, he bounced a few times, rolled and then came to a crashing stop against a rock. The sudden impacts left him winded, dazed and in incredible pain.

He struggled to catch his breath as he tried to work out what had just happened. One minute he was running, the next, flying through the air, no noise, nothing was around him that he saw. 

His heart then sank. As his daze was wearing off and his eyes were beginning to refocus, he could see a shadowy figure making its way toward him in the distance. 

It was over. 

He'd been caught and there was nothing he could do about it. Still, he tried to get up from the ground, as he steadied himself on his legs, he felt a force whip him against the rock again, his head hitting the rock with enough force to knock him clean out. His body crumpled to the floor. While he lay motionless, the shadowy figure made its way towards him until it stood, towering menacingly above him.

"Well you didn't make this easy for me I have to say…" 

It said, surveying it's prize

"...heading out this way, anyone'd think you'd a death wish. Good job that beastie out there didn't getcha. Ah well,  you're safe and sound wi' me now."

The figure sank down to examine its quarry. It grabbed his bag, took a quick look through it. Nothing of real interest, it then paid more attention to the quarry itself. 

"Ahh, there you are…"

It said as its eyes landed on golden sphere attached to a chain round its captives neck. 

"...I thank you for keeping this safe for me" 

It removed the chain and sphere from his possession, patted him on the head, turned and disappeared back into the inky darkness.