Running through the Hickory Forest I overestimated a step causing my shoulder to graze a sapling. The bark serrated my skin, I could already feel the blood starting to ooze out of my grizzly wound and down my arm. My chocolate brown hair with rich caramel highlights swept across my face as I quickly looked over my shoulder to see if I threw it off my trail. My attention returned to the path in front of me, I see a fallen tree just in time to jump.

Surveying my surroundings, my heart pounds like a drum. The Beast was pursuing me relentlessly. It's howl caused the Forest to reverberate, I didn't have long before it would catch up to me. I knew it had just reached the tree that recently wounded me. Knowing that it smelled my blood it's determination to ensnare me became insatiable. My blood lingering on the forest floor guiding the Beast directly to me. It was closing in and fast, I thought to myself 'I need to get out of here'.

Getting close to the rendezvous, I pushed myself harder but I could smell the Beast's scent growing stronger. This could only mean one thing, I underestimated it.

I was only half a mile away from potential safety when it's smell hit me like pepper spray to the face. I didn't dare look behind me in fear of what I would see. I could sense a patrol nearby but could I keep up this pace? I had already ran 10 miles since escaping my cell. Dehydration and starvation was taking a toll on me that I began to stumble on tree roots.

Determination to reach safety, I lengthened my stride and picked up the pace. Thump. Thump. Thump. The Beast was right on my heels. 'Please Moon Goddess hear my plea, grant me safety with this pack even if it's temporary' I thought to myself as I struggled to steady my breathing.

"HEEEEEEELP" I yelled as loudly as I could hoping the patrol nearby would hear me. A wide clearing came into view, on the other side I knew that patrol was waiting tucked behind bushes to assess the situation. Just as I stepped into the clearing the Beast's fangs snagged onto the back of my shirt, ripping almost seamlessly.