How the Winds Howl

She ran as fast as she could, feeling her lungs ache in retaliation, but she pushed on. She could still hear the screams and howls of pain in the dark forest behind her. She sped up, feeling branches scratch at her face as if punishing her or trying to pull her back to that horrible scene. She couldn't believe what she had seen. It kept creeping into her minds eye and she continuously shook her head as if trying to shake the vision from her head completely. How had she gotten herself into this mess? Another scream of agony ripped through the air behind her, making the vision of blood and horror terrify her senses again. She suddenly heard a twig snap to her left in the underbrush and she madly dashed to her right, futher into the dark forest, trying to get away from the sound.

She suddenly heard light footsteps behind her and lent forward, attempting to push her body futher. But the footsteps didn't disappear, they seemed to get closer and closer, moving fast upon her. She dashed suddenly to her left attempting to shake off the pursuer in the thick underbrush tangling throughout the forest.

The footsteps followed still and she chanced a glance behind her as she continued at her fastest pace. All she saw in the dark was the glowing yellow eyes and the outline of her pursuer. She bit her lip, stopping the scream at the back of her throat before it could slip out and alert more of them. She turned her face away from the silhouette and shining eyes to look forward again.

She dashed to her right and continued at full pelt, her whole body crying at her to stop. Her lungs and muscles ached and moaned as she continued on. The footsteps behind her got closer and closer, her fear rising like a tidal wave. She had to get out of here but the forest looked so different in the pitch black that she had no idea where she actually was.

Suddenly she burst out of the underbrush onto a path in the forest and thanked the gods as she turned to her right and pelted along the rough dirt path. The footsteps didn't cease to follow her but it sounded like they were no longer directly behind her but in the underbrush beside her. She chanced a glance to her left and saw the yellow eyes shining in her direction, the owner keeping pace with her. Her fear felt like it was strangling her as she locked eyes with her pursuer.

Suddenly her feet were no longer underneath her and she felt her body tumble forward and painfully collapse to the dirt path. Her hands stung in response and she hissed through her teeth in pain as she skidded to a halt. She lay there, breathing hard and fast as the pursuit ended and struggled to move her body back to it's upright position but her body betrayed her and wouldn't let her stand. She heard footsteps come out of the underbrush and saw a pair of feet stop in front of her. This was it. This was the end.

She looked up, wanting to stare down her pursuer before they killed her. Her eyes slowly travelled up the muscular legs, along the toned abdomen until finally her eyes locked with the glowing yellow eyes.

Her heart stopped and missed a few beats but this time it wasn't from the fear but from sudden realisation and shock. She couldn't find her voice but she was vaguely aware that her mouth hung open like a gaping fish. The glowing eyes twitched as a smirk spread across a face she hadn't seen in a year and a half and she realised she had stopped breathing.

She closed her eyes and mouth and shook her head, still sprawled out on the dirt path, convinced her eyes were tricking her. She opened her eyes again and looked back up into his face, still not fully believing what she saw. Suddenly she found her voice and she lept to her feet, reaching out to the man in front of her.

"Cameron?" her voice rushed out in a whisper. "What has happened to you?"