Tainted Love

It’s not easy to breathe quietly. I wish I had figured that out before I got into this situation. With yet another careful step, I walk forward, mindful of the leaves that may give away my position while trying to stay hidden between the many trees of this small forest. I can hear their movements as their paws touch the dirty ground. They’re not too far away. I suppose I should be grateful it is no longer snowing season. It would be much harder to hear them if there were snow on the ground. Stepping forward once again, I suddenly stop as I hear one of them sniffing close by. Crap! How did I not hear him getting closer? If I stay like this, he will surely sniff me out. Crouching, I silently grab some dirt from the ground and brush it across my skin. I can disguise my smell better this way. I hold my breath and close my eyes as the wolf gets closer, praying to God that he won’t find me. Thankfully, the wolf doesn’t seem to notice me and slowly walks away. Still not taking any chances, I silently start climbing a nearby tree. I figure I will have a better chance if I am higher up. I really wish I was a better witch. That way, I could just use a spell to get me up there without a problem. But God didn’t create me that way and I can barely make a spell work to save my life. Finally managing to get atop a sturdy branch and after nearly falling a dozen times, I take a moment to inspect my surroundings and look for my friends. Earlier, we had to separate for a better chance to escape the wolf pack hunting us. Instead of finding them, I see most of the pack scanning the grounds just below me. How long were they there? I hope they didn’t see me climbing. Taking a hand to my mouth to further keep myself quiet, I watch as the wolves sniff the air, looking for traces of my scent. I nearly jump out of my skin when the sudden sound of someone falling off a tree calls everyone’s attention. “Ow!” A familiar voice calls out. Oh no! Felix! She will get caught. The wolves immediately head towards where her voice came from and I break into a cold sweat, trying to figure out what I can do to save my friend. Thinking fast, I jump from the tree and land on top of one of the wolves, catching them off guard. The others get distracted by the sudden whimper of their comrade and I take the chance to take off running, hoping Felix will do the same. Of course, I know I can never outrun a wolf, much less a pack of them, but that doesn’t keep me from trying. Running as fast as I can, I start to lose my breath but I’m not giving up. Avoiding tree stumps and their large trunks, I manage to keep going through the thick mountain forest. I hear a whistle and it brings me hope. Yara! She’s still alright! Another whistle signals me where to go and I run in that direction, jumping high to avoid the lash out of one of the wolves. That was a close call. Yara whistles again and I know I am close. In the distance, I can see a rope hanging from the tree just in front of a ravine. This is it. If I can get to it on time, I will manage to evade the wolves and join my friend. I pick up the pace and jump to grab a hold of the rope, just in time to avoid the snapping teeth of a wolf ready to bite me and the dreadful fall down the steep mountain. Smirking at the wolves as I hang from the rope, I start climbing, knowing we are almost there. The waterfall is f*******n for the wolves. They can’t get us there. If we manage to get there, we’re safe. I look up to the sky to try to get a sense of the time. It is still daytime, but the sun is going to set soon. If we’re not at the waterfall by then, we are doomed. Yara waits for me at the top of the tree. Now, all we have to do is collect Felix and get to the safe zone. We wait in silence for the wolves to disperse in search of another way to get to us and we can see them as they find a way down the ravine, towards the waterfall. I guess they plan to block our way there. As soon as they are gone, Yara and I jump from the tree as quietly as we can. However, as soon as I land, I am faced with a terrifying visage. Right in front of me, as I crouch on the ground after landing, a blondish wolf stands, his snout approaching me carefully. I gasp as I know what this is but now is not the time for me to be dealing with it. “We’re clear. Let’s go” Yara says next to me, breaking my focus from the strange wolf. When I look back, the wolf is gone, and I sigh in relief. I’ll have more time to deal with this situation later. Yara quietly leads the way out of the forest and into the meadow that leads to the waterfall. This is the most dangerous zone as there are no trees or bushes to conceal our presence. So, we run. We run as fast as we can and soon, we manage to see Felix running behind us, glad to see she is alright. She looks frantic and we can see why shortly after, as the whole pack follows behind her. Felix… You were never good at being stealthy. Yara looks at me as we run, and I know we have to get her before we get to safety. If they catch any of us, none of this will have been worth it. With a nod, I continue running while Yara diverges her direction sideways to be able to get to Felix before the werewolves do. “Over here, drooly bad breaths!” I catch the wolves’ attention while still running, hoping most of them will come behind me and ignore the other two. It works as only two follow behind Felix and Yara and the rest continue after me. We soon get to the river, and I manage to jump on one of the rocks in the middle. However, I slip and nearly fall on the waterbed which would surely drag me away. Regaining my grip, I manage to stand up on the wet rock and watch as the wolves stand on the waterside looking ferociously at me. Smirking, I manage to jump to the other side of the river and continue running, following the river to where the waterfall lies. As soon as I get there, I get to face yet another problem. While I managed to safely get away from the wolves following me, the wolves following Yara and Felix are almost catching up to them. They are almost at the base of the waterfall… If only I could delay them somehow… I look to the side to see the other wolves across the river stopped just before the water starts cascading. They know they can’t get me, but if their comrades get Yara and Felix, it’s over. Not knowing what to do and realizing we are going to lose; my sight falls on the water falling graciously and rapidly just below me. It is such a beautiful and powerful sight that nearly takes my breath away. I feel numb and hollow all of a sudden, as if my body no longer belongs to me. I get a glimpse of a strangely familiar shadow, but even if I try to look directly at it, I am unable to. I take a step forward, bringing me closer to the edge of the rock I am standing in. One more step and I will come hurdling down the cascade. However, I can’t stop myself. The thought of just falling into the cold water seems so pleasing to me. As if it is a most wanted wish I burningly want to grant myself. My breath escapes me, and I close my eyes and allow my body to relax and fall forward. I still hear an afflicted woof from one of the wolves as he watches me fall. It is in the split second that I am falling that I realize what I just did but it’s too late now. I can only hope there are no sharp rocks waiting for me in the end.