Death Road

Zi Xiang waded carefully through the grass It was deep into the night and Zi Xiang was slowly dying, little droplets of blood dripped from Zi Xiang's sleeves leaving an easily distinguishable trail of blood. Behind him from the darkness stalked a creature.

Thinking back to earlier Zi Xiang realized whatever he felt tracking him from before was probably the beast following him. What he thought might've been a rescuer was really his bestial pursuer, staying just out of sight watching and waiting until Zi Xiang passed out or died to then devour Zi Xiang. It would follow until it found easier prey or died, it was a challenge of endurance and Zi Xiang was unlikely to win.

His only option was to find some people or a city then he would be able to mend his wounds and get some food and water he would be saved he could go back to his family and home. Then if his arm wasn't gone he could get surgery and possibly recover some of the movement in it again and be able to live a mostly normal life. The only way to accomplish that goal was to keep on moving and that Zi Xiang did his body seemed to move on its own dragging the delirious, tired Zi Xiang on through the dark fields the only way he was able to find his direction was by the trail left by himself as he walked as long as he didn't trail off he would be traveling west. He just needed to have faith in himself and he would always travel west.

After most of the adrenaline wore off the blood loss hit Zi Xiang, feeling more exhausted than he already was an uneasy sense of fragility permitted through Zi Xiang's body like he was a ceramic vase that could shatter at any moment. The paranoia of the beast stalking after him ready to strike again and take his life at any moment caused a deep trepidation to cloud Zi Xiang's mind. The fear that at the next minute the beast could pounce at Zi Xiang and finish him off whenever it wanted and Zi Xiang couldn't do anything about it caused panic to slowly root into his mind.

After walking through the dark fields step by step constantly unsure if he was walking in the wrong direction or not with only the path behind to guide him. A madness bloomed in Zi Xiang flowered from the panic that rooted in Zi Xiang's mind he deeply despaired that at any moment if he stopped moving the beast would know his weakness and kill him. It was slight at first only a bit of unease looking backwards imaging the beast stalking behind him just beyond sight keeping his exact pace waiting until he fell behind before jumping out of the grass and devouring him. His fantasy lingered turning into discomfort that crawled on his back. Then dread with death following behind him it led to madness festering within. Step by step, the madness grew fed by unease, dread, and paranoia it infested Zi Xiang's mind and soon it was all he knew.

As if an irrevocable truth that death followed his pace and if he were to stop it would be right behind him with every inch he gave up it would draw an inch closer. Waiting for the first sign of weakness to strike crushing through what poise he mustered from the little hope he had within him and sink its fangs back into his neck finishing what it started.

Although Zi Xiang was going mad it spurred him on to keep walking rather than making him want to lie down and accept death. It was more of a coping mechanism than insanity which was helpful in surviving. Zi Xiang began to get so caught up in his delusions that he ignored his hunger, thirst, and exhaustion. Forcefully exerting himself without noticing to just keep on walking, the crushing fear was enough to take up all his thoughts unable to think about other things like his arm and wounds.

The sky blued turning from dark to a twilight blue it slowly blanketed the sky from Zi Xiang's back all the way west. The sun was rising though it had yet to show on the horizon. Feeling the night start to warm up a breeze blew across the field. Skimming across the grass it brought a sense of calmness day was arriving and the night was leaving. Zi Xiang slowed down to watch the approaching dawn turning around carefully he saw it, the beast.

It was canine in appearance it looked something like a wolf just shorter in appearance it was probably an adolescent. Noticing that Zi Xiang was looking at it, the wolf took on a defensive pose and started to yip at Zi Xiang it was something like a mix between a wolf and a hyena call, Zi Xiang realizing that it was a coyote.

The coyote kept its body arched yipping at Zi Xiang a wary and defensive gaze in its eyes. It was slowly backing away from Zi Xiang it probably realized the size difference and strength difference between it and Zi Xiang. Most coyotes didn't weigh much being a pretty lightweight animal and they were much weaker than wolves, like coyotes hunted foxes wolves hunted coyotes.

Zi Xiang knew he couldn't catch the coyote in the grasslands so he just let it go, he felt an odd connection with it they both had nothing and no one but themselves. Though that didn't change how he hated the creature down to the bones it was the one who had mortality wounded him and he didn't want to let it go without taking something like a leg or an eye from the creature. Gazing back at the coyote he glared at the coyote meeting its gaze hatred burned in him, and from within the coyote, he saw desperation in its eyes.