35

R U B Y

I drop of sweat dripped into my eye, causing my sight to blur, but I kept running. My heartbeat was

pounding in my ears as I ran through the woods, the muscles in my legs now sore and aching. I could hear them behind me, chasing after me as I ran. I forced all my energy into my legs to keep pushing me forward.

A howl echoed through the forest.

I wiped a hand over my forehead as I ran behind a tree and stopped. Pressing my back to its trunk, I tried not to breathe too loudly, but I was exhausted.

I looked down at my right elbow and grimaced at the scratch there from where I had tripped earlier. It wasn't bad, but it was bleeding. As more howls echoed through the forest, I pushed away from the tree and started running again.