Cat and mouse

He ran as fast as his legs could take him.

He ran through the unfamiliar forest with the intent to escape from the haunting figure, with the intent to escape from Salzati.

The boy persisted even though the haunting figure was nowhere in sight.

He persisted even when the coldness of the night assaulted his bare skin.

He persisted even when his legs screamed in protest.

He persisted till darkness withdrew its hold over the forest.

He persisted till daylight embraced the forest.

He persisted till he could persist no more.

The moment he stopped in an open space surrounded by bushes, he collapsed on the ground.

Did he pass out for seconds? Was it minutes? May be hours?

Honestly, the boy did not know.

By the time he regained his consciousness, the yellow sun was overhead and the forest brimmed with life.

Birds flew across the sky of the forest.

A distant sound of flowing water filled the air.

And all around the boy, live oak trees stood proud.

If he were to put the scene in front of him into one word, then only one word comes into his mind.

"Normal."

The forest seemed normal, too normal even, if one excluded the presence of Salzati.

If the boy were to consider every bizarre thing he had experienced throughout the week, the forest seemed to pale in comparison.

Suddenly, the boy's stomach grumbled.

The boy looked around but saw nothing that he could consider as food.

With a sigh, the boy walked to the nearest oak tree and started climbing it from its lowest branches.

The journey upward was not a smooth on e as the boy hoped but he managed to cover a significant height.

If the boy were to put it in numbers, he would say that he stood about 130 feet from the ground.

A good enough height for someone who wanted to commit suicide.

The boy took a shaky breath as he looked down, as he looked at his resting place.

"This is it then."

Without wasting any more time he jumped off the branch.

The friction between the air and his skin made the boy smile, the smile of a lunatic.

'It is coming.'

The ground drew closer and closer by the passing seconds.

'10 seconds'

'9 seconds'

'8 seconds....'

The boy counted in his mind.

'3 seconds'

'2 seconds'

'1 sec–'

SWOOSH!

A tall black shadow blurred through the air as it caught the boy in its long arms.

"My oh my. Thy human seeks thy solace of death."

The boy struggled in the arms of Salzati.

"Let me go!"

Salzati shook its head and let the boy fall to the ground.

Bam!

A groan escaped the boy's lips as his body hit the ground.

The boy immediately got on his feet and backed away from Salzati.

He narrowed his eyes as examined the tall black figure.

"What do you want? Don't tell me you saved me from the goodness of your heart"

Salzati fixed his crimson eyes on the boy.

"Thy Salzati wishes to be entertained."

The boy tilted his head.

"And how is that related to me?"

Salzati smiled, the gesture highlighted its menacing yellow teeth.

"For thy human is thy entertainment."

The boy shuddered as he moved further away from Salzati.

"Didn't you want to eat me earlier?"

Salzati slowly neared the boy.

"Thy Salzati shall be entertained and then thy shall feed."

The boy continued to increase the distance between them.

"Point taken."

Salzati opened its mouth and sounded a single word.

"Boo!"

The boy turned on his heels and ran.

But he was not able to maintain the speed for long as it seemed his muscles could endure no more, his lips were dry from thirst and his stomach cried to be fed.

Luck, luck seemed to be on his side for the sound of the once distant flowing water had grown louder suggesting that there was a water stream nearby.

The boy followed the sound with tired footsteps until he saw a small water stream.

He then knelt beside the stream and drank from it.

He drank until he was satisfied.

What followed next was a cat and mouse chase.

It followed the boy always trying to commit suicide while Salzati was always there to intervene.

It seemed Salzati enjoyed the chase, the same could not be said for the boy for it seemed that he grew more miserable as the time went by.

The boy was forced to feed on leafs when his hunger grew unbearable.

He also used some of this leaves and whatever he could find in the forest to make a makeshift cloth for covering his lower parts of the body.

Of course with the exception of the animals that lived in the forest.

The boy was neither experienced enough to catch most of the animals that dwelled in the forest nor was he willing to feast on raw meat since he did not know how to start a fire.

At least that was the case for the time being.

The chase continued till night descended with Salzati acting as the cat while the boy was played the role of the mouse.

The boy dragged his body to the nearest tree.

His body was worn beyond compare, his already thin build seemed to have grown thinner and his pale skin seemed paler.

As he laid his head against the tree, the boy's eyes grew heavier.

"Another lonely night."

With that said, the boy fell asleep.

_______________________________________

A ten year old girl with a round face, gray eyes and black hair voiced out.

"Duncan! Hurry up! We are getting late."

The girl was wearing a blue dress that reached about mid-calf length.

Her long black hairs were tied into a braid.

"Mommy! We are going to be late for my show."

A woman in her mid-forty with black hair and black eyes smiled as she picked up the girl.

She was wearing a long, tight, pointed bodice and full skirt supported on many petticoats.

"No worries my little Lillie. Mommy will make sure of that, isn't that right Frank?"

A man in his late forty with black hairs and gray eyes walked into the living room.

He was wearing a black three-pieced suit with a white shirt."Of course Agnes. Your word is practically the law in the house."

Just as Frank walked into the living room, a boy with black hairs and gray eyes walked into the room.

The boy was around sixteen years old wearing clothes that matched Frank's but of a different size.

Duncan smiled.

"I am ready."