Run

"Run." That's what they told me. Run as fast as you can, or, better yet, faster. So that's what I did. I ran. Faster than the coyotes. Faster than the pack of wolves I had ran with for a time. Faster than the vicious monsters that chased me. Faster than Them. For years, I did what their last words to me were.

They hunted me, but They didn't catch me. In the wild I lived, surviving off of my skills that I had been taught and that I had learned. Everyday, I ran further. One day, I had reached the sea. So I turned around and ran the other way. Every night, the barks and howls of their hunting dogs chased me. But it never caught up with me.

I never ran into other people in all of those years. I befriended many animals that followed me here there and everywhere. I loved them. Some left, and some I had to leave behind. I learned to communicate with them. But I never found another group of the real animals: humans. Those I outran.

One day, however, I was in the middle of a mountain range. That night, as I lay there next to my fire with five or six animals, I listened. And I realized that something was off. I didn't hear the familiar howls and the barks. I didn't hear the hunting horns. I blinked, and it hit me: I was free. So the next day, I ran even further into the mountains and listened once more. Still, I heard nothing. Only the chatter of the birds and the whistle of wind through the pines. So there I stayed. I built tools, and a house. The animals were surprised. In all of their years with me, I had never stopped running until then. I cultivated the land, using the seeds that had been shoved into my pack as my parents ushered me out the back door. I used the knowledge that I had reviewed every night while listening to the calls of my hunters, and for the first time in years, I wasn’t just surviving. I was thriving. 

I didn't keep track of the years after that. All I knew was that I got bigger, and I started to bleed every month. My hair got longer, and I began to use vines to hold it back. Eventually, I became fed up and just cut it. It was much easier.

I loved my little area, and I finally felt safe. Well, mostly. You can never feel safe when you've been running for years. But, I was happy. And then one day, everything changed again.

At first, it was just the sound of branches cracking in the distance. Murmured, distant voices. I convinced myself it was the wind, until, late at night, there was a loud knocking on the door. My eyes flew open, and I sat bolt upright. There was a beat, and then the knocking came again. I opened the door, and there stood a man, two women, one obviously younger than the other, and two boys. They looked up at me, their small eyes wide with wonder, and perhaps fear. Good. If they feared me, then hopefully they would leave me alone. My attention shifted back to the man as he started talking. 

"Please, we need your help," he pleaded pitifully. I raised an eyebrow, and he went on. "My family has been lost for a week, and we are almost out of food. Can you help us? I can do whatever you need. Please, we mean you no harm."

That's what They claimed. That They meant no harm. 

I hate my heart. Always have. The only thing it’s ever been good for was pumping blood through my veins. When it came to feeling stuff, I was a merciful fool. So, like an idiot, I nodded and closed the door. As I gathered food, I heard the man sigh and someone, probably one of the boys, asked, "Dad? Are we going to be eating tonight?" 

He was about to answer when I opened the door, my arms full of dried deer meat, fruit from my orchard, and cheese from Marcy, my goat. The man smiled, his eyes almost brimming with tears. He took it from my arms and began to pass it out to his family, who immediately began to eat. I turned to close the door, but a hand on my shoulder stopped me. I turned, a questioning eyebrow raised. "Please, I know you have given us so much already, but could you be so kind as to let us stay in your house for the night? It gets so cold!"

Of course it did. That's why I built a house. I sighed, and opened the door. The man beamed at me. "Is there anything we can possibly do to repay you for your generosity?"

I inhaled slowly, and turned to him. "I can take you back to the main trail tomorrow, and yes. Mention this place to no one. Say another traveler helped you and led you back to the trail. Do not mention my house, my animals, or me. Is that understood?"

Obviously confused, the man nodded and I began to head out the door, before pausing and turning back. "There is a pool beyond those three pines. There is soap, and moss towels. You may bathe there. There are mats and pillows in alcove. Please don't eat all of my food. Carlie sacrificed her life, and I don't it want to be in vain."

I walked out, hating myself. My dumb heart. I slept outside that night, after eating dinner with the strangers in silence. The girl kept looking at me. She's about my age, I thought. I didn't ponder on her any further, at least, not consciously. My mind had different plans, however. That night I dreamt of her. She was drowning, and I couldn't save her. I woke up at first light, a cold sweat lining my brow. I walked to the pool and bathed, then walked back after dressing and found her sitting on my chair outside, just watching. I felt a chill, but it wasn't foreboding. I shook it off and waved awkwardly. She smiled and waved back, then got up and ran over to me. "Hi! So... I'm Amelia," she held out her hand, and, cautiously, I took it. I shook it hesitantly, and her smile grew. 

"What's your name?" she chirped, almost reminding me of my friend Ricky, the bluebird. 

"Unimportant."  

“So, ‘Unimportant,’ what are you doing all alone out here?" she asked, her eyes as wide as I remembered mine being when I was about to be told an adventure. 

I blinked. Wasn't it obvious? "I live out here."

She rolled her eyes. "Yeah. But why do you live out here?"

Roaring fire, crackling wood, and the screams of my parents filled my mind. "... because I want to," I eventually said. 

She raised an eyebrow, clearly not believing it. "Right... well, would you ever want to live with other people? Surely it must get lonely."

I recoiled. "Don't insult me," I spat. 

"What do you mean?"

"I am not a human," I scoffed. "Don't you dare put that label on me. I am not a monster."

Hurt flooded her expression, and my dumb heart felt like it had been stabbed. "Why... why are humans monsters?" she asked.

I raised an eyebrow. "Why do I live alone? Same reason you don't try to sleep in a pack of wolves. Humans are vicious and cruel animals, much more so than the wolf. That is why I live alone."

The hurt left, and I mentally breathed a sigh of relief, until, of course, it was immediately replaced with pity. Ugh. "I'm so sorry. Do you want to talk about it?" she asked, her voice getting much softer.

"I do. Just not with people who speak English."

"...oh..."

"Is there anything else I can do for you?" I asked, seeing her family pack up their things out of the corner of my eye. 

"I- I don't think so," she said slowly, eyeing me with an emotion I couldn't put my finger on. 

"Excellent."

As brisk as the morning air, I stepped over to the man and told him that he could take some extra provisions, as it would take a little while before he would make his way back to the trail. I let him take a week's worth of food for his family, as I had much to give. By midday sun, I used my favorite hiking stick to push aside a bush, revealing the path. All but the girl thanked me, and when I glanced her way, I found her blue-grey eyes staring at me, searching- boring into my soul like a nail into wood. They got onto the trail, and I let the bush fling back in front of me, using my magic to disappear into the forest. I exhaled in relief, and made my way back to my house. 

I reached it in much better time than it had taken to get to the trail, considering I knew where I was going and didn't have five people following me. The sun cast a beautiful light over my little plot of land, and I smiled. It felt weird to finally have a home, but in a good way. I let my barrier fall and took a deep breath, spreading my arms. I chanted from memory, a deep, resounding spell that called upon the spirits of the mountains to keep me, my animals, and my home safe. I praised the spirits of the forests, praying that the gods would always keep them safe, and vowing that I would do everything in my power to take only what I needed and give back whenever I could. I felt peace wash over me, and I realized how long it had been since I had practiced my magic. No wonder the birds had been getting hard to understand. 

I prepared dinner for myself and all of my animals, and did everything that needed to be done. I felt much stronger, and I thanked the gods for helping me to remember my magic. It wouldn't have been good if I had gone much longer without calling upon it and connecting with the vibrant magic in the air around me. I went to bed that night peaceful, and full of belonging. Well, mostly. The girl... something about her stuck with me. I brushed it off however, and continued to do so for the next couple of full moons. 

—————————————————————————————————————

It was almost snow time, everywhere else. My magic kept my oasis safe, and it was wonderful. One day, however, I felt my field warble. I looked for the source just as a figure in brown pushed through it and tumbled head first into my sunny valley. Without thinking, I jumped over and found her laying there, out cold. I sighed and scooped her up, transporting the two of us to my hut where I gently lay her on my bed. I took off her coat and hung it on the coat hanger, making sure it would be open enough to dry. I draped a blanket over her and stoked the fire. I prepared a mug of cocoa, and then, I waited. 

An hour passed, and she finally stirred. She sat up, and found me looking at her, an eyebrow raised. She blushed, and I scowled. "What?" she asked incredulously.

"I thought I said to never come back," I remarked. 

Her eyes flicked to the floor, and my heart thudded in my chest. "I- I just wanted to see if you wanted to come with me to the village. My family would love to have you."

"I'm not interested."

"Not even a little?"

"No."

"But don't you ever get bored? You know, the urge to see something new?"

I pondered this, and shook my head. "I am fine where I am, and it would be lovely if you could go back to where you should be."

"But there's a blizzard."

"You made the trek here alright."

"Yeah, but it's blowing harder than it was before."

I huffed. "Fine. You can stay. But only until the blizzard dies down. Remember, to everyone but you and your family, I don't exist. And I would love to keep it that way, thank you very much."

She stuck out her tongue at me, and heat spread across my face. I marched out, sure that there was something that I needed to get done. There always was. Reggie, the little gossip, fluttered down from the branches of a sycamore and smirked at me, at least, he was in his head. 'So,' he chirped. 'She's going to be staying with us for a couple of days?'

I nodded.

'She looks nice.'

I sighed. 'What are you getting at, Reggie?'

He ruffled his feathers indignantly. 'All I'm saying is that she would be a good mate.'

I froze, something clenching inside me. 

'Hey,' Reggie reminded me, 'breathe, girl. It's just a suggestion!'

I glared at him. 'I don't need a mate.'

He scoffed. 'Everyone needs a mate. Even you, you lone wolf.'

'That's where you're wrong. I don't need a mate. I've been just fine on my own since I was 12.'

'Yeah, yeah, yeah. You know where to go when you realize you're wrong.'

He flapped his wings and launched off of my shoulder, leaving me shaken. Why on earth would that be what he thinks? I sighed. It was probably just Reggie being Reggie. 

—————————————————————————————————————

She stayed much longer than I had expected. I didn't mind. She was actually very good company, and her eyes were pleasant to look at. I learned that she had just wanted to see me, and to see if she could get me to come visit. Apparently, I had stuck in her mind just as much as she had stuck in mine. She had had struggles in her village and with her family because she thought outside the box and had voiced her opinions, something that women were strongly discouraged to do. Stupid humans. I told her how dumb that was, and then she tried to turn it onto me, attempting to get me to talk about myself. I refused, and then she said that she'd like to visit again. I said that no, she really shouldn't, but I had a feeling she wouldn't listen. 

—————————————————————————————————————

She didn't, and was back again another blustery wintery day. I let her stay for two days, and then sent her on her way. I didn't want her family to go looking for her, and she said she'd like to come again. This time, I didn't say anything. 

—————————————————————————————————————

It was spring now, and her visits were getting more and more frequent. I was worried about people following her, but she said that she always covered her tracks. I sighed and resigned myself to believing her. When I saw her, I began to feel a tickling feeling in my stomach. I discussed it with Aspen, a mother of two baby does. She merely laughed and said that I'd figure it out, then made a sly remark about how it was spring. I didn't like her suggestive tone.

I felt the feeling more, and found I couldn't talk to her without tripping over my words and stuttering a lot. Then, one day, she managed to convince me to let her take me to her village. We walked for days, with her chattering almost non-stop about how amazing it was, and how grand the castle was. It was beautiful, she claimed, and had a lot of modern technologies. Finally, we reached it, and it was indeed as beautiful as she claimed. Or maybe that was just her. She introduced me to her family, and they all greeted me warmly. The boys had grown quite a bit, and were very impressed with how strong I was. Climbing trees all day did that, I explained. Wide-eyed, they begged their parents if they could climb trees all day. They just laughed, and, honestly, I couldn't blame them. 

Every day, she grew more beautiful, and I found myself laughing at even her most dumb jokes. Slowly, I began to notice that she as well was acting flustered around me, but I pushed it to the side. I was- what had humans called my people? A wit? Socker-er? Something like that. Whatever it was, it wasn't good, and I scoffed at the idea that she could fall in love with one of those. 

I began to visit her family more and more frequently, and the animals were getting skittish around me. I spread my magic often, so as to keep my long-time friends from not being able to talk to me. Which they did, often. They said that Amelia seemed like a good mate for me, and I couldn't help but agree. She was smart, witty, and had a sense of humor that could make me burst out laughing. I loved her. 

—————————————————————————————————————

One day, I decided to surprise her by visiting, only to find familiar figures inside her house. My eyes grew. The dark, shadowy beings of my past were back. I watched as Amelia bid them goodbye, and she turned to look at me. Tears formed, and I stood there, frozen, as one of her younger brothers, Fred, I learned his name was, pointed at me. I snapped out of my heart-broken stupor and sprinted through the streets, obscuring my face with my hood and using my magic to cause as much mayhem as I could, smashing pots and throwing pans in Their path. They weren't going to catch me. In my head, the voice chanted, "Run, girl, run!"

I obeyed my father's instructions, but it was to no avail. I didn’t run fast enough, and Their frigid hands clamped down on my arms. 

I slept in a cold, decrepit cell that night. The damp stones soaked into my clothing and there I lay, shivering all night. I didn't get a wink of sleep, and that morning I watched the sun rise from the tiny, barred window. Just as it was halfway up the mountains, loud metal footsteps clanked towards my cell and I turned to see three guards, one unlocking the door, and the other two holding metal shackles. 

I felt something inside me burn, and I raised my arms to my sides. My feet raised off the ground, and lightning crackled around me. They had taken my parents, my friends, my village. They weren’t going to take me. 

I thrust my arm out and caught two of them off guard. He went flying into the wall behind him, and with fire in my eyes, I faced the other. His eyes wide with shock and fear, he backed up. He hit a wall and froze before turning and sprinting down the hall as fast as he could. I knew what that meant. I wasn’t going to let that happen. Lightning crackled around my fingers and jumped from me to him. He collapsed on the floor and I marched out. ‘Run,’ the echo reminded me. ‘Run!’

So I did. I ran, faster and faster, not caring who I hurt. I was untouchable. I ran out of the dungeon and to the courtyard. People saw me and gasped. News had clearly spread of the events that transpired the past evening, but it was no matter. They couldn’t lay a finger on me. 

That night came back to me. Things that I had forgotten about. A bright, yellow flash. A scream. It was coming from me. I remembered. The energy that had flowed through me that night was back in full force. It felt good. 

On I ran, out of the town and into the forest. They chased me. Of course They would. I expected it. In fact, I was eagerly anticipating it. I could exact my justice. Justice? Or revenge? No matter; They would feel what my parents felt that night. They night they burned. 

I ran to my clearing and quickly absorbed my force field. Let them come. 

They did. And they burned. One after the other I killed, fury burning inside me like the fire around me. Then They came no more. I waited, whirling around, expecting more of Them to attack me. But then They didn’t. I waited some more. Still nothing. 

Then, it hit me. What I had done. Oh no. They were parents. They had children. And now, now They didn’t have anything.

I sank to my knees, regret and sorrow filling my soul and heart. My pain seeped into the ground, spreading like a disease. 

I didn’t see what was happening. All I knew was that one moment I was alone, and the next, They were standing up. Oh. They were alive. My sorrow brought Them back. I’m going to die. 

Again, they converged on me, and I let them. They hoisted me to my feet, roughly restraining my arms behind my back. I flinched, but said nothing. Heavy cold metal clamped on my wrists and They began to drag me back towards the place I had just escaped. I didn’t protest, didn’t try. I felt nothing. Numb. Something in me stirred, but the rest dampened it out. Why should I care? Unimportant. I didn’t. 

“Stop!” A voice shouted. 

We turned to look at the source of the exclamation, and my numb heart fluttered. And broke. There She stood. Huh. 

“Look at you!” She demanded. “She killed you! And then, then she saved all of your lives! She brought you back to life knowing full well what would happen when she did. And you’re going to drag her back to town to kill her?” I didn’t know I was bringing them back to life, but that was besides the point. She went on. “Why?! Why do you hate people like her, anyways? What is wrong with you?!”

“She’s dangerous,” one barked. Which was true- I was dangerous. Dangerous because of Them. 

“No she’s not! Well, maybe a little, but you don’t know her! All you see is something you don’t understand!”

They ignored her. The branches on the floor of the forest scraped my skin, breaking through my skin. They dragged along my side, tearing a gash. I inhaled sharply, trying to ignore the pain, but to no avail. “Please!” she continued to protest. “It's not right!”

They ignored her; I knew they would. Why would they listen to someone who was trying to protect a monster? 

I kept my eyes low. Nothing I could do about anything now. Not without hurting them again. Besides, I deserved this, didn’t I? I ignored my parent’s last piece of advice to me and I payed the price. I got lazy and decided it would be okay for just this one family to know where I lived. And then I had decided to go into the town. Stupid, stupid, stupid! So now, I was going to suffer the consequences. Oh well. 

They dragged me back to their town square, where curious children were harshly pulled away by their mothers once I caught sight of them. They were scared of me. As they should be. 

They held me in place while they set up the fire. Then I was tied to the pole. They struck the match, and the fire seemed to eagerly reach for the wood. So they let it fall. They were good fire builders, I’ll give Them that. The wood was dry and crackly, and They used just the right amount of kindling. 

I suppose it hurt. I don’t really remember it that well. All I know was that I was tied there one moment, and the next, my bonds were cut free. I tumbled into her arms, and when I looked up, her shining green pupils were all that existed. 

“No!” I croaked, my voice hoarse from the smoke. “They’ll kill you too!”

She smiled sadly at me. “Then let them.”

Now I was struggling. I twisted and pulled to get out of her grasp. It would never work, what she was trying to do. I told her that. They would never accept me! I told her that too. But did she listen to me? Of course not- why would she? It’s not like saving me would put her in mortal danger or anything!

“Let me go,” I demanded. My voice hurt, and it felt like my throat was made of bricks. “Let me go!”

Still, she went on. I twisted out of her arms once, only to be pulled back into them immediately afterwards. “No,” I tried again. “Please, no!”

They tried to grab her, just as they had me. The idiot! She was now the enemy just as much as I was! Didn’t she know what she was doing?! 

“I know what I’m doing,” she muttered, the strain of my weight obviously making her weak. 

No she didn’t. 

“No, you don’t!”

“I’m getting you out of here. I want to learn your name before I- before you die.” She amended the mistake, but I still caught it. She wasn’t planning on making it out alive. Oh gods, what was I going to do with her?

I had an idea. 

I shoved away from her again. She resisted. Of course she did. 

“Please! You have to listen to me!”

She didn’t. 

Then, she collapsed, and we both crumpled to the ground. I was too weak to do anything. I couldn’t help, couldn’t cry, nothing. A dart with a bright red feathery end stuck out of her neck, and I looked up to see Them towering over us. I closed my eyes and accepted my fate. 

———————————————————————————————————— 

“And?”

The girl blinked. “And what?”

“That can’t be the end! They can’t just die!”

She giggled, swaying a bit. “Well why not? I think it’s a perfectly good ending.”

Her words were slurring, and it was obvious just how drunk she was, but he didn’t care. He didn’t know who she was, but he needed some resolution. “But they just die!”

She giggled again, fluttering her eyelashes at him. “Don’t we all?”

He was at a loss, but she gave no explanation besides another giggle. Suddenly, the car lurched to a stop and the taxi driver turned around to them. “We’re here. She didn’t puke on the seats, did she?”

He shook his head and opened the passenger side door, carefully helping the strange girl out of the vehicle. He paid the taxi driver and tipped generously before watching as it sped down the road. He turned back to the girl, draping her arm over his shoulders. She sloppily gave him directions to her apartment and he carefully helped her get there before stopping at her door. He helped her look through her purse for her key, which they eventually found, and unlocked it for her. He helped her through and closed the door whilst she leaned against the wall for support. He helped her take her shoes off and led her upstairs, listening to her casual babble about squirrels.

When he made sure she had everything she needed, he closed the door to her bedroom and softly stepped down the stairs so he wouldn’t wake the snoring girl. He paused at the door, reflecting over the story once more. As he opened the door, he could have sworn he heard someone say, “You will be rewarded for your kindness,” but he dismissed it as a figment of his imagination and left, making sure the door was locked behind him. He didn’t want the poor girl to get hurt, and he hoped that he might one day be able to hear her strange story again. For now, however, he needed to get home. As eventful has his night had been, life went on with or without him.