The man crashed through the forest, his heart threatening to bust open his chest as he ran from the beast that had killed his friends. Close behind he could hear the snapping of twigs and the harsh, throaty breathing of his pursuer. The man knew not the direction in which he ran as night lay heavily on the forest and he was miles from the nearest town.
*
His nightmare began when he and his two friends sat talking in their tent they had pitched in a clearing. After a while they heard a sound from outside, the padding of large paws and the snuffling of an animal searching for a scent. They at first thought it may have been a bear attracted by their talking, so they sat quietly in the hope it would leave. Unfortunately this was not to be as whatever it was suddenly ripped open the side of the tent with it’s vicious claws. Much of what happened next is a blur to the man, other than there was a rush to flee the tent as it was quickly torn to shreds. Once outside the three friends froze in fear as they saw the beast, it was the size of a bear but looked most like a black hound. It’s sleek black fur helped it blend into the night while two blood red eyes gleamed malevolently as it’s deadly jaws foamed with saliva.
*
The beast leapt at the fear stricken men, only two of them ran as the beast had downed the third who died quick and painfully. The two men ran like deer chased by wolves, their eyes wide their breathing ragged. Neither man knew how far they had gone before they stopped to rest, they maybe had a few minutes before they heard an angry growl nearby. So the chase continued but the mans friend soon fell behind before he stumbled over a protruding tree root and twisting his ankle. The man continued on, too scared to assist his now crying friend. Not long after a blood curdling scream torn through the sighing forest, it was obvious his friend was dead.
*
How long ago this happened the man did not know, all he did know was that he needed to stop soon for rest. His legs were starting to cramp and his lungs burned like fire it was only a matter of time before he could run no longer and the beast would strike and end his miserable life. As he moved forward now at a jog the sound of rushing water could be heard slowly increasing in volume. It must be a river he thought, a glimmer of hope now sparking, he had heard somewhere that crossing a river would put a dog off your scent, he guessed it might work on the beast.
*
He almost fell into the fast flowing river it was so dark, without hesitation he jumped into the ice cold water and half waded, half swam to the opposite bank. A harsh growl sounded from where he had entered the river, prompting the man to hide behind a thick clump of reeds hopefully out of sight. The beast stood for some time sniffing the ground, only its eyes were clearly visible bobbing about like will-o-wisps. After what seemed like an eternity the best turned away and padded back the way it had came. The man slowly climbed up the bank of the river and crawled a few yards before finding a large branch, which he used to help him walk as his legs were stiff with fatigue. He only managed to walk a further ten or so yards before he fell down under an ancient oak tree and instantly entered a nightmare filled sleep.
*
He awoke with a start from the horrors in his dream, only to be confronted by the beast in reality. It was now nearing dawn and the extra light allowed the man to see the beasts ugly head clearly, as it stood just yards away. The man screamed as the beast lunged forward, its jaws snapping, at the last moment the man swung around his right arm as he still held the branch in his hand. The branch cracked against the beasts head, its momentum carried it past the man giving him time to move. He began to run back down to the river and the stopped. He was sick of running, this is it he thought its time to fight.
*
He turned to face the beast which was now slowly padding towards him. For the first time he noticed that although it looked most like a dog its paws were more like that of a cats, with razor sharp, retractable claws. It was one of these paws that suddenly flew at his face, he quickly swayed backwards, but not quick enough as the claws cut open his shoulder. He grunted as pain flared but moved in regardless, raising the branch over his head before striking with all his strength onto the beasts back. Then again he struck and again blindly hitting the now shocked and angry beast, until his make shift club snapped. The man then stepped back as he was now weapon less. The beasts face was bloodied its eyes gleamed in absolute anger as it howled dreadfully, making the hair on the back of the mans neck stand on end. Then suddenly the beast leapt the man held up his left arm in defence but the beasts jaws clamped down upon it, cutting deeply and breaking the bone. The man tried to scream but the wind was knocked from him as he hit the ground, his right arm was trapped between himself and the beast his hand still gripped the broken branch.
*
He lay there as the feeling of warm liquid soaked through his clothes but the beast didn’t move, its jaws still gripped his left arm but its eyes were now glazed. With a supreme effort the man succeeded in pushing the beast from off him. He struggled to his knees and saw that he was covered in blood, not all of it his own. He looked at the beast that now lay on its side its tongue lolling from its deadly jaws, from its stomach protruded the broken branch he had used as a club. Blood now seeped slowly from the wound that the man had unintentionally made, not that he was complaining.
*
He sat there in the lightening forest crying more from relief than the horror he had encountered. Finally he stood up clutching his broken and torn arm and began walking, his every step an agony. He had walked for hours before he eventually collapsed from a mixture of shock, fatigue and blood loss, shortly before the birds began to sing their dawn chorus unaware of that nights hunt.

Copyright © 2006 Sean Rickards