Better Run

¢¼¢À¢¾♦1

Running. Panting. Running.2

You try not to look back.3

Desperation. Fear. Cowardice. Dread.4

You don't want to.5

You don't want to know if that thing is still following you.6

You don't want to know.7

Running. Running. Running some more.8

You cannot keep going like this. 9

Finally, you gasp for breath, sweat dripping off your forehead. Your sides heaved, sounding like an old exhausted horse run too hard by its cruel master. You try to brush the sweat out of your eyes, so that they do not keep stinging. Your sides ached, your breathing heavy, your mind exhausted. You cannot keep running. So you slow down, coming to a complete stop.10

Your body stops moving, but your heart keeps pounding. 11

Boom.12

Boom.13

Boom.14

Placing your sweaty palms on your knees, you bow your head. Images flash through your mind, swerving in and out of focus.15

Blood gushing. Ragged breath. Fear. Run. Run. Sweat dripping. More blood. Blood. Blood. Blood. And....those eyes....16

You squint, looking upwards at the sky. The sun was brightly shining, but all you feel is the cold, nothing but utterly bitterly cold. 17

Movement flickered out of the corner of your eye. It was then, and only then, that you dared glance back at the path from which you had come. You search with your eyes, feeling your way.18

No one's there. Nothing but an empty park bench covered with bird droppings.19

Not a soul in sight.20

See? No one's out to get you, no one. You¡¯re imagining things. Hear that? Just your imagination.21

The wind blew, little voices, silent screams and whisperings disrupting your agitated self. It was no more than a gentle breeze, but somehow it traveled far, long, wide. Through it's cold calling, you almost swore you could hear words....words whispered in the wind...A song perhaps, a whispered lullaby used to sing children back to sleep after they've been woken up by the monsters hiding in their closets...22

Except there was nothing comforting about these words. 23

Except....this time the monsters were real. And no amount of singing would drive them away. Not this time.24

°Better run 25

Better run26

Don't wanna be outdone27

Better run28

Better run29

The fun's just begun30

Better pray 31

Better pray32

They don't come out to play33

Better pray34

Better pray35

Don't delay36

Better run away37

Better run38

Better run39

There ain't no place you can hide40

Better run 41

Better run42

The fun's just begun....."43

You can train your ears to listen to hear these murmured whisperings, as I have. If you listen hard enough you can even make out the sing-song melodramatic voice that hums it. If you practice enough you can train yourself to sing with it, whatever it may be.44

You shake his head, closing your eyes for a moment and opening them again. You were just imagining things...just imagining. You had to be. Fear twisted and churned through your stomach. ....Only imagining....45

You swallow nervously, pushing it out of his mind. You get up, sweat still dripping, and you looked around. And continued to walk away calmly as if there were no such thing a monsters, and no such thing as talking winds or talking trees.....but in your mind you run....and you run...from something it was impossible to run from....46

I cannot see what you run from, but I know it is there, taunting your every move, haunting your every step....hiding in the shadows for the right moment to snatch you from this world.47

Only imagining....right?48

°Better run, sweetheart." I want to jump down from my lookout and bend down and whisper this warning into your ear.49

'Cause I know if it doesn't catch you today...it will tomorrow....50