Morning all. I slept like someone hit me with a brick. No dreams, no waking up at three am and trying to get back to sleep. I find this oddly disconcerting. Still, morning has arrived and it is time for the morning prompt. Times set and let’s see what the brain kicks out.
Fun. I think this one may circle through my brain for a bit.
Wednesday, April 17th They raced for the trees.
They raced for the trees. In knew if he just made it to the trees then there was the possibility of losing their pursuit. He spared a glance to the others. They too had the same thought and they paid him no attention as they sprinted forward. Not wanting to be left behind, he let thoughts of them slide as he rushed forward putting on as much speed as possible.
There was nothing but escape now. If they were caught, they would be killed. There was no in between. He would make it or he would die. Ivan felt his awareness of the others fade as they entered the woods. He lost a little speed as he dodged around the large boles but here at least there was little undergrowth to tri him up. He felt his mind grasp where the solid presence of the trees was and like a frightened animal he dodged them as he ran, his body moving before his mind and eyes fully focused.
The fact that he grew up running through the woods helped him now even though these woods were not his woods. His body still recognized it and adjusted. He dimly heard the crash and stop of others as he ran. He tried to put distance between himself and the others. He kept moving.
The woods grew denser. The trees more tightly spaced. His speed diminished but he kept moving forward. The sounds of pursuit faded. He could still hear the others moving though and knew that they were still following. He heard the sound of gunfire and knew that he could not stop.
Eventually, he could run no more. He paused by a tree, his breath coming in thick ragged gasps. He worked to control it not only to keep himself from passing out but so that he could listen for the others. There was no sound of gunfire anymore. When he could hear past his breath he was certain of it. Nor did he hear the crashing of others as they ran.
He couldn’t hear anyone. Had the others gotten caught? Were they just scattered in the woods now listening for pursuit as he was? He didn’t know and could think of no way to tell.
‘Still might be following,’ he thought. ‘Stealthy like.’
As soon as he caught his breath enough to continue he started walking again. He listened to the world around him as he walked. He heard no sound of footfalls, no sound of anyone following. He didn’t trust the silence and kept walking.
He had nt thought the escape plan would work but he knew there was no other option than to try it. In the morning, they would be executed. His choice was to stay in his cell and let them drag him to the firing squad at daybreak or to risk the escape plan and be shot as he ran away.
He suspected he would die either way and made his peace with that. He still felt it was better to die trying for freedom rather than to stay tamely waiting to be walked out to meet it. He hadn’t really expected the escape to be anything more than one last rebellion before death.
‘And it still might be,’ cautioning himself against the possibility of hope. This forest was vast and he was still not sure where it would let out even if he managed to escape from his captors.’ Still the possibility of death,’ he told himself. Still deep inside, there was a small flare of hope.
Ten til Midnight 