14. once I opened my eyes, I shot up

Once I opened my eyes, I shot up. Sitting totally erect. Eyes unblinking on what was next to me. A dead rabbit. Blood, fresh, pooling under its fidgeting body. It was sick. A huge chunk of flesh was torn from its little body. Several bones were shattered and protruded out. I couldn’t tell if it was still alive, in shock, or dead, moving involuntarily. Whatever the case, it freaked the shit out of me.

I shuffled back. Pushing my hands against the rock, stamping it red.

“What the fuck!”

Didn’t know what the wolf was playing at. Yeah. The Wolf. That thought ran through my head for a split second. Cause when I saw him I back peddled even more. And with that, I found myself falling into the river.

What a way to wake up.

Splashing and panicking in the water. I nearly drowned. But once I remembered how to swim, you know, not screaming under water and breathing when you have air around you, I was able to swim to the other side. And by swim, I didn’t mean elegant strokes. I was flailing my arms and kicking my legs wildly. If that wolf went after me, I doubt it could see me in the foray of water I flung. Madness.

Once my feet felt something solid, I took off. No looking back. There was no way I was wasting time. Bee line through the forest. If you can imagine that. No bush, no shrub, no vines were stopping me. Okay, so maybe trees.

I ran until the adrenaline wore out. My breaths worked hard to replenish my blood.

Things were coming back to focus.

Brain began to work.

The wolf.

Yeah. The wolf.

That’s when it finally hit me. I’m an idiot. Not that the wolf meant me any harm. Well that too. But I left my knife back there. Not that I needed it. But all these thoughts were using up what little brain capacity I had. I grabbed my shoulder. Still had my backpack. At least that was there. I looked over my body. All my limbs were there. No mauled parts. My mind finished up my thought list. And I was able to get back to the important one. The wolf.

I looked behind me.

There he was. Keeping his distance. Head just above the underbrush. He had followed me. This was the closest I saw him at this point. I guess besides earlier, when he was basically right next to me. But this is when I got a good look. His eyes weren’t those menacing eyes you usually see. Almost timid. If I didn’t know any better I’d think he was a domesticated or just one of those dogs that look like a wolf. I don’t know. But actually, he looked scared. Looking around like he wasn’t safe.

I have that habit of looking around whenever other people start looking around. Even if I don’t know the person. Just a natural instinct. When an animal in a herd becomes alert it signals trouble for others. That’s what it did for me. I looked.

My face still soaked by either the river or sweat.

I wipe my eyes.

Take a good look.

“Joanne?”

No way.

“Thomas?”

They were still far away, but I knew it was them. The color of their clothes was all I needed to see. They were making their way toward me. I wonder if they see me. Why aren’t they running over here. Was it because of the wolf? I wanted to tell them there was nothing to fear. But there really wasn’t anything to fear. It was gone.