Hunted Down - 2003

The wind picked up slightly, stirring the dust and leaves around in a swirling spiral.

A sign, hanging by one rusty chain swung back and forth, creaking with each upward motion.

A shadow fell across the bleached out bones of an animal long since devoured.  It's length making it's companion look just that much taller.

Silently the shadow moved as the hulking form stepped over the skeleton. The trailing foot coming down with a crunch upon the small skull,pounding it under foot into fine powder.

He made his way forward, the stillness surrounding his slow and persistent movements.

Without a sound the form moved forward, making it's slow advance through the center of the long ago deserted town.

Or what remained of it.

Searching, hunting for the one reason that had brought him here.  The one thing that he only knew of what to do.  The one thing that made him continue on.

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She opened her mouth, hoping that it would ease the noise of the air rushing out of her lungs, up her throat and out of her body then back in again as she suck down gulps of air to try and keep up with her racing heart.

Her eyes were wide, desperate to see in the darkness of the shadows that stretched the length of the building.

Moon light glinted through a broken, dusty window pane, lighting a small patch on the bare, dirt covered ground.

The pupils of her eyes widened as she pushed back further against the hard, scratchy wooden wall.  Trying to meld her body into the wood itself to become one with it.  Too be able to disappear from this forsaken place.

To hide from the monster that was waiting just outside.

Sweat broke out upon her brow, matting down her bangs to her forehead as she moved her head back and forth searching the darkness around her.

*Searching?  For what?  Him?  Weapons?  A way out?*

Her heart beat faster and harder, it seemed to want to pound right out of her chest.

Her mind screamed for her to run, to get away

*fast, as fast as you can, go now*

But yet she stayed.  A few more minutes of resting wouldn't hurt her.  Least she didn't think so.   She was safe for the time being, surely he didn't

know where she was, he was too far away to have seen where she ran too, where she was hiding.

He couldn't see through walls.

Her legs were weak from running for so long.  Threatening to give out and tumble her to the hard ground.  her body raked with exhaustion.  She wanted so desperately to give up, to just sink to her knees and give up.

But she knew she had to stay alert, stay on her feet.

For the thing was coming.  She knew he was close and would eventually get her.  But she wanted, desperately wanted to keep the inevitable moment as far way as possible.

Noise from outside. She held her breath.

Heavy breathing.

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The large form stopped.  His shoulders moved up and down with his deep breaths as he inhaled, filling his long ago dead lungs with stale air then

exhaling even worse air as he forced it back out again.  His breath forming a white mist on the cold night air as it seemed out through the mask, making him look even eerier.

He cocked his head to the left listening for the almost impossible sound of fear.  Turning he stared at the building, knowing his next victim was inside.