Oh the places you'll go
As she ran, her mind gradually drifted off, as if cutting herself away from the outside world. She concentrated on the rhythm of her thundering paws, the patterns of the breezes buffeting her fur, her own steady breaths and the beats of her heart. It all moulded into one, like a calming symphony. For a moment, she forget all about her aunt and the race for that matter. In those few seconds, it was the bliss of just her and the path, running out of pure leisure.
Just when she was starting to enjoy herself, a voice broke her mental haze, disrupting her relaxed state. Whipping her head around, a surprised shriek shot out from her throat at the sight. The golden-brown woman wasn't kidding; she truly was catching up. And what was she doing? Daydreaming! Letting out an irritated grunt, she put all of her focus and energy back into the task. No more sleeping on the job. Occasionally looking back to check on the female's progress, she pushed herself to pelt that little bit faster, working her green paws harder. Hey, she wasn't following her exact path! Ha, she thought to herself. She's not taking any shortcuts. I'm gonna win!
And so that appeared to be the case when she could see the den through the leaves of the monstrous ferns. At this point her lungs burned and limbs ached, but was she giving up? No! Using what remained of her energy, she sprinted the final hundred metres, scarlet eyes fixed on her prize. Nothing else mattered but that den. Closer and closer it grew, her mouth becoming dry as her tongue lolled out. Almost there. She didn't dare turn her head back - doing so could slow her down. Her aunt was definitely behind her, not by much anyway. Regardless, she saw a glimmer of hope as she persevered. Come on! she pleaded to herself. It's right there! Within a few pounding heartbeats, she finally cleared the distance, flopping onto the ground by the den's entrance, sucking in huge amounts of air. Rolling around on the ground, her features were alive with victory. "I won!" she managed to screech, her vocals faltering as a result of her loss-of-breath.
"Speech" |