Coming Down

She ran for the last couple of days, not daring to stop for rest or anything else. Night had fallen for the second time since the night she fled from Auster, her muscles screaming and begging her to stop. But she couldn't. She wouldn't. How could she? She had done something so bad, that she didn't think she'd ever forgive herself. She would be forever cursed with the memory of what she had done the other night. Eyes squeezed shut as tears emerged, streaming out and into the wind. Her heart pounded painfully against her chest, lungs burning from all the running she had been doing. The wounds that had been inflicted on her were lost to her. She had not stopped to inspect them or treat them since she started her blind journey. She had no idea where she was or where she was going. She had no direction or place in mind. She just knew she needed to get as far away from there as possible.

It wasn't until her paw slammed into a rock that every sense in her came rushing back. For a brief moment, she was airborne, but she soon crashed to the ground rather hard before her body was sent rolling. Every bone and muscle suddenly shrieked with pain, the wind now knocked out of her. She had been running so hard and fast, that the momentum she gained from tripping sent her flying several yards forward and before she knew it, she slipped into a deep pool of water. Eyes tightly closed, she inhaled before she could figure out what was going on and where she was. She gasped for air, but only found water entering her lungs once again. She frantically made her way back to the surface, and upon breaking the water's surface she began to violently cough and sputter as she sought to find her breath again.

She struggled to the bank of the pool but found that she was unable to pull herself out. Her body had suddenly weakened, her hind leg burning with intense pain and every wound she had received suddenly flared to life. She yelped when she tried to get her legs beneath her to push herself up, but she was barely able to keep her head above water while her toes barely managed to keep her above the water line. Her forelegs remained outstretched toward the bank while her claws dug into the ground. Whatever she tried to do didn't work at all, and only brought fresh waves of pain shooting across her body like lightning. She decided then, that she wouldn't be able to get out on her own. Either she got lucky and someone came by to help her, or she'd drown the moment she lost strength or consciousness from the pain of her wounds. The water at least was warm. But now that her adrenaline had left her since she had stopped running, she could feel everything. Her left hind leg kept sending shockwaves of pain, and she was sure at this point, that it might be broken. But she wasn't entirely sure. Her mind was a blur. She couldn't think straight with so much pain. She thought about the pup that night...and she suddenly began to sob over the water. "I'm s-so sorry...I didn't m-mean to..."