Building Courage

Lungs burning, heart pounding and head spinning, Esa struggled feebly beneath the rubble, her rib cage heaving for each breath. Her limbs had begun to feel hot and weak. Just when she was sure she couldn't keep going, she heard a voice. He was out there. He was alive! His voice called to her, it seemed a murmur at first, but as her hope renewed and she felt debris crumble away from her outstretched forepaws, she could hear him more clearly. "Yes, I'm right here!" she sputtered through a mouthful of dirt, "I'll make it... I'll get out." A surge of energy flowed through her paws. She managed a few deeper breaths and kept scrabbling, reaching out to where she could feel his paws pulling away large clumps of sand and rubble. She wriggled desperately to where she felt his claws tearing at the dirt, and found the rubble loosening around her head and neck. Twisting and turning, she felt her body coming free; she drew in a sharp, deep breath as the cool mine air touched her face. Digging her claws in, she pulled herself out from the pile, collapsing on the ground to catch her breath.

She wanted to turn and thank the wolf who had saved her; she was certain that if he hadn't dug in as quickly as he had, she would not have made it out. Yet, her breaths came in gasps, and she was surprised she'd had enough breath to call for help. At last she got to her paws, panting heavily, her limbs weak and unsteady. She had never struggled so hard in her life. Seeking out his scent, she turned toward him. "Th-thank you," she said hoarsely, barely able to find the words, "I... I would have died if you hadn't..." She bit her lip as tears began to flow down her face. The realization of how close she'd come to death was hitting her now, and the adrenaline still pumped through her body, causing her to tremble uncontrollably as her body recovered from the terror of coming near death. A surge of emotions caught in her chest; guilt for having led him here, gratefulness for his bravery in helping her, and a new appreciation for how fragile life was. How in an instance circumstances could change and life could be over.

Esa wanted to move, but her paws remained firmly planted to the ground. She knew they shouldn't stay here, but she couldn't think straight nor convince her paws to move. Which way led to the exit? The air was dusty and thick, and she couldn't catch the scent of fresh air that would come from the cave's entrance. How was she supposed to get out? A new wave of unease washed over her, making her want to crumple to the ground. Her eyes welled over with more tears, feeling helpless just standing there in the dark. She wasn't sure how much more adventure she could take right now. She just wanted to see daylight again. "What do we do now?" she asked through a sob, hoping he was less disoriented than she felt. She felt stupid and tried to straighten up, to stop crying like a lost whelp, but she didn't have the energy to with hold it, so the waterworks just kept flowing.