The hounds are braying

Cutting through the wind

Only overpowered by my heart

The voices calling, sweet cajoling threats

Terrifying

I stumble and hit a patch of thorns

My hands and knees bleeding

Covering my flesh to look as if I am red

Coupled with dirt, rocks, and grime

My heart is pounding

Thump! Thump! Thump!

Then CRACK!

I jump and begin to run, half walking, half stumbling

Bleeding, terrified

The Demons are close

They broke a branch

Any lead I had is gone

Now or never

I leap

Charging through the darkness

Branches and cobwebs clawing at my face

My clothes are covered in holes

My breathing- Am I still breathing? - aren’t breathes

Gasp- That’s all I can muster? - I am gasping

Muscles burning from the seemingly endless run

The hounds are closer

So are the footsteps

I can see the Demons’ fire

The fire that is now leaping at me

My foot stumbles once more

And I look in horror

In front of me now is a cliff, a gully

I would die trying to jump over it

I would die being captured

My death is soon

Laughter rings through the tree-line

Forcing me to turn quickly

Hounds and Demons snarling and snapping

Hurling fire at me

One breaks formation

Stepping towards me

I shake, my body is nothing but an avalanche of shudders

This is the end

I look over my shoulder

The gully- Could I make it? – it could be worth the effort

Continue this useless hunt

Or I can fight and face the inevitable?

I glance at the options

Both are hopeless-but the Demon is drawing closer

Stretching a hand out and smiling cruelly

I glance over my shoulder once more

I decide

I choose- “What is the Pythagorean Theorem used for?”

I blink slightly and the room comes into focus

I hear snickers, not the cruel laughter of before

But mocking and frightening all the same

The teacher scowls at me

The fear from early is still present

I am not being hunted here

But I am in my mind

I am being hunted by the demons that haunt my every step