Melinda Hauck

Dark Pride (ch 2)

I jumped a barbed-wire fence with ease, and felt the wind rushing around me, still calling to me, teasing me, begging me to come and play. I ran until I was surrounded by trees and thick brush, and didn't recognize the area I was in. I slipped through the trees with ease, almost as if I knew the land beneath me. The brush seemed to move for me, like I belonged there. Faster and faster, I ran through the brush and leaves, until I came to a steep slope, which surprised me. I nearly slipped and fell down the hill, but the tree branches helped me brace myself on the way down. When I reached the bottom, the slope was so steep that I had no time to stop myself from falling into the river below, and I was going too fast and had nothing left to grab onto. I pushed myself off of the ground and was amazed by the height and distance I was able to get from the jump. It was almost as if I were flying. Thankfully, the river was low, and I landed hard on the bank on the other side. I stood, unable to believe what had just happened, and let out a breath that I hadn't known I'd been holding. Where was I? I had run so hard and so fast, I wasn't sure how far I'd gotten from home. But the rage had subsided. Now I just wanted to find my way home. I knew if I could find a road, that I could find my way. I knew most of the roads in Jefferson City and the surrounding areas, so being lost wasn't really a concern at that point.