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.

As I walked up the bank of the river, I found an empty corn field, already harvested for the year. A large barn owl called out from a tree to my left, breaking the silence of the night. The smells were all intensified, and I wondered what else my body could do differently now. I could run faster, smell better, and noticed for the first time that my sight was nearly perfect, even in the dark. Everything seemed brighter, as if the moon were reflecting more light from the sun than it was just hours before. I could hear cars in the distance, and knew I had to be close to a highway. I started walking in the direction that the noises were coming from, and realized that this must be how Sabre saw everything. I thought for a moment of the vision I had of killing the doe in the woods and wondered if my strength had intensified as well. I turned and found the nearest tree, and to test my ability, I pushed the trunk of the huge oak, and to my delight, the tree shook with the effort. I gave another, stronger push, and the roots of the tree began to unearth. With one final, more forceful shove, the tree collapsed to the ground in a thunderous heap. With my newfound heightened senses and abilities, I was sure that Sabre and all of his leopards would be much easier to hunt down and kill.