What if they’re looking for me? he thought, panic quickly setting in.
He crouched down hoping he hadn’t been sighted and took a quick glance over the top of the grass trying to plot a path to safety. He realized his best chance was to try to lose them in the woods. The only problem was the distance to the woods was a few hundred feet and he was pretty sure he couldn’t outrun those beasts if it came down to it.
A quick breeze stirred gently past his face, whipping his hair as it passed. The wolf stuck its snout high into the air, took a few quick breaths, and then whipped its head quickly around, focusing its keen yellow eyes directly on David’s location.
His heart stopped mid-beat.
David ducked back down but knew it was too late. Panic began to take control as he rushed through his options. He could try to hide in the grass and crawl to safety, but he quickly dismissed the thought as he knew those beasts would be on his location faster than he could make it on all fours all the way to the tree line.
"That settles it then, I’ll have to make a break for it." he said to himself - and he did not like that option!
As he took a final glance through the top of the grass to check on the beast’s location and chart his trajectory, the beast quickly latched its scythe-like weapon in a case on its back before stretching to its full height. It cried out a devilish howl and began dashing at tremendous speeds towards David’s location.
With no time to spare, David darted from his hiding place and ran with all his heart towards the tree line.
With every step he took the creature gained on him. He was only a few yards from the tree line but already he could hear the footsteps pounding right behind him. The sound of the snarling beast seemed to engulf his senses; its hot breath seemed to beat on his neck, the stench of its body like wet dirty dog mixed with something rotten – putrid and vile.
As he reached the tree line, David leapt in a final effort to be free just as the powerful jaws crashed at his ankle. He could feel a trace of the beast’s sticky saliva fling on the back of his legs.
He tore through a clearing in the tangled brush and landed hard on his side, quickly turning around in a futile effort to defend himself.
The monster was stuck behind him, tearing its way through the brush and low hanging branches, snarling, and growling like a rabid dog caught in a trap.
With his heart pounding in his chest, David quickly stood up and ran as fast as he could through the maze-like floor of the densely packed forest.
Never stopping, he plunged straight through thickets of tearing thorns and branches, squeezed between tightly spaced boulders, dashed across running streams, and jumped over fallen, moss covered trees. He knew that to slow down would mean almost certain death, and that thought alone fueled his aching limbs beyond exhaustion.
After what seemed an eternity, David knew he couldn't go on much longer. No longer hearing the beast’s pursuit, he stopped at a quiet stream to catch his breath and steady his nerves.
"No…definitely…not…Heaven…" David said to himself as he took deep, gasping breaths.
When he finally regained his composure, David knelt beside the small stream and scooped some of the running water into his hands. The water was cool and crisp and refreshed his parched mouth. He drank until his stomach hurt.
He sat down on the bank of the stream and took in his surroundings for the first time.
He was deep within the forest - so deep that the canopy nearly obscured the light from the sun, though he could still see some small patches of clear blue sky above. He closed his eyes and listened. He could hear the songs of countless birds and animals echoing through the air, the rushing of the stream over rocks and fallen debris, and an endless cacophony of insects humming, chirping, and clicking throughout the depth of the forest.
Had he found this place in a less frightening time, he would have found it quite peaceful, he thought. Maybe the afterlife is more like normal life - filled with beauty and danger?
Having rested as long as he dared, David decided to search the area for a large tree to climb and use as a lookout. It took him little time to find a tree suitable for climbing that was also high enough to reach the canopy and he immediately set off climbing to the highest branch he could reach.
When he finally reached the top of the canopy, David discovered he had run several miles into the heart of the forest.
The treetops stretched miles in every direction. To the north the mountain sloped upward at a slow but steady rate. In the distance to the south were the dry grassy fields he scarcely escaped from only hours before and the snowy mountains that lay beyond. He made a mental note of his surroundings so he knew which direction not to go when he climbed back down to the ground.
He turned again and noticed a small clearing in the canopy not far from where he was perched, just a few hundred yards deeper into the woods towards the base of the mountain.
“David…” a gentle whisper sounded in his ear.
“Who’s there?” called David, quickly looking around for the source of the voice.
Again, it came – “David …”
“Show yourself! I’m not scared of you!” David screamed, unconvinced of his own proclamation. His words echoed through the air around him, leaving him with a feeling of loneliness that he was all too accustomed to. No one was there, no one ever was… he was just as alone as he had always been.
Dismissing the mysterious voice for now, David decided he would climb back down and head towards the clearing in
