Joined: 04 Mar 2005
Posts: 5094
Location: Scotland
The Hunter and the Hunted
I have lost track of how long I have been running. I only know that I must catch her who runs ahead of me, and avoid her who follows at all costs. I fear being caught more than anything; it is fear of the unknown, for I have no idea of the nature of my follower. Does she have teeth, talons? Is she phosphorescent with corpse-slime? Does she want to feed on my soul? Even one of these terrible answers would be better than not knowing.
No – I fear above all that I will never overhaul my quarry. Something dreadful will happen to me if I cannot catch her – I must, I must. This task is my burden and I cannot put it down. She and I are somehow bound together. I must catch her, seize her, hold her even if she struggles. I must keep going.
My breathing is like a knife plunging again and again into my lungs. How it hurts. How I cry out with every breath. My eyes are smarting with acid tears, my hair clings to my hot scalp, glued fast by drying perspiration. My body screams out for a drink but I dare not stop. I DARE NOT STOP! My legs are numb, except I know that beneath this numbness lies a layer of pain which will hook at me and overwhelm me if I once let it. My feet must be sore and blistered, but this no longer registers.
What does register is this terrible place where my seemingly eternal pursuit is happening. Always my track leads to the right. If there are other tracks I am not aware of them, except that sometimes I feel that there must be a void beyond the darkness to my left. But as soon as my mind wanders towards that possibility and I hear a little voice inside beg me to dart that way, even if I crash into a wall or plunge into a pit, then the fear leaps upon my brain again and I am compelled to rush and stagger onwards. Mostly my way is dark, but every few paces there is a patch of illumination. I do not know what is more terrifying, the isolated places where I can see, and can be seen, or the longer stretches where I am unseen but blind to whatever terrors may lurk there.
It is in such a blind stretch, within a bare few paces of some light, that I feel an intense pain in my right foot. I have caught it on some projection of the wall, ripping at my littlest toe. My mind seems to explode in yellow agony and my teeth almost meet as they dig into my lower lip. But I hobble on, past the lit patch and into the darkness beyond it. Oh heavens I simply must stop, whatever the risk – tears are streaming down my face, trickling saltily into my mouth. I lean against the chill wall, shivering, and bend down to grip my toe. It feels wet, and when I lick my hand, there is a metallic taste.
Suddenly I realise that I can hear running footsteps ahead of me. Careless now of the fear that stalks me, I yell out.
“Hey! Stop!”
My voice echoes from the hard walls. There is no answering cry, but I seem to hear a gasp, and the footfalls cease. I strain my ears to hear anything more, and there is nothing. But suddenly, little by little, I can make out a faint panting … behind me.
I am now in a mad panic and throw myself forward, the weight of my body almost overbalancing me. I am only kept upright by the semi-automatic pumping of my legs, fighting to keep up with my forward totter. My mind is reeling. Surely there is some reward for this chase? If I catch up to my quarry, surely she and I will be let out into … what? I have dim memories of a world outside this place, of green things, of yellow daylight, of fresh air, of wholesome noises. But even as I call up these memories, my fear floods back and the onward rush overcomes me. The pull of the quarry is like a magnet, the fear of the pursuer like a dagger at my back.
Suddenly I seem to hear a cry behind me – was it my imagination? I stop running and listen. There is nothing to hear now, only my own laboured breathing. I pause, only too aware of the danger I am in, but glad of the momentary respite. I lean one hand against the cold wall. Then I hear running footfalls ahead, and almost at the same moment the sound of renewed pursuit behind. Hardly refreshed at all by my stop I leap onward at full tilt, running, running, running …
Approaching one of the illuminated patches I notice something different. I rush by before my tired mind takes in what I have seen – a fresh footprint, a red stain. My quarry is hurt! This means I have a chance to catch her, and I feel something like elation for an instant as I try to force my muscles to accelerate. On. On and on. Always following the way to the right.
But soon I realise I am no nearer to her. At least I can sense nothing, hear nothing, smell nothing to indicate I am any closer. If I knew of a God to pray to I would – that there was some way out of this hell – but all I know now is the fear of losing my quarry or of being caught.
In desperation I stop and offer myself to my pursuer. Surely running into the maw of death must be preferable to what I was enduring now. I stop in a patch of light, turn round, and scream …
“Come and take me! For pity’s sake come and take me!”
There is silence. I cannot hear my pursuer. But now I long to embrace her – talons, teeth, corpse-slime, whatever terror she possesses. Insanity in her embrace can surely be short lived and end in my relief, my release. Nothing. Nothing in the darkness, and no movement across the distant patches of light.
With a cry of rage and frustration I start back in my pursuer’s direction, onwards and onwards, always turning to the left. I now know that she flees from me –why? Why? Why, when she was so avid to catch me before? And behind me now comes my former quarry – does she not realise that I no longer want her, or could it be that in her madness she now wants to claim me as I did her.
I no longer know.
All I know is that we must run until one of us is caught at last. I have lost track of how long we have been running …
[c] 2006 Mb
_________________ all posted material (c) Marie Marshall, unless otherwise stated.
Fri Jan 27, 2006 7:42 pm
ghost
Joined: 06 Nov 2005
Posts: 2828
Location: MIA
Mairi
what a weird and wonderful tale... i will have to return and read it again... and again... and again....
regards
ghost _________________
MIA
Sat Jan 28, 2006 2:34 pm
Mairi bheag
Joined: 04 Mar 2005
Posts: 5094
Location: Scotland
...until you become trapped in the chase ...
Mb
xx
_________________ all posted material (c) Marie Marshall, unless otherwise stated.
Sat Jan 28, 2006 5:16 pm
Allison
Joined: 12 Oct 2005
Posts: 4216
Location: Florida
LOL Ghost you are not alone. It pulls me back as well Mb. Great write ma'am.
Alli _________________ Alli
Thu Nov 09, 2006 10:00 pm
Mairi bheag
Joined: 04 Mar 2005
Posts: 5094
Location: Scotland
Do you want to know how I came to write it?
_________________ all posted material (c) Marie Marshall, unless otherwise stated.
Thu Nov 09, 2006 10:02 pm
Allison
Joined: 12 Oct 2005
Posts: 4216
Location: Florida
Yes, please tell us.
Alli _________________ Alli
Thu Nov 09, 2006 10:37 pm
Mairi bheag
Joined: 04 Mar 2005
Posts: 5094
Location: Scotland
I was watching the L-Word - early season 2 it was - and Jenny's writing class had just been assigned the test of writing a short story in half an hour, or 20 minutes or something. The title was to be "
The Hunter and the Hunted
". I turned off the DVD, clicked on MS Word, and wrote that on the spot.
Mb
xx
_________________ all posted material (c) Marie Marshall, unless otherwise stated.
Fri Nov 10, 2006 4:52 am
Allison
Joined: 12 Oct 2005
Posts: 4216
Location: Florida
Hmmm That is very interesting Ma'am. A great write too
Alli _________________ Alli
Fri Nov 10, 2006 5:43 am
Mairi bheag
Joined: 04 Mar 2005
Posts: 5094
Location: Scotland
I know that personal story was a little banal - but it's how it happened!
_________________ all posted material (c) Marie Marshall, unless otherwise stated.
Fri Nov 10, 2006 5:45 am
Allison
Joined: 12 Oct 2005
Posts: 4216
Location: Florida
LOL No Ma'am. I am amazed at how much inspiration the L Word evokes
Not banal!
Alli _________________ Alli
Fri Nov 10, 2006 5:49 am
desert-fish
Joined: 13 Apr 2006
Posts: 2777
Location: deleted
off-beat and weird...but that's just the way i like it
Sat Feb 24, 2007 5:31 pm
Mairi bheag
Joined: 04 Mar 2005
Posts: 5094
Location: Scotland
quote:Originally posted by pale mirage:
off-beat and weird...but that's just the way i like it
How am I no' surprised?
Thanks, pale.
Mb
xx
_________________ all posted material (c) Marie Marshall, unless otherwise stated.
Sun Feb 25, 2007 5:16 am
~Wil~
Joined: 02 Nov 2006
Posts: 203
A great write, Ms. M!
*Hugs*
~W~ _________________ Lost in the shuffle
Fri Jun 15, 2007 8:45 pm
Mairi bheag
Joined: 04 Mar 2005
Posts: 5094
Location: Scotland
Aaawwww Wilmafroot, thank you
Mb
xx
_________________ all posted material (c) Marie Marshall, unless otherwise stated.
You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot vote in polls in this forum
Gallery
FAQ
Profile PM's 
