TITLE: Woodland Nymph
AUTHOR: Clairisant and Brenda
CLASSIFICATION: AJ/Other, Mac/Other
FEEDBACK: Would love to hear both good and bad feedback but please try to be kind and constructive. Clairisant
CREDITS: A special thank you to our beta readers Qupeydoll and Suzie.
Chapter 1
Saturday, May 21, 2005
0530 EST
AJ's house
McLean, Virginia
It was Saturday and as was his custom, AJ was up early and ready to head out for his ten-mile run, but today he would be going alone. His usual running partner was laid up with a sore paw. Dammit had somehow managed to injure her left front paw earlier in the week while AJ had been at work. The vet had told him that she would be fine in a week to ten days, but not to let her do any running until then. So, dressed in sweats and running shoes, AJ set out for his run alone.
AJ owned ten acres of land in McLean, two of which were cleared where he had his home, garage, garden, and such, the other eight acres were wooded and that is where he loved to run. The woods behind his home were actually about forty acres in size and were owned by several other people in the area. The land was hilly and even had a stream running through it with a small waterfall. He liked to alter his running path from time to time, but with Dammit along it was difficult because she liked to run ahead and they would get separated. So since she was at home this time he chose to take a new path through the woods, allowing his feet to take him wherever they desired.
He ran in the direction of the waterfall because he loved that area, but instead of running alongside it as he usually did, AJ crossed the stream and ran in an area of the woods he never had before. It was a perfect spring day, the temperature was just right for running. Not so cool that you could see your breath, but not so warm that you'd regret wearing sweats. AJ could feel his body's changes as he ran. Keeping in good shape was important to him personally and also an ingrained part of his military training. Even though he was behind a desk these days he refused to let himself go.
Only in his mid-fifties, he remained active and fit. If it hadn't been for being nearly bald he'd be able to pass for at least ten years younger. For just a few moments the woods around him faded away as he allowed himself to imagine the reactions of his staff if he came in on Monday morning wearing a toupee. He was laughing aloud at the mental image of Rabb's face, as the women of the office swooned at their CO's new look when he heard the roar. AJ spun to face the sound and tried to lunge out of the way of the large black bear rearing up on it's hind legs that reached out to take a swipe at him.
As AJ tried to lunge away, his foot shifted on uneven ground and his ankle twisted. The swipe from the bear tore through his sweatshirt and T-shirt underneath. He could feel the skin rip and the burn from the claws as they scraped his flesh. The bear grabbed AJ and he could feel the claws puncture his back. Pulling him in close the bear sunk his teeth into AJ's shoulder. Knowing that his only hope of survival was to go limp and allow the bear to think he was dead, AJ did so.
The bear shook him around like a rag doll to see if he was really dead. Dropping AJ to the ground with a grunt he stood over him waiting to see if he would move. Taking several swings at AJ the bear cut deep claw marks into his flesh. AJ almost groaned at a particularly deep cut to his right leg. Finally convinced that his victim was dead, the bear then lumbered off leaving AJ torn and bleeding.
Knowing that he needed to get up and get out of there or he would die, AJ attempted to rise. The pain from his injuries added to the effort of trying to rise, caused him to pass out.
To be continued…..