Notes: Wow. Um. Sorry about that long wait. I guess my only excuse is that I do, in fact, have a life, especially since I'm on summer break. But at least my ideas for this story had extra time to finalize. So, anyway…here you go!
Disclaimer: I do not own the rights or responsibilities of the characters. I must credit Rumiko Takahashi for her lovely creations.
Part II: The Forest
Chapter 11: Dirt
Slowing her fast pace to catch her breath, Kagome drifted through the forest as if in a dream. She knew she was good and lost, but the horror of her situation still seemed distant and unreal.
That is, of course, until she tripped over a fallen branch. She threw her arms out to catch herself and sent the bag flying. Her fingers curled into the soft dirt and she carefully sat up. Her trance broken, she took in the distant sounds that could only be made by animals, the deep gray of the fast-darkening sky, and the way the trees seemed to reach for her menacingly.
She stifled a cry and got up, almost panicking as she searched for her small sack of food. She grasped it tightly in her dirtied hands and pulled her cape tighter around her shoulders.
She tensed when she heard the cracking of a stick somewhere nearby. And then another. She wasn't sure if her mind was playing tricks on her, but she sure as hell wasn't going to stick around to find out.
She resumed her quick pace, seeing the forest with new eyes now that she felt like she was being pursued. She tripped and stumbled and tore her way through the trees, hoping she was still going straight into the forest and not back towards the kingdom. Low-hanging tree branches grabbed at her clothing and ripped her cape ragged.
Finally, in her last moment of inattention to her path, her foot caught on a rock and she fell once again. It happened so quickly she didn't have time to react. Her head thudded hard against the gravelly terrain and Kagome's world went black.
Prompt: Dream
Words: 281