Chapter 3: Sounds
Her senses came to one at a time. Her hearing was the first thing to surface. There was a quiet rustling of leaves and the sound of wind blowing through grass. She felt something bump up against her cheek as she opened her eyes. There was Aegnor, grazing quietly next to her head. She sat up slowly and took in her surroundings. It was absolutely beautiful.
There was thick green grass covering the ground, with fallen leaves scattered about. She was in the middle of a clearing in a thick forest, so thick that she was unable to see more than twenty feet away.
Erin stood up and looked down at herself then at her horse: they were both caked in mud. She smiled. As she thought the smile slowly faded from her face when she realized that she didn't have any idea where they were. She looked around once again, trying to get her bearings, but it was no use. Where SHE lived NOTHING looked like this.
She sighed. 'Well,' she thought, 'I suppose I should try to find my way around.' She looked to her horse, and moved towards him to get his attention. Hopping up, she jumped on top of his back, and squeezed him with her legs. He began to move forward immediately, turning when she would use her hands to place pressure on either side of his neck.
It was so quiet in these woods that she was beginning to get nervous. None of the animals were making any sounds: the wind wasn't even blowing.
Eyeing the woods nervously, she put more pressure on Aegnor's sides, pushing him up to a trot. It was then that she heard it; there were footsteps behind them. They were moving quickly, and getting closer to her. Erin turned her head and saw something, however, what it was she couldn't tell. It was fairly far off, but it was gaining on them quickly. The figure was a dark blur and it didn't move in a straight line. That was the reason it was so frightening. The figure was jerking back and forth, from side to side. Its movements were jagged and looked labored. What the hell was it?
She gave Aegnor a swift kick in the side. He jumped slightly and kicked his hind legs against the ground in a sudden burst of speed. He pounded his hooves against the ground, almost as though he sensed the urgency of the situation. She looked behind her, the figure was moving faster now as well, it was a complete blur. She turned to face forward and hunched over so that there would be less resistance from the wind and clutched his mane tightly.
Aegnor began to run even faster. The wind was whipping his mane and tail behind them, along with Erin's hair, which was coming out of its braid. Everything was moving by them quickly, creating long, blurry streaks of green and brown as they passed the trees. She could barely hear the figure getting closer over her horse's thundering hoof-beats. She turned to look behind herself once more.
The figure was almost directly behind them. Her eyes widened in horror as she saw the being. Even though it was as close as it was, she still couldn't make out what type of creature it was; the figure was still just a dark blur.
Erin turned back just in time to see the ledge of a drop off about two feet in front of them. It was already too late to do anything. She opened her mouth to scream but no noise came out. Everything seemed to move in slow motion as they fell through the air. Erin could feel her body lifting up off of Aegnor's and they plummeted towards the water below.
Erin looked down and, grabbing Aegnor's mane, pulled herself back down towards his body. Just as she did so they hit the water. She took in a sharp breath as the cold water came in contact with her body. Horse and rider were then enveloped under several feet of icy water.
Her senses came to one at a time. Her hearing was the first thing to surface. There was a quiet rustling of leaves and the sound of wind blowing through grass. She felt something bump up against her cheek as she opened her eyes. There was Aegnor, grazing quietly next to her head. She sat up slowly and took in her surroundings. It was absolutely beautiful.
There was thick green grass covering the ground, with fallen leaves scattered about. She was in the middle of a clearing in a thick forest, so thick that she was unable to see more than twenty feet away.
Erin stood up and looked down at herself then at her horse: they were both caked in mud. She smiled. As she thought the smile slowly faded from her face when she realized that she didn't have any idea where they were. She looked around once again, trying to get her bearings, but it was no use. Where SHE lived NOTHING looked like this.
She sighed. 'Well,' she thought, 'I suppose I should try to find my way around.' She looked to her horse, and moved towards him to get his attention. Hopping up, she jumped on top of his back, and squeezed him with her legs. He began to move forward immediately, turning when she would use her hands to place pressure on either side of his neck.
It was so quiet in these woods that she was beginning to get nervous. None of the animals were making any sounds: the wind wasn't even blowing.
Eyeing the woods nervously, she put more pressure on Aegnor's sides, pushing him up to a trot. It was then that she heard it; there were footsteps behind them. They were moving quickly, and getting closer to her. Erin turned her head and saw something, however, what it was she couldn't tell. It was fairly far off, but it was gaining on them quickly. The figure was a dark blur and it didn't move in a straight line. That was the reason it was so frightening. The figure was jerking back and forth, from side to side. Its movements were jagged and looked labored. What the hell was it?
She gave Aegnor a swift kick in the side. He jumped slightly and kicked his hind legs against the ground in a sudden burst of speed. He pounded his hooves against the ground, almost as though he sensed the urgency of the situation. She looked behind her, the figure was moving faster now as well, it was a complete blur. She turned to face forward and hunched over so that there would be less resistance from the wind and clutched his mane tightly.
Aegnor began to run even faster. The wind was whipping his mane and tail behind them, along with Erin's hair, which was coming out of its braid. Everything was moving by them quickly, creating long, blurry streaks of green and brown as they passed the trees. She could barely hear the figure getting closer over her horse's thundering hoof-beats. She turned to look behind herself once more.
The figure was almost directly behind them. Her eyes widened in horror as she saw the being. Even though it was as close as it was, she still couldn't make out what type of creature it was; the figure was still just a dark blur.
Erin turned back just in time to see the ledge of a drop off about two feet in front of them. It was already too late to do anything. She opened her mouth to scream but no noise came out. Everything seemed to move in slow motion as they fell through the air. Erin could feel her body lifting up off of Aegnor's and they plummeted towards the water below.
Erin looked down and, grabbing Aegnor's mane, pulled herself back down towards his body. Just as she did so they hit the water. She took in a sharp breath as the cold water came in contact with her body. Horse and rider were then enveloped under several feet of icy water.