Birds were annoying. It was true. Birds were annoying. Especially when they were chirping at a very ungodly hour. I opened my eyes. Oh. It was daytime. Okay, maybe birds were not stupid. I took it back.

Today, I had learnt something new. I was not a morning person. Monosyllables suited me just fine in the morning. Cool. Water.

A stream was nearby. It was clear, so safe to drink. Survival 101.

"Refreshing." It was nice to think in words longer than one syllable. I drank a bit more, as my stomach rumbled. Hungry.

And here I was thinking that I water was cool. If it reminded me of the fact that I hadn't eaten since I had woken up, the water was most certainly not cool.

Oh God. Hunger was making me delirious. Yesterday, I had learnt that hunger was not good. Primitive instincts told me that. I hadn't seen a single living person for days. I had however, seen living things. Had to catch, bu t rewarding, even if their blood on my clothes was hard to wash off.

I wondered what Jasper would think.

I wasn't sure where I was, or where I was heading, but my feet seemed to know. The leaves crunched under my feet, and then the grass gave way to my weight. Still i continued, stopping only for sleep and water. It was a long time before the woods became something else. A road.

As I stood stupidly by the road side, cars drove past, zooming away, away to an unknown place. I looked left and right, wondering which way to take, when I saw him. he was beautiful (but no Jasper) despite his muddy coat and tattered mane. He was thinner than I was, more out of place. Unlike me, he was scared.

"Don't be scared." I crooned, holding out a hand. He shied away.

"Don't..."

Throb.

Me riding on him, off into the sunset.

I titled my head, my eyes looking into the windows of his soul. My hand came forward again. "I won't hurt you."

His warm wet tongue darted out, licking my fingers. I smiled. "What's your name?" He looked at me, big brown eyes understanding, but not able to answer. "I'll give you one." He whinnied softly. The image of us riding off flashed to mind. "Freedom." If horses could smile, Freedom would have.

"Freedom."

It was agreed. I was glad. Freedom was a nice name, and so went with his pretty eyes, full of hope. I remembered that look, long ago, a look of love. I think I looked like that sometimes, when I thought of him. My lips smiled, cracking in happiness.

"Come on." I realised i was mad, having just escaped from an asylum, and then talking to animals, but I figured that people had done much worse. Besides, i was a girl on a mission. "Let's get going."

Throb.

A sign plate, emblazoned with two letters, lit garishly. It was fun, in a sort of tacky way. L.A.

Freedom whinnied, as I jumped and jumped, eager to get on. "It's not funny." I grumbled. He was simply too tall. Or i was too short. As if. The thought was snorted away. "Freedom, over here boy." I guided him to the fence, balancing on the first wooden beam. It was solid, so it held me pretty well. As I swung one log over Freedom, and held onto his neck, we galloped off to the beginning of the rest of our lives.

Throb.

Jasper was holding my hand.

Hold on golden eyes. I was coming.