Fear

It was getting dark in the forest; an eerie mist was beginning form. Shadows grew with the setting of the sun.
                There was still time, there was still light to guide his path across the deep darkness that grew in the forest.

He felt alone as he walked through the belly of the mist. The seed of doubt grew within him; he was lost, wasn’t he?
                That’s where he’d come from, right?
                I’ve just gotta go that way, right?

He kept walking as the shadows grew; he saw it, the cage growing around him. The mist licked at his ankles, he thought, maybe? No it couldn’t be, was it tasting him?
                Would it try to engulf him?

It was hard to see now. Sweat crept down his face. He moved slower now, like walking through a dense liquid while avoiding the grasp of twigs below the mist
                He heard a crack, he spun in place and…
                He saw nothing. Was he imagining stuff?

He heard a growl behind him, low and powerful, a death threat.
                He tripped; fell to the ground crawling back until he was pressed against a tree trunk.

It was pitch black now. Shadows moved with the mist, playing with him.
                He was shaking, heart beating hard in his chest and cold sweat flowing down his face.
                His open mouth ready to scream didn’t make a sound. The mist slightly fogged his vision.

For a second he hoped, he wished he was alone.

The branches moved. A screeching laugh rang across the forest while a pair of eyes stared right at him.

Time froze.
                It stabbed him in the guts.

He tried to get up, the figure edging towards him. He ran. His movements slow as he swam now in the mists.

Someone screamed. Hands tried to grab at his clothes. Sharp teeth and red eyes flashed through the mists.

He tripped. He came crashing down. He puked on the floor between ragged gasps.
                He couldn’t move, not any more.

He gave up as sharp claws gripped his ribs.
                Death’s touch.

-

He woke up panting, covered in sweat, shaking. The pain in his guts remained.
                He clawed at his bed sheets bringing them close, covering himself.

Outside the forest was lighting up, he could see, there was no mist.

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