Run!

Faster, let the wind drive you. Let the fire of your pursuers encourage you on. Fly. Let the earth at your heels make way. Let the waters grant you smooth passage. Faster! Don't let them catch you, you know what happened last time. FLY!

"I can't fly, what do you mean fly, flying is for birds. You always say the same thing, tell me what to do! Something I can actually do!"

Deep breaths. In and out. Don't let them catch you!

Deep breaths. in and out. Make your strides longer. Faster.

Don't Let Them Catch You!

The thump of feet bearing the weight of large men followed behind me. It was going to be a good day - I had believed, it had to be a good day. Only on the good days did I manage to outrun them, only on the good days did I manage to escape for a precious few seconds to my safe haven- where I was free. Free to play like the other children whose mother's smiled at them or their fathers who went around showing them how to do things properly. Those children who got grins and winks, those who were invited to view the market stalls and their cargo of luxuries. Those who were loved, those obviously more fortunate than me. I must have done something wrong, that's why the gods didn't give me a mum or a dad. That's why no one loves me.

I know.

That's Why their mum's and dad's herd the other children away from me, why they can't look at me for more than a few minutes without tearing up or pursing their lips and stride away, why they don't smile near me, instead they drop their heads as if shamed and walk quickly on.

They always walk away. Even if I'm wearing the finest clothes Master Fersugil gives me or if I'm covered in blood - from head to toe, suffering from a broken rib or a concussion after Master Fersugil's beating. Even if the blood is my own - sometimes it's not and everyone stares at me - they always seem to know the difference. How I'm not sure, I don't even fully remember where it all comes from.

Sharp left, two more streets and up the drain pipe.

Go!

"Thank you! "

Anything for you chick, fly faster.

"Uh! What is it with you and flying, for the last time I can't fly and I'm not a chick, 'Boy' that's what Master Fersugil always calls me, so that has to be my name -obviously. If you're going to be my friend you need to get it right and it might also be nice to see you once" I admitted grudgingly.

Aodhan, It whispered-cried

"What? " I stopped coming to an abrupt stop, nearly tripping over the rocks placed so carelessly across the road.

I never understood why anyone would do something so careless. I once asked a man selling bandages and medical supplies near the road but like everyone else, he looked away, deciding instead to start advertising his wares with, again, reflective eyes, suspiciously like tears. I didn't know why everyone did that - I washed my face in the cold-water stream near Master Fersugil's home when I got enough time to slip out unnoticed, so I couldn't be that ugly.

I had a feeling that those rocks would be dangerous to some unfortunate horse or fragile leg; so, a few days ago I went out and started to pick them up and made a row of rocks at the edge of the road a bit like a barrier. The men and women at the side of the roads staired but I didn't care - this was so much fun. I made a line of rocks as straight as any army marching towards victory! For the rest of the day I wore a matching grin to the other little children playing with their fake swords and horses, I had played a game !It named it 'helping', weirdly enough when I got time to visit my barrier of small beautiful rocks as perfect as any marching army leading towards victory they always were a bit crooked so I would get down on my knees and tell them to get back into position, waving my finger like I had seen some adult doing to misbehaving children, and moved them gently back to not hurt or upset them.

That's when I realised 'Joe' - one of my favorite rocks - small and insignificant compared to his family had been kicked away from his position leaving a gap in the barrier where a group of ants were marching through!

So, I did what naturally anyone else would do.

I stopped

" noo! What are you doing, get back into position!" I yelled in horror, earning baffled and emotional looks from the usual market people.

Sparing a scared look over my shoulder at the shadows growing larger and hurt Joe then the wide-eyed stall keepers, waiting for my reaction. I dashed towards Joe, quickly grabbing Joe, sweeping away the ants to the outside of the barrier making sure I hadn't accidently killed any and placed Joe back in their original position. Stumbling from my kneeling position I made a mad dash to follow It's instructions towards my safe haven.

But of course, It didn't reply to my startled question, no one does, I ask and they don't answer. When I don't ask, I get punished for being stupid. Master Fersugil is always saying knowledge is power. Master Fursugil also said if I was good, I would be his son. That would mean he would take me with him and show me to do things properly and smile at me and love me! But I was always good and I only got hurt - I didn't mean to be bad I just accidentally was. Last Saturday I asked if I could go and play with the other kids and Master Fersugil said I already had too much luxuries and I should get used to my place. His face twisted into something I had never seen before and it scared me so I told It I needed a place to hide. It had always been there for me since the very beginning although It didn't talk very much in the beginning - It was always so sleepy. Silly It, It hardly did anything.

The village I lived in was apparently miniscule compared to the big cities, but it was colossal for me - I hadn't even fully explored it. It says I'm 7 but that can't be true because I've been here forever, and forever is a long time. More than the 4 large booming bells that mark a full day or a whole moon cycle where the moon decides to get eaten and then leaves to visit its family but always comes back as healthy as it was when it wasn't eaten.

My thoughts were only paused by It's ramblings, It was never wrong so I listened,

We're not going to make it... It whispered in sad resignation

"No! I can run faster, surely - I can It, I can, you'll see. We are going to make it. "

Panting with exertion I ran further and faster than ever before. The shuffling and muttered curses of village people rushing out of the way of the shadows ever dimming to a faint beat. My feet barely brushed the ground as I flew across the dusty ground.

Two dead ends to the left, one to the right. Not big enough to hide in. Go faster!

The further away the market place became the less dense the population became - not that our village had a large population to start with.

Acres of land stretched out before me, the soil planted with green plants spreading it's roots deep while a mighty windmill scattered across the horizon. A large, wide road lined with tall and imposing fences at the edges as tall as a horse and a mounted rider. Impossibly high to my miniature frame, thick and bony almost fragile in it's existence. More importantly open land with no structures and alleys to hide in!

In a haze of panic, It told me to look for a hiding place.

It's over we can hide and delay the inevitable or we can stop and become sitting ducks, It stated in a matter-of-fact tone that told me he was ready to lock himself away to the horrors that they would soon face.

"Hide it is, maybe someone would help us this far out" I replied hopefully

Go It whispered with a knowing, disappointed chuckle.

Out of the two taverns standing sentry in front of the two opposite sides of the fence only one held a full stable yet sounded empty apart from the murmur of voices yet the other having an empty stable boasted a full house with boisterous laughter and shouts. With a quick glance at the sky, it was obvious the sun would completely set in a few minutes and still the shadows chasing him were hot on his trail, with his shadows growing larger at his back and the contradicting taverns it was impossible to tell which one was safest.

In a last attempt at safety, I swept my eyes across both taverns looking for some sign of anything, anything at all.

Please, please, help me... I Prayed to whoever was listening.

That one, It cried, take the one with the full stable!

"What did you see?" I questioned It who had conveniently disappeared, his presence blurred as if blocked and burdened too much by the weight of my choice.

"That one it is," I muttered before taking off at a speed light would be proud of.

A cry sounded from behind me, they saw me!

My heart beating an erratic marching beat I pushed myself to run as fast as I could with having exerted myself all before.

One foot in front of another. The other foot in front of the other. Faster. Repeat. Even faster. Rock.

Rock !

With a startled yell that caused the tavern to quiet I fell in a pitiful flying arc scraping my knees and hands that supported my fall.

No, get up, It whispered with the last of its energy.

"I'm trying."

I wobbled steadying myself on the door that I had fortunately landed in front of. With a heaving push barged into the tavern as if demons were giving chase - which in essence they were.

The instant I entered the tavern, suffocatingly warm air hit my senses with such force I was pushed back a few steps only to be caught before I fell in a sturdy and bruising grasp.

" Well, well, well, what do we have here?" a frighteningly gruff voice asked with a quiet chuckle as if he had formed the funniest joke in forever.

*******************𝕬𝖚𝖙𝖍𝖔𝖗𝖘 𝕹𝖔𝖙𝖊**************************

 Thank you to everyone who took the time and effort to read my work and I can't  seem to express how exited I am about it :) 

What do you think? 

Is there anything  you think I could improve on?