Post by RacingBelle on May 24, 2011 16:26:27 GMT -5
Ashleigh
~This is my brand new day in the light, troubles rising up on the left and the right. I keep my eyes fixed on where I want to go; the rest will follow.~
Running was a way of escape. It was a way to leave the present and past behind, to not think about the future, and escape to that world in between. Where there is no time. I was trying to do this now, running as hard had I could without being shifted. I dodged one last tree and slid to a halt. Panting, I wondered what time it was. I looked at the sky. It wasn't much help, I was in the thickest part of Stonewick forest and the trees blotted out most of the the sky and stars. So you have now reached you destination: Place of No Time. I congratulated myself and tried to stop panting. It sounded too loud for the relatively quiet forest. I let myself shift, to hear the night time sounds better. Where I once stood as a human, a sixteen hand high dappled gray Thoroughbred now took my place. I blew a short breath through my nostrils, my ears flickering back and forth.
The sounds of the forest filled my ears. The slight rustle of a bird's wing as it slept, the crickets chirping their night time song, an owl swooping down onto and unsuspecting mouse,; the mouse's high pitched death squeak. There was a rustle behind me and I wheeled to face it. I couldn't see what had made the noise so instead of investigating it I pivoted, let out a buck, and started to run again. If it was something that would chase me, let it chase me. If it wasn't then, I was just finding an excuse to continue with my run for a little while longer.
The creature didn't follow me, so I was safe. It was probably a deer. I bucked again, feeling good, for the forest was cooler at night and the heat wasn't as unbearable as in the day time. Lengthening my stride, I pushed myself faster. I pricked my ears with interest, my black eyes lighting up with a challenge in mind.
There was a newly fallen tree in where I was going. I slowed my strides, judging if it was low enough to jump. It was and I approached it with confident strides. I coiled my muscles like a spring and leaped. I thought that I had cleared the tree but my right back hoof got caught in one of the branches. Thunk. I hit the tree, my hoof still in the branch that had stopped it from completing the jump. I opened my mouth to whinny my distress but no sound came out. I struggled to free the hoof but with no avail. Pain shot up that leg and tingled throughout my body; I then squealed with pain. What have you gotten yourself into now, Ashleigh? I made sure that I didn't panic, any horse would be and my shifted side was, but my human side was strangely calm.
Knowing that I had to be human to free my hoof, that would be turning into a foot, I shifted. I found myself hanging awkwardly upside-down and on my belly. All right...this is harder than I thought it would be... So I tried pulling the foot free, first. The branch seemed to be loosening its grip on it. So I kept tugging, ignoring the discomfort the pain caused. "Aah!" I shouted in surprise as the foot was free and I slid forward, crasing through a few small branches. I moved my arms in front of me to prevent me taking a header into the forest floor. It worked and I slid, or rather crashed, myself the rest of the way down and then moved myself into a sitting position. My right foot throbbed. This was bad...really bad. Though it probably wasn't as bad as it seemed. I wrestled off the shoe and sock and looked at it. The foot was starting to swell and it had a bluish purple looked to it, a bruise from the impact. Well, this is going to hurt tomorrow. I pulled the sock over it gingerly, and then started the slow process of putting it back into the shoe. I yelp once or twice but otherwise I shoved it the rest of the way in the shoe and sighed with relief. It was going to hurt for a day or so but otherwise it was fine. Fine at least until I had to run from something. Then I wasn't so fine. I could only hope I wouldn't get any uninvited guests till that foot was fine to run on. Shifter's luck, Ash, shifter's luck makes that unlikely. Well there's a chance. Stop talking to yourself.I snorted with disbelief. I was now arguing with myself. Greeaat.
The sounds of the forest filled my ears. The slight rustle of a bird's wing as it slept, the crickets chirping their night time song, an owl swooping down onto and unsuspecting mouse,; the mouse's high pitched death squeak. There was a rustle behind me and I wheeled to face it. I couldn't see what had made the noise so instead of investigating it I pivoted, let out a buck, and started to run again. If it was something that would chase me, let it chase me. If it wasn't then, I was just finding an excuse to continue with my run for a little while longer.
The creature didn't follow me, so I was safe. It was probably a deer. I bucked again, feeling good, for the forest was cooler at night and the heat wasn't as unbearable as in the day time. Lengthening my stride, I pushed myself faster. I pricked my ears with interest, my black eyes lighting up with a challenge in mind.
There was a newly fallen tree in where I was going. I slowed my strides, judging if it was low enough to jump. It was and I approached it with confident strides. I coiled my muscles like a spring and leaped. I thought that I had cleared the tree but my right back hoof got caught in one of the branches. Thunk. I hit the tree, my hoof still in the branch that had stopped it from completing the jump. I opened my mouth to whinny my distress but no sound came out. I struggled to free the hoof but with no avail. Pain shot up that leg and tingled throughout my body; I then squealed with pain. What have you gotten yourself into now, Ashleigh? I made sure that I didn't panic, any horse would be and my shifted side was, but my human side was strangely calm.
Knowing that I had to be human to free my hoof, that would be turning into a foot, I shifted. I found myself hanging awkwardly upside-down and on my belly. All right...this is harder than I thought it would be... So I tried pulling the foot free, first. The branch seemed to be loosening its grip on it. So I kept tugging, ignoring the discomfort the pain caused. "Aah!" I shouted in surprise as the foot was free and I slid forward, crasing through a few small branches. I moved my arms in front of me to prevent me taking a header into the forest floor. It worked and I slid, or rather crashed, myself the rest of the way down and then moved myself into a sitting position. My right foot throbbed. This was bad...really bad. Though it probably wasn't as bad as it seemed. I wrestled off the shoe and sock and looked at it. The foot was starting to swell and it had a bluish purple looked to it, a bruise from the impact. Well, this is going to hurt tomorrow. I pulled the sock over it gingerly, and then started the slow process of putting it back into the shoe. I yelp once or twice but otherwise I shoved it the rest of the way in the shoe and sighed with relief. It was going to hurt for a day or so but otherwise it was fine. Fine at least until I had to run from something. Then I wasn't so fine. I could only hope I wouldn't get any uninvited guests till that foot was fine to run on. Shifter's luck, Ash, shifter's luck makes that unlikely. Well there's a chance. Stop talking to yourself.I snorted with disbelief. I was now arguing with myself. Greeaat.
~The old can be made new, the lost can be found, the lost will be found.~
(Inspired by Jisa! Lyrics from Superchick's Pure.)