The trees press in on me, their dark depths clawing at the folds of my scarlet dress. One foot in front of the other. Walk, and keep walking. A grip of iron on a basket on cookies. Don’t look behind, don’t look into the dark. One foot forwards. Eyes straight ahead. Don’t blink.
I can hear their breath rasping in the woods. I can feel the damp, hot breath on my bare legs. I keep walking, my numb fingers clutching the straw basket. Cookies. I’m about to die and all I can think of are the stupid cookies. One foot in front of the other. I’m stiff with fear, walking like a robot. My cheeks flush with terror, hot blood pooling beneath my fragile skin, just waiting to be ripped open…
Suddenly I can’t stand it. My foot halts in mid air. I slam it down, spin around and face the pack of wild wolves. They stop, shocked into stillness. I throw the cookie basket as hard and as far as I can. They shatter against a tree, scattering among the tall grasses. Adrenaline sweeps away my fear, my hesitation, my boundaries.
“This forest does not belong to only you! I do not want to spend my entire life terrified! Why can’t you just… leave me alone!”
Their ears pin back against their heads, and as one body, a growl rises. Their dark fur – as dark as the wood – rises in sharp spikes. I just stand there in my blood-red dress, fists clenched by my sides. Around my bare feet are cookie crumbs, scattered and broken. One girl, alone, against a pack of wild wolves of the woods. My cheeks flush red with rage. Hot blood, pooling, waiting to be ripped open…
The Mind of Tanitha 