But the echo of recollection swiftly passed, when his fingers dug into a clump of the ground's spongy texture, releasing a whiff of unpleasant odor that mingled with the peculiar foulness emanating from the stagnant waters all around. Yet this was of no bother to him, for he had long existed in far worse surroundings. He quickly rose to his feet and lifted his head to scent the heavy air. Then his lips curved in something he once would have known was a smile.
He could smell no trace of the ' others'.
His feral yellow orbs looked at the distant mountains from whence he had come, before he turned his back on the craggy peaks to gaze at the seemingly endless marshes that spread out ahead of him. Determination set upon his features and as he had for most of the previous days, he once again took off at a run. His naked, filth-streaked body moved with powerful strides through the mosquito-infested landscape, and their eager little bites were as nothing to him. For the further away he went from his maker's dark realm, the closer he came to...
Once more, the image appeared in his mind. The image of water, falling clear and pure. And with it, the pull inside that seemed to be guiding his steps in an unerring direction. He did not question this feeling. For truly, he did not know how. He just followed his instincts, as all beasts are wont to do...
And ran.
For five days and four nights he travelled through the marshes, catching and eating the bloated toads that abounded in that miserable place in order to appease his hunger, though their raw flesh left a bitter and burning taste in his mouth. But of the stagnant pools he drank not. Something warned him that to get too close, would bring about his downfall.
And now, having at last left behind the outer borders of that dark land, he lay flattened beneath the thick cover of some bushes upon an outcrop overlooking...
Water.
A wide, deep blue swath of water. And though it was not the falling water of his dreams, the sight of it was a call that sent shockwaves through his parched veins. But he did not move. For at the shore, between him and what promised to quench his awful thirst, something was causing his senses even greater torment.
Three figures were along the banks of the river. Two, stood with their arms entwined about each other as they talked, softly. While the other, much smaller in size, happily scampered around, bending down every once in a while to pick up and inspect some object found on the ground.
He watched them.
His feral eyes narrowed to two points of intense focus. His fingers splayed, digging into the dirt and his mouth began to salivate as his powerful frame tensed, muscles rippling into tight coils, awaiting to spring.
At that moment, one of the tall ones spoke.
" Gwendelyn! Do not stray too far, daughter." It called out.
He was surprised to recognize in that voice a likeness to the sounds of tortured wailing that he had heard many times from the confines of his cocoon. Sounds that more often than not, were accompanied by the unique stench of flesh, being slowly roasted alive over the cooking fires of the ' others'.
The beast in him almost pounced then, driven by the dark knowledge that these beings were naught but the food and sport of his evil keepers. But the rest of him battled for restrain, his heart recalling the horror and pity he had felt for the ones who had endured such hopeless agony. Then, just as his inner struggle reached a breaking point, the small one turned to look at her parents, her hair fanning in a swirl of dark curls.
Suddently, an image came crystal-clear into his mind. An image of another little one, with long sable hair pulled away from her delicately pointed ears by lengths of satiny ribbons that fluttered gayly in the warm breeze of a bright, summer's day. And her child's laughter tinkled musically as she looked back at him, teasingly.
" I bet that you cannot catch me!. Come! Come and try to catch me, E..."
Then, just as suddently, the image was gone.
But it was enough. He felt his muscles uncoil, as the beast within him reluctantly receded. With uncanny stealth, he slunk away from his hiding place, knowing that he had to put as much distance as he could from the temptation these beings, unsuspectedly, offered.
And knowing also that his thirst would have to wait...
Much later, after traversing a path that led him away from any scent-trace of those beings and others of their ilk, his nostrils finally detected what he so desperately sought. As he moved through the forest, his ears also picked up on a gurgling sound that seemed to play like a merry little tune to his weary heart and he hastened his steps, though the beast in him remained ever-alert.
Until finally, he came to a break in the trees and there, glimmering gently under the dappled daylight, he saw a small stream. His legs began to tremble and he lurched forward, before flopping down onto his stomach upon the bank. He lowered his head and dipped his tongue, tasting at last of that, which had for so long been but an elusive comfort in his dreams. His throat made a strange sound, something between a growl and a mewl, as his body became flooded with an almost reverent pleasure.
Then, he began to lap greedily at the cool waters...
TBC...