run

she left the men and the trail behind long ago

yet she continued her frantic pace

across the desolate plain

narrowly avoiding jagged chunks of dead rock

that threatened her footing

she was starving for water

as was the terrain

there was no green to be seen

as she ran she kept her eyes on the high tops of the redwoods

hoping they meant water was nearby

the air she was inhaling in great, greedy gulps

was burning and drying her mouth and nostrils

surely the dark ones were no longer following

but she couldn’t risk stopping

she staggered on even after

the sharp brittle fingers of dead, black bushes

slashed and scarred her face and legs

she slipped and stumbled, floundering for footing

a great dread possessed her as she tumbled

over the snarled edge of the ridge

into,

into what?

all her weary eyes could make out was darkness

and then came the searing pain

then nothing-

~Melanie Thomason