6.

I take a step back as he fixes his gaze more steadily on my face and begins to sit up. He looks perplexed and I can see why; he thinks I am Echo, that for all her apparent harshness there is a part of her who cares, who wanted to save him. “Echo,” he struggles to speak and I can hear the catch in his voice, the longing to understand her, to speak to her. Her, not me; he is so caught up with the enigma that surrounds her that he fails to see the differences between us, wanting only that strange girl that he can’t stop thinking about. Well, I can’t be her and I won’t pretend to either.



Before I know it, I am running away, not so fast as to arouse his suspicion, but fast enough that I am already out of sight before he manages to yell out for me to wait. I run blindly through the trees for a while, not really knowing where to go; under usual circumstances I would seek sanctuary in my clearing but as that is where I have just left him, it is out of the question.


The trees begin to thicken around me and I know that I am venturing further into the woods than is my jurisdiction. I can feel the change in temperature as I move further into the shadow of the mountain, the smells around me transitioning from the light scent of dewy grass to the heady odour of baking rock. I cannot see overhead as a canopy of thick branches and leaves hides the sky, but I can tell that if I were to see the sun, it would be wrapped in a hazy blanket of heat waves, rolling slowly towards the earth. I am beginning to feel short of breath but still I push on, enjoying the elastic feeling of my muscles as they pump my legs ever faster, carrying me to a place that I have never been.


Up ahead I can see the light beginning to spread out wider, suggesting a thinning in the trees, I tuck my head down further and run flat out until I feel the roots beneath my feet growing sparse and the looming presence of spectral oaks change to the open air of a clearing. I close my eyes and lift my head, feeling the orange rays of the sun heat my eyelids. My hair is plastered to my face, still wet from the lake, and my dress clings to my body like a second skin. I feel like I am standing in an oven, the heat closing in all around me, but the feeling is pleasant. I make myself let go of everything, losing myself in the welcoming silence of my surroundings. It is then that I realise that I am not alone.


My eyes snap open as a shiver of fear slithers down my spine – nothing to do with the wet clothing - and sure enough, there it is; the beast that I saved the boy from. It fixes me with a baleful glare, already having regenerated its eyes, and I can feel it’s anger and recognition – I am the creature who hurt it. Once again I am frozen; rooted to the spot, rendered useless without the surge of adrenaline that bade me forward to save the boy. The beast, or Deinos as I now recognise it, paws at the ground restlessly waiting to charge. Deinos flicks his head agitatedly, showering water from his wet mane; I can see his nostrils narrowed warningly and his ears lie flat against his neck.


Every instinct in my body screams for me to run, to get as far away as possible from this man-eating beast, but there seems to be a malfunction in my muscles; the message just isn’t getting through. I keep my eyes locked on his, staring down into what seems to me, the very pits of hell. I see his eyes narrow and feel the tension build in his muscles, as he gets ready to gallop towards me. My breathing is shallow and fast, barely allowing any oxygen into my lungs, finally I close my eyes – steeling myself for the inevitable.


I hear the thunderous sounds of hooves against the ground as he approaches and it feels as if every particle of my being has gone rigid with fear and anticipation. I can see the darkness gathering in the periphery of my eyes and I know that I am about to pass out. Finally I hear a bloodcurdling shriek as Deinos triumphs over his easy victim, every hair on my body stands to attention and I feel as if my muscles will snap with the tension. One last sound, an earth-cracking roar and again the thud of hooves, and then, I fall.