An Ode to Zula - Part 3

His left knee gave out as it hit an unseen stub hidden by darkness. 

He blinked twice.  

There was a sudden movement in the corner of his eye and the ground rushed towards his face. 

The pain wasn't that bad at first, but it started to sting slowly, steadily; he ignored it. 

The pack were somewhere close... so he had to keep moving. Move. Keep moving.  

Lifting his face from the dirt, he felt treacherous clouds of darklings surrounding him as he picks his knee up and started prancing...

But there was nowhere to run. 

They had circled him. 

With the glee of a predator. They sang songs of feastings. 

Circling closer, licking their lips. 

Tasting Blood. 

Their leader appearing from a shadow, distinguished himself from amongst the pack with wicked teeth and a vicious smile. 

The wind moaned through the high branches and the skulls of former victims crushed under his feet. 

His prey shook uncontrollably. Knees trembling in fear. 

Eyes looked towards the heavens to say a final prayer. 

It was all too easy. 

Realizing he was surrounded, he shook uncontrollably as the cold night bites into his failing knee. 

It buckled a little and he looked up into the sky grimacing at the enduring pain. 

He'd been here before, but had always outrun the terror. This time, however, there was no running anywhere; and he knew it. 

He was in serious trouble. 

Allowing one last worried glance at his broken knee, he realized he had very little choice, and took off. 

Running hurt his mind more than his body. 

Mud-splattered crusts covered his face with his feet moving with wild desperation; trying to find an escape. 

He stumbled fast, rolling uncontrollable into a valley of forgotten dreams. 

Into a ditch. Revealing A hidden lake. 

He could hear the searching party's howlings surround him everywhere. They looked for him desperately. 

So he buried himself underneath a rock without sparing a second to believe his luck and glanced at the hidden lake. 

It was beautiful. Serene. 

Gentle waves streamed by and the soothing sound of water flowed harmoniously, capturing the moonlight, reflecting its gaze as rich sparkling silver amongst the tall trees. 

Forgetting the fleeing. Forgetting the fears. 

Time slowed still enough to finally catch his breath. The mood was soft and golden. Almost reverent. 

This was the place. 

The most beautiful place on earth. 

From near death, he felt an intense thrill rolling out of him as he approached the lake. 

He approached her and gently kissed her. 

Their lips locked into eternity. 

It wasn't so much the underlying satisfying taste that he drew towards his mouth as he drank but more so the enduring sweetness; and he closed his eyes in ecstasy. 

He felt his skin over run with goosebumps. 

Replacing fear with love. It calmed him. There was never a kiss quite like this one before. 

Withdrawing finally after an overwhelming sense of guilty pleasure. The ground was thumped hard at his feet. He could hear his heart pounding so deep. 

The lake...  

"What is your name" he asked. 

She says. Zula. 

My name is Zula. 

Somewhere in the far distance the Wolf leader sees the deer by the lake. He looks upon with vengeful jealousy. 

With a vicious smile and wicked teeth.  

What is that HE doing by MY lake? 

The lake stopped her affection and he looked up to notice a predator wolf. 

The two locked eyes. 

One last kiss. And then he smiled. 

- Folifiasco The Jedi.