The young woman ran as fast as possible, her heart pounding in her chest. Emily could hear animals chasing her, claws and teeth tearing at her clothes. She knew she wouldn’t be able to outrun them for long. Then, she saw it: a tree. Emily scrambled up the tree, her hands and feet slipping on the bark. The animals circled the tree, snarling and growling. But they couldn’t get to her, and she was safe.
For now, Emily thought. She knew she couldn’t stay in the tree forever. She had to find a way to get back to her camp. But first, Emily needed to rest. Her body was trembling, and she was covered in sweat. She closed her eyes and leaned her head against the tree trunk, taking deep breaths to calm herself.
It was going to be a long night.
Emily looked down at the animals trying to identify each. In the darkness, she couldn’t tell, although she could hear the sounds of barking. Perhaps wild dogs? Her heart pounding, Emily tried to think of what to do. She could stay in the tree all night, but she didn’t want to. She wanted to find her way back to camp. But how? She couldn’t outrun the dogs, and she didn’t have anything to defend herself with.
Suddenly, she heard a twig snap. Someone was coming. Emily’s heart raced. Was it one of the animals? Or someone else? She strained to see in the darkness, but she couldn’t make anything out. Then she heard a voice.