Her heart pounded as she ran, the laden boughs of the Everfree whipping past her as the wolf pursuing her loosed a piercing howl.
She'd thought it would be fine, maybe even nice, to pay a visit to Camp Everfree. Sunset was busy touring another potential college, her few other friends had other plans, and some relaxation now that school'd restarted would be greatly appreciated. And it had been relaxing, at least initially; Gloriosa waved her in, a few bits changed hands, and then she was free, free to be with the greenery she loved. Birdsong had followed her along the trail, and she'd felt her stresses simply melt away.
And promptly return when a timberwolf jumped out and began chasing her. She'd never been so glad she'd spent so much of her life running away from social interactions as she'd been, then; her speed, agility, and skill at finding an exit were probably the only things keeping her alive. Sadly, she thought as the howling drew closer, it looked like they wouldn't be able to for much longer.
She skidded to a halt, while her eyes widened; she'd just run into a hollow, one with sides too steep to climb and no other entrance--or exit.
She whipped around, hoping to backtrack, but found herself almost face to face with the wolf. It growled, foaming at the mouth, fangs glinting cruelly.
"Okay," she said nervously, backing into the hollow. "Now, I'm sure you're hungry, but let's think about this for a few seconds. You want to eat me, which is understandable, and I don't want to be eaten. Now, you could still eat me, but the camp owners know I'm here...I think. If I don't come back, they'll form a search party, and if they find me dead, they'll want to find whatever killed me and punish it. Do you want to be punished?"
Of course, if it didn't it wouldn't have to not eat her; it could simply make sure to leave no remains, or lay low until the search parties stopped...assuming they ever started. It wouldn't surprise her if Timber and Gloriosa had already forgotten her; if Sunset called, asking 'Where's Wallflower Blush?' she wouldn't be surprised if they answered 'Who?'
Maybe her plan wasn't actually the best idea...
The wolf snarled, then began advancing again, slowly, menacingly, padding closer. Every step it took forwards, Wallflower matched with a step back, steps back which she was rapidly running out of. Almost as soon as she thought that, she felt her back press up against the wall, and saw the wolf give a cruel grin; it knew it had her cornered.
"I could try to help you find something else to eat," she offered haplessly.
Instead of a reply, the wolf gave a leap, sailing through the air towards her.
Desperately, she dove to the side, and felt the wolf's claws slash through the back of her sweater even as she heard it slam into the rock. Ignoring the pain burning on her back, she scrabbled back to her feet and bolted back towards the entrance, adrenaline giving her enough of a boost to escape before the wolf managed to recover.
And the hunt was on again, Wallflower running witlessly as she tried to escape the renewed howling at her heels. She didn't think of finding Gloriosa or the camp, she didn't think at all; all there was now was instinct, instinct telling her that a wolf was after her and she needed to run. It didn't matter what direction, or how difficult the terrain was, she needed to run, run and hide.
A stream gurgled in her ear, and she chased it as fiercely as the wolf chased her. If she could reach the water, she might be able to throw the wolf off her scent, and then she could escape. All she had to do was find the stream.
Howls and gurgles sang in her ears as she raced through the forest, her only thoughts avoiding the wolf and finding the water. Everything else faded away into green and brown and soft and hard and pain, the haze of instinct.
She found the stream, barely ahead of the wolf, and frantically jumped in. Uncaring of the splash, she scrambled back out and dove behind a rock as quickly as she could, praying as the wolf burst into the clearing. Please, she pleaded, whatever's out there, whoever's out there, don't let them find me. Let me be invisible one last time.
The wolf looked around, ears pricked and eyes glaring. It slowly padded over to the water, sniffing the air, trying to find where she'd gone.
And, to her lifelong horror (however short that might be), it turned to look at her, following a trail of droplets she'd left in the dirt.
She watched in stupefied despair as the wolf bounded towards her, fangs glinting in the light. It tore towards her, and then into her with a savage leap, claws ripping through her like ribbons. Eyes leering at her in triumph, it lunged for her throat, razor fangs whistling through the air.
And then she burst into laughter, hysterically cackling as she stared Death in the face. She'd gotten her wish, she realized with her last shreds of sanity, she'd turned invisible one last time; it was the water it had seen, not her. The water she'd thought would save her ended up killing her. It was so funny, she couldn't help laughing.
Then the fangs bit down, and she laughed no more.