red backstory wip 1

run run Run Run Run RUN RUN RUN RUN RUN

The single word reverberated in my mind as I sprinted almost blindly, a cacophony of screams both real and imagined following me as I moved through the thick forest, my entire will focused on not crashing into anything, and just keeping and keeping and keeping running.

I had no idea where I was, why I was running or even what from, but every fiber in my being kept pushing me forward, faster and faster and further and further, too breathless to stop even as I was tripping over the tree roots and being scratched by vicious shrubs.

My body wanted to shout for me to stop, to slow down and to just catch a breath, but couldn't, every fiber of my body only screaming to run faster and faster, from a fear terrifying beyond words, beyond memory.

But no matter how terrified I was, I still couldn't escape my own physical limitations, eventually crashing into the hard dirt and harder wood, my shoulder aching horribly as I tried to run once more, eventually managing to break into a half jog-half stumble.

As I kept running I heard the forest get quieter and quieter around me, the misty occluding everything beyond a dozen or so meters certainly not making it any less scary. But no matter what, I had to run, I had to keep on running.

If I didn't, something would catch up to me, and it would hurt and kill me.

I screamed at myself, at the growing aching all over my exhausted body, at how I couldn't even keep on running straight, the confusion brought on by the mist and identical looking trees only putting me more on edge, screaming easing to whimpering as I pushed on, hoping nothing would hear me, o-or nobody...

In my growing panic, exhaustion and confusion, I didn't notice the treeline giving way to a dark, wide river, stumbling and letting out a panicked gasp as I fell in, hurting my side as I crashed on the shallow riverbed.

I could barely breathe even if I hadn't taken in a lungful of water, only barely managing to stumble roughly back on my legs and cough all the liquid intruder out, my body hurting horribly with every strained cough before I could finally breathe again, exhausted beyond words.

I knew I couldn't run anymore, not in my state, but I still had to hide, hide somewhere from whatever was chasing after me.

With way more effort than I had expected I managed to climb out of the river, the coldness of the water only setting in now, my frail body shaking uncontrollably as the windchill struck painfully, only helped by me being so drenched.

I could barely even shamble forwards, whimpering with each pained step, just desperately looking for a place I could hide in, just for a moment.

After a few minutes of stumbling on like that I just barely managed to make my way over to a large dirt pit, curling up in it and covering myself with my tail to try to preserve-

Tail!?

I let out a quiet, choking scream as I saw the limb in front of me, large and wet and narrow, seemingly moving anywhere I wanted it to move, as if it was completely natural-

But it wasn't, it couldn't be, I didn't have a tail nobody has a tail!

Or fur all over their bodies!

Only now as I was curled up in this pit I saw the rest of my body, black fur with white spots covering me all over- and the animal like paws and t-these scary claws and-

Oh god I have a snout too...

I couldn't do anything but whimper quietly at the realization, that I've- I've become this- this *thing*, whatever I was.

I-I want to go home...

...

Where is home?

D-do I have a family?

...

Who am I?

I just laid curled up in that pit, thinking, almost begging myself to let me remind myself who I was...

But I couldn't.

I don't remember a single thing, a single person or place before, before...

I was running.

I could only cry at this realization, cry and curl up tighter, hoping that I could maybe wake up from this nightmare...

In my despair and exhaustion I eventually fell asleep, the pit and the cover of my tail thankfully providing me with the tiniest of protections against the cold air and wind.