A Casual Killing

I crouched low, lying as flat as I could, resembling a woodlouse under stone, buried among the undergrowth of thick brambles and bushes.The hide out was well sheltered, enabling me to tuck myself into a hole at the base of the tree.
My heart was pounding so hard; I was surprised it didn’t shatter my rib cage and just drop out, on to the earth with a thud, there and then. The desire to be sick was so strong I had to keep swallowing. Yet, my breathing remained shallow. I didn't dare move an inch.
I had already wet myself. Frantically, I wondered if fear could be smelt from a distance.
I had this nightmare over and over again, played it many nights when curled up tight, warm, and safe with Viv. The nightmare that left me drenched in sweat and panic. Now the nightmare was suddenly real.
“Can you see her?!” yelled a distant, rumbling voice
“Over here I think, let’s keep going, we’ll catch up eventually, plenty of daylight left ” another voice boomed.
The sound of the dogs barking faded until all was quiet.
In the mayhem of the past hour, I had been separated from Viv.
I closed my eyes and thought back, when all had been the start of a bright day.
There we had been relaxing, feeling safe and content just to lie and enjoy the warm sun together, when she heard the voices.
Viv suddenly had sat bolt upright, giving me a startled look. Her beautiful brown eyes conveyed her fear.
“Can you hear that?” she whispered
“What sweetheart? No…..I don’t hear anything, but saying that you’re ears are far better than mine these days!” I replied, trying to snuggle up to her.
She was having none of it.
“Listen!” she growled urgently.
So I did.
In the far distance I could hear dogs. Not one or two, but what sounded like a pack, barking in excitement. Voices of different decibels penetrated my hearing. Shouting, jeering and laughing of many men.
“Yes, I hear it now. Come on, time to go”. I felt apprehensive, but didn't want Viv to feel anymore frightened than she was.
We jumped up, looked around quickly, but as yet, couldn't see anything and began to run towards the wooded area. There we would be safe.
Glancing over at Viv, I noticed the dread in her eyes, her body was trembling.
“It will be okay, we just need to move quickly and get under ground” I reassured her.
But she wasn’t reassured at all.
They seemed to have travelled much quicker than we had anticipated.
Before we had time to stop and catch our breath, find a hiding place, they were almost upon us.
The sound of the men and their dogs seemed to be snapping at our heels.
“We’ve got to separate” Viv looked at me desperately,
“No! We stay together, Viv, No way are we doing that. ”
“You know staying together is a bad idea, I will meet you at our place, we have to do this, and you know this is no time for you to argue with me”, she urged frantically.
I stared at her. I opened my mouth with a retort.
“You know how much I love you, but we always agreed this is what we would do. Someone has to care for the children” she whispered softly, and turning she ran, scooting in and out of tree’s like a startled deer, before I even had time to think.
And then she was gone.
“Damn you, Viv!” I muttered angrily.
She had left me with no choice.
Yes, we had agreed on a plan, but now it was here I felt dumb struck. I never dreamt the plan would come to fruitation.
So, here I was trying to remain obscure, praying not to be found, terrified of where Viv was, if she was hidden, or safe away from here. The men had obviously spotted her at some point and were searching. There seemed little I could do, but hope and pray.
My mind wandered to our kin. We had only meant to go for a stroll. The sun had been a temptation, and a mistake. One I prayed we would not have to live with.
They would be fretting by now knowing them.
I wanted to cry.
Time endlessly crawled. I waited. As each moment passed I began to gain hope that we were over the worst, and in no time we'd be home thanking our lucky stars we had made it.
Just as I began to think it might be safe to venture out, my batty hearing, as Viv called it, picked up in the distance a commotion. I strained my ears.
“There she is!” screamed a voice
"Bloody hell, she can't half run, look at her go", his excited voice rang out.
“I see her…..come on, quick! We won’t lose sight of her again!” another excited voice shouted.
A roar of activity rang out as the men gathered. Distant sound as dogs began to howl.
My heart accelerated yet again to full power.
My stomach began to churn.
My head felt like it was simply going to explode with terror.
“No, No! Not Viv” I silently pleaded.
“Please not my Viv”………..
I lifted my head cautiously, shuffling out of the narrow hole, and peered through the tiny gaps in the undergrowth.
Searching.
What I saw almost killed me.
Viv was running in a straight line. Her beautiful red hair flew with her moving feet which pounded the earth. I could tell her legs were tired as she ran across the open green field, and see her chest rising and falling rapidly, her eyes wide with terror.
Not far behind her the dogs, maybe twenty in total were running also, growling and snapping their jaws, men on horseback mingled with the ferocious dogs, galloping at a steady pace, the riders faces full of determination, red with exertion.
I began to pray. I began to sell my soul. Let her escape this, let her live and you can have all that I have to offer. Let her live. Please, please! Spare her.
My eyes were riveted.
I willed her to run, her every breath, my breath.
Her every tired movement, became mine.
I was with her, physically, emotionally and spiritually.
But the dogs, horses and men continued to gain speed, and Viv began to falter. Her legs began to buckle from sheer exhaustion, staggered and then up righted and continued.
Not once did she turn her beautiful head to see how much they had gained. Her eyes remained focused on nothing, but what was ahead. She ran with all her heart.
It was not enough.
The pack of dogs descended upon her like a tidal wave crashing to the shore. Powerful jaws sank into her flesh, ripping at her limbs, sinking teeth into her neck, shaking her as if she were a rag doll. Pulled her in every direction. Teeth grinding down on bone. I could see blood seep into the grass, her life blood soaking the soil as the dogs continued their deadly assault.
I heard her cries of terror, turn to a whimper, then silence, as she died. I lay my head down, and I died with her.

“Not bad for a days sport….feisty little vixen, hey?! Those four legs sure carried her mighty fast across that field! Gave the horses a good workout as well, and the dogs are fed! All in all, a good days work!”
And as the dogs continued to shred their new plaything, the happy hunters turned towards home.