She ran like a woman being chased by demons. And maybe she was. But they were her demons. Those emotions and feelings that had caged her for the entirety of her little life.
She stumbled on jagged stones as she ran, her feet often catching on barbed twigs that seared into her flesh. An onlooker would think she was blind with the way she kept tripping on things. And I guess she was, as she was blinded by the tears that kept streaming down her face and clouding her vision.
She kept running until she stopped, bowing her head in pain and gasping for air. It seemed as though the heady rush of adrenaline that had kept her running was beginning to fade, and thus she started feeling the consequences of her rashness from how much she hurt. She felt her lungs burning and as she placed her hands on her ribs, she felt a throbbing ache that promised to torture her for days to come.
She lifted her eyes after she’d attempted to calm down and saw the lake. How had she reached here? The village was miles away. She looked at it in bewilderment as she began to trot towards it. She winced at each step cause of the bruises on her feet nevertheless she didn’t slow her gait as she was destined to reach the beautiful lake.
She dipped her finger into the water and smiled. Its temperature was so right for her, and after her exertions, it seemed like her best bet to finding tranquillity. And suddenly an idea occurred to her.
Lowering herself into the water, she wondered how safe this experiment of hers was. The cobblestones surrounding the lake looked like they would protect her from any imminent danger but also subtly sent a message that she could hurt herself if she didn’t apply caution.
As the cooling sensation of the lake began to take effect on her, she began to think, a flurry of thoughts passing through her mind.
Would she ever be free?
Yes, the water was exhilarating but would it cleanse her of the hurt? The anger, the pain and the fear that had encompassed her entire life?
But as she continued to relax in the water, her mane of hair cascading around her, she felt her worries begin to clear, her anger went away, and for one blinding moment, she felt that even her physical pains had been healed completely.
A contented smile etched onto her angelic face. She knew it wouldn’t last, but for that single moment, she felt happy. She felt whole.
She felt FREE.