Snap!
Willow froze with terror as she heard the branch break behind her. Whoever-whatever-it is that was following her, tracking her every step, was gaining. The pegasus snapped her eyes shut and darted ahead, trying to outrun the beast from behind. She gritted her teeth as pain surged through her broken left wing.
What is it that was chasing her? Willow hadn't got much of a chance to study it. She had witnessed it only for a split second before it turned and ran for her in a quick couple of seconds.
Willow focused on outrunning the demon now rather than where she was going. Faster and faster she galloped, blue eyes wide and frozen with fear through the Everfree Forest. The mist grew heavier around her, and she could feel her fur stand on end. She sensed the beast, it was still gaining.
The blue mare was out of breath, panting and exhausted, but she couldn't stop. She mustn't. If she did, she would be torn apart in a heart beat. Willow tried not to think about it.
Death.
The word shook Willow, and her mind whirled with visions of whatever was chasing her ripping through her flesh, sinking it's teeth-or, claws, whatever it had-into her blood, sucking the life out of her. She felt faint at the thought of it. Her hooves slammed hard on the forest floor beneath her, and she felt her heart beating as fast as possible.
She wanted to turn around-look back at what was chasing her. Maybe it was nothing. Maybe her anxiety had just drawn a different image in her head than what was actually there.
Did she dare?
No. It would slow her down. If it was a beast, or a monster, it would kill her. But...what if it wasn't a monster? What if it was just some stray pony? What if-
SMACK!
Willow missed the root in front of her hooves, tripping her and slamming her into the ground. She struggled to get up, but weight brought her back down crashing.
Her head was spinning, and her vision was blurred. As it cleared, the pegasus could barely make out the figure in the depths of the dark forest as it hoovered over her. She tried to scream but nothing came out as a hoof slapped over her mouth.
Her squinted eyes opened wide as she looked up into large, amber eyes.
