Sea

Twilight ran. Images of fire and smoke were still fresh in her mind as she sprinted through the Everfree, leaping over boulders and logs. Tears streamed from her face. She was covered in dirt, grime, and soot, and half her tail was burnt off. She didn't dare look back; she couldn't bring herself to.

She ran for hours before she finally collapsed from exhaustion. Her eyes went wide as she tried to push herself up, but couldn't; her legs had gone on strike. She groaned and grunted, but only managed to move herself forward about an inch. She gave up soon after, lying on her side on the forest floor.

Bird calls rose from around her, strange calls she'd never heard before. It was only lying here, unable to move, that she realized how far she'd run; she was probably a few miles deep in the forest already. She looked helplessly around, trying to see what birds were making the sounds, but to no avail. She was stuck, alone, in the dark woods.

After about an hour, the bird calls suddenly stopped. She looked around again, this time more in fear than curiosity. A loud howling came from far off, followed by a loud creaking of wooden joints that sounded a good bit closer. She gulped, trying to make herself as small as possible. A pair of glowing green eyes poked out of the brush; then another, and another. She was trembling as three massive timberwolves came out of the bushes, walking towards her. She resigned herself to her own death, waiting expectantly...

...only to be blinded by a flash of gold.