As I walked, the path twisted and turned very often but I enjoyed the view and the fresh air. I inhaled deeply as I walked, looking out for the dorm of the staff quarters. I walked and walked and walked and walked some more till all my refreshment and enthusiasm were exhausted and a slow steady stream of panic had started flowing into my system. Where the heck am I? I walked over a stump and next to another tall tree identical to the one opposite to me. I swear I just crossed this tree two minutes ago I looked around and called out for anyone around but of course apart from a few birds chirping and squirrels chittering, I got no reply. I face palmed. This is the result of getting carried away with ones feelings! Ugh! I dug around my handbag and found my phone but alas there was no signal in it for me to call someone for help. I pulled at my hair and mentally screamed at myself. What the heck am I supposed to do now? I looked at the tall thick tree in front of me. Should I climb it and see if I can find the staff quarters? As of now, it was my best chance. I looked down at my pencil skirt and groaned. This was going to be really hard. I kicked off my heels and put my handbag on the ground. I folded the CEO's jacket carefully and placed it on my bag. I pulled the pencil skirt up to expose my thighs and secured it there using a safety pin. No one was around to see my temporary lapse of shame. And even if someone was there, the delight of finally having someone to ask for directions would over power the embarrassment of being seen in compromising attire...I hoped. I turned to the thick tree trunk and prepared to climb. I held onto the irregular bark with my hands and mounted one leg onto the trunk. Once secure I pulled myself higher and mounted my other leg onto the trunk also. My climbing skills were really rusty and I was desperately praying that I wouldn't become the girl who fell from a tree and broke her neck. I climbed higher, the tight skirt hindering my movements. I was about to continue when the silence of the woods was interrupted by the sound many wings flapping as a flock of birds suddenly took off into the sky. Was an earthquake coming? I stayed still for a while before hitting my head against the thick bark at my stupidity and continued up. But yet again I was interrupted, this time, by the sound of crunching leaves. Someone was coming! I immediately looked around but saw nothing out of the ordinary. I gulped. Someone...or something? My heart rate sped up and I started to sweat profusely as I frantically looked around for any animal, big or small. To my great relief and perturbation, I still saw nothing. Keep going, I told myself, the faster you locate the staff quarters, the quicker you'll be able to get out of here. But in my state of sudden panic my palms and soles had become sweaty and the minute I tried to climb higher I lost my footing and started to fall. I tried to grab onto a branch but my fingers only came in contact with leaves and air. An inaudible scream escaped my lips as I tumbled to the forest floor, landing with a heavy thud. Pain shot through my right ankle and palms and I gritted my teeth in an attempt to bear it. Slowly the pain dulled, only to return again with a vengeance. Groaning, I pushed myself up from the ground. My palms were chapped and bleeding but not too badly. My head was alright and to quite an extent, so was my torso. The main source of pain was my right ankle and calf. Slowly I twisted my right leg to see a long cut running down the length of my calf which was bleeding heavily. My ankle was throbbing and slightly bruised, a swelling forming around it slowly. Tears filled my eyes as the pain intensified. I waited for it to dull again before holding onto the wooden tree trunk and attempting to pull myself to my feet. Immense pain shot through my leg and I fell back onto the rough muddy ground. What was I going to do now? I couldn't even stand, let alone walk! But I didn't get time to think about my injuries when a deep growl sounded from behind me. My body went stiff and my heart hammered against my chest as my eyes widened in panic and fear. Yet another growl sounded and my breathing became labored. Please be a dog, please be a dog, please just be a DOG! I slowly turned my head to look at where the growling was coming from. The minute my eyes found the source, all blood drained from my face and my breath caught in my chest. About four meters away from me stood a humongous animal, at least six feet tall and long, probably more. Thick shiny rich black fur covered its strong frame. Its claws were enormous against the ground. Its muscles were sturdy and powerful. Its mouth was drawn back in a snarl revealing razor sharp teeth. But its eyes were what caught my eye, deep chocolate brown eyes that almost looked intelligent, almost looked familiar, almost looked human. They stared down at me with an intensity so great that I thought I would faint right there. The minute I set eyes on this creature, I knew I was dead. And I would have much preferred to be the girl who fell from a tree and broke her neck than the girl who was eaten by a...a...a WOLF! Trembling and terrified, I pressed my back into the trunk of the tree, my exposed legs facing the colossal beast, which was bad because he could probably smell the blood. Almost as if on cue, the beast's eyes zeroed in on my right leg which was bleeding onto the muddy forest ground. For a minute the beasts eyes seemed to widen, an expression almost too human crossing its animalistic face. A split second after that a thunderous growl erupted from its mouth making me scream at the top of my lungs and flail around desperately trying to get away from it. My heart nearly stopped when it started to make its way towards me, one strong step after another. I screamed again and tried to get up only to fall onto the stony ground and cry out in pain. That elicited another loud growl from the beast that stood just about a meter away from me now. My heart felt like it was going to burst, my lungs burned and my body ached everywhere. My vision blurred as the pain intensified only to clear and zero in on the beast's body. My eyes widened when I finally noticed it. A thin golden streak ran down the left side of the large wolf's body gleaming majestically between its dark fur. I had seen this wolf before! It was the same wolf that was on the Royale Industry's logo! The minute I realized it, the wolf was upon me, staring deep into my eyes with its own soft brown ones, its enormous frame covering my entire body. I trembled against the ground, feeling nothing but pure and unadulterated terror. As my vision blurred yet again, I knew that even if I passed out now, it would only be to awaken, within just a few seconds, to an excruciating unfathomable pain as the beast ripped me to pieces, limb by limb. And against my will I found my senses being dulled, a slow paralysis possessing my body, a little from the pain, a little from the panic, and a little from the perception that this wasn't the first time I had looked into those dark chocolaty brown eyes! ~ Two roads diverged in a wood, and I- I took the one less travelled by, And that has made all the difference. ~ ___________