• tab There was a deep, dark growl coming from the bushes. It was the sound of thunder but much more lively. Jared stood motionless and had no idea what to expect. He was sure the beast could hear the rattle of his boots against the rocks, but he decided walk anyways. Traveling on the narrow path was a hard task to complete when shaking with such intensity. He could sense the beast moving in, but there was nothing he could do. Venturing out from the campsite was a bad idea. His family would soon begin to wonder where he had gone. He believed it to be impossible. Not while he was alone. No one would ever know what would have happened to him.
    tab Jared began to run as all this raced through his mind. It was cold and wet. The breeze against his damp hands felt like a thousand needles jabbing into his bones. He knew he must find shelter and fast. The nearest cave was approximately half a mile from where he was. He knew he couldn’t outrun the beast, but he knew he could hide. This is because it was his only option. A more logical person could have seen that this wouldn’t have made much of a difference, but even they would still try.
    tab The cave was dark and murky. You could hear the dripping of water falling from the ceiling. There was no source of food, but he still had little water. The shuffling of feet caused a disturbance in the rock formations causing loose rocks to fall from above. He knew it was the beast. The movements were catlike, but he could only hear the stamping of two feet. He knew it could smell him and this made him very uneasy. He didn’t know what to think and had no plan of what to do next. The beast was circling around him, and Jared knew he couldn’t escape. His nightmares were coming true.
    tab He knew he couldn’t stay there forever. He had no food, and he was going to run out of water soon. It was dusk and light no longer came in through the entry. The cave seemed much larger than before. He couldn’t see, and he knew he would have to rely on his hearing. He hasn’t heard much more from the beast, but he knew it was still there. He could occasionally hear a low growl, but he wasn’t sure if it was just his imagination.
    tab Hours past by as Jared sat in the same spot. The ground, wet and cold, only became a distraction as he calmed down. He became drowsy and wasn’t sure about sleeping. He knew he had to stay awake if he were to have a chance to survive. He knew he had to get back to his family and warn them, but he didn’t know how. He was hoping by morning the beast would be gone, and he would be able to make a run for it.
    tab Jared could no longer stay awake. He finally fell asleep against the jagged rocks in the cave wall. He was exhausted; he hasn’t slept for hours. He dreamed peacefully, and was at rest. When he awoke the following morning he opened his eyes. It was a beautiful day; in addition, there was a light breeze pushing against the trees. Jared couldn’t remember if what he had experienced the day before was real. He glanced in the distance and noticed two shadowy figures walking in his direction. As they came closer, he noticed that these figures were people. In fact, it was his family. As relieved as ever, Jared ran to his family as fast as he could. Not sure if last nights experience was just a dream, Jared never mentioned it to anyone.