CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT

The bright sun had risen high now, and from the shadows it cast across the floor I could tell it was already past noon.

I took a leap over a wide gap in a path and landed on my knees and hands, groaning as I stood back up. I could still feel the pain all over my body, but I kept on walking, slowly.

I could smell Myra moving farther and farther away from me but I chose to tread carefully now. The forest seemed to get bigger with each step I took, and deeper with each mile I managed to cross. I was already facing the wrong direction, and I figured it wouldn't be smart to run towards the direction I didn't want to go.

My hands were aching, as the bones in my fingers felt like they had cracked to pieces. Anytime I tried to use my claws, it only made the pain worse, and it kept me from searching for areas with more dense vegetation.

Yet I still moved like a man coming out here out of his own free will. A man who wanted to enjoy the great outdoors, and who came here just for the sake of cam