City Trails

Thump, thump, thump, thump...

Despina's feet hit the pavement in a steady beat, her pace eating the ground, covering the distance in a short amount of time. Her breath came in ragged gasps, proof of how long and hard she'd been running. The sun was setting, creating a beautiful backdrop to the city, but she didn't see it at all. She was far too worried about the ground ahead of her.

She heard a growl from behind her and increased her pace, skirting dumpsters, jumping over piles of trash, and not daring to look back for fear of tripping. What that creature was doing in the middle of downtown Chicago was beyond her ability to explain; all she cared about was getting away from it, somewhere safe. And 'safe' was a relative term in this part of town.

The growl sounded closer, but she couldn't be sure if it was real or her own imagination, using her fear to play tricks on her. Either way, if she didn't get to safety soon, it wouldn't much matter. That thing would be on her any minute now.

A light shone up ahead, then sharpened into the headlights of a car. She screamed, waving her hands, and moved into the road. "STOP! STOP, PLEASE!"

The car screeched to a halt, the smell of burned rubber rising in the warm summer air. "Are you fucking crazy?" yelled the drive, a man, as he leaned out his open window.

"Please, help! There's something out there!" she said, pointing behind her.

"What are you talking about? There's nothing there! Are you drunk, lad- oh, FUCK!" He slid back into his seat and gestured wildly at the passenger side door. Despina wasted no time in yanking it open, and the driver tore off down the street before she was even fully seated and had the door closed.

"Thanks for that," she said, gasping for breath. "It's been chasing me for about fifteen blocks."

"Fifteen!" He looked as if he would say something else, then shook his head. "Back alleys, huh?"

"Yeah. I thought I'd lost it for a while there. No such luck, I guess. Really, thanks for the lift."

"Any idea what the hell a panther is doing loose in Chicago?"

"None. Zoo escapee, maybe?"

He shrugged. "Possibly. Looked a bit big for a zoo panther, though. My name's Jack. You?"

"Despina. Pleasure to meet you." They rode in comfortable silence for a few more moments, before they heard a thump on the roof of the car. "This day... just keeps getting better and better," she said, turning to look at Jack. "Sorry I got you into this mess."

He shot her a small, tight smile. "It's okay. Just hang on."