I remember when my eleventh cousin, Joeilus, and I were thieving cronbils from lode six. We had been cavorting there for at least fifteen minutes when we heard a telltale click echo from the far edge of lode five. Our ears flattened as we froze mid-chew before slowly swiveling up onto our haunches to listen for a repeat that never arrived. We waited at least ten seconds before Joeilus spoke.

“Let’s see what that was.” He brushed past me as he tiptoed toward the gap between lodes five and six. A crumb dropped from his chest.

I followed obediently as I always did when there was someone strong-willed leading the way.

As we neared the edge, he pointed to the corner a few steps ahead and said, “Take a look.”

“No way, this was your idea,” I whispered to him. “We could take the long way back and not even have to worry about it.”

He tilted his head mockingly. “Bah. One little noise and you act like a baby trilp. I’ll look first since you’re such a fearbie.” Joeilus peered around the corner cautiously at first but after a few seconds he spoke with confidence as he turned back.

“That was nothing. Listen.” He paused with his arms out for affect, his palms down. “Do you hear that silence? That’s the sound of cronbils begging to get in my gullet.” He paused again, listening, and I listened too. Our ears scanned the angles and heard no sound at all. We waited some more, and I could tell that he really was being cautious.

“How long do you want to wait before you believe that it was nothing?” He stepped slowly backward into the lode doing a small dance with each step. Now he was being utterly sarcastic and the smirk painted on his face taunted me.

I saw the shadow fall first and then I felt the turbulent wind of speed as Joeilus was swept off of his feet in the claws of the beast.

“Run!” He screamed to me, and I saw him receding at a terrific velocity toward the fanged maw gaping far above me.

Needless to say, I ran with everything I had.

Behind me I heard a thud-click as the other set of claws slapped down behind me just after I ducked into a passage. Joeilus was silent now, and I knew that the difference between my life and his was mere chance.

That was how I had learned to trust my instinct. Now, standing on the edge of the bunk with my spine twitching I was filled with memories of Joeilus and the uncanny silence and speed that the beast was capable of. This was the same silence, and my uncle’s words rang in my memory.

“Run away – to run away – to run away another day.”

He was right. This was the way of our people. We had no warriors since Fiolud the Brown and he was nothing but a legend to those of my generation. I was left with little choice; if I stayed, I would die. It would take an hour to get home, but I had gleaned enough bounty to make it worth the trip even if I left now.

The passage I needed was across the lode, a small hidden entrance under a structure that was natural in these parts. Its tunnel would meander and wind through paths burrowed over many years, but it would be safe. It was our world, my world, and I would be safe if I could make it there.

I knew if I ran straight across the lode I would be caught. This lode had a number of tower structures at its edges, and some of them had ledges and divots that might hide me. Taking my time I scanned again, and though I caught no glimpse of noise, the feeling of terror had not subsided. Sidling to the end of the structure that towered above me, I judged the distance to my next spot. I took a breath, put my head down and ran.

There was no reaction to my appearance. I repeated my scurry to the next hiding place just about one-third of the way toward my goal. Again, there was no whisper of noise, just the hush of an empty lode. My fear melted into a sparse breeze of tension as I caught my breath. It was just paranoia – just irrational fear. I looked to the next spot. This one was a little further away, but it had a fair cavern near the far side that appeared to be comfortingly dark.

I took off jogging rapidly with my eyes on the darkness ahead. As it came near I felt the uncanny sense of impending doom, and I jumped with an awkward lurch. Landing just shy of the darkness I stumbled and rolled. Just behind me a massive claw-infested fist hit the ground only inches from my feet and panic attacked my throat.

I squeaked in shock and ran further into the darkness as far as I could go until my body was pressed, panting against the rear of the cavern. I heard a scratch from where I entered and closed my eyes in dread. [I will not get out of this one.] Slowly I opened my eyes and looked. There was a large shadow moving outside of the cavern and the deep huff of drawn breath. It was searching for me.

The wall continued to my right and I quietly snuck along its edge just to increase the distance between myself and the beast. There was another entrance to the cavern! My brain could not believe it. There was a gap and beyond it another cavern that was fairly close. I did not think; I sprinted with all of the speed I could muster.

Now, I do not want to toot my own horn here, but I was no slouch. I could run as fast as anyone I knew. There were the occasional races around the neighborhood and I won more than I lost. Nevertheless, I had not gone forty paces before I felt the alarms go off again. This beast was on the other side of the whole structure sniffing me out, but as soon as I got into the open it had known that I fled and was able to make it around the entire structure in a time frame I could not comprehend.

This time I ducked and slid to the side a little, but its claw tore into my back. It felt like I had fallen and impaled myself on a foot long thorn, but unbelievably it had not caught me. I knew that to be caught and propelled toward the maw of the beast was the end of all ends. There was no coming back from that. I knew I had to swerve and avoid better than I ever had.

Another fist connected with the ground right where I had been a moment ago. Scrabbling on the ground for footing I vaulted toward my goal and swerved into the inky cavern. My eyes had not even adjusted before a fist came thrusting with fury into the hole I occupied. The arm pivoted on the beast’s hairy elbow and swept the immediate interior.

I only remember running and slamming into a wall there, ricocheting off the angles of the cavern before emerging into light on the other side. Based on the velocity that it was able to gain last time, I knew I had no chance of outrunning it. Nevertheless, I ran anyways because it is what I do and, to my luck, something delayed the beast’s progress.

I do not know what happened. Maybe its elbow caught on a lip. Maybe it committed the entire arm up to its shoulder and was furiously dismantling the back of that cavern. Maybe it had a moment of mercy and wanted me to get away. I did not really care why, but there was a distinct postponement of my calamity, and I used that moment to run.

The distance was shorter on this span, and I could see my goal in sight. I ducked, swerved, and twitched with every ounce of my strength hoping that my efforts would foil the lightning quick fists that were sure to appear behind me.

WAM! A thud shredded the ground to my right, the terrain exploding under impact and raining chunks around me. A gray-orange ball the size of my entire body and full of razor-sharp claws spun toward me. I glanced left and saw a shadow. I knew why this fist had not hit me. It was directing me toward the other. Counter to my instincts I jumped backward and to the right – directly toward the proverbial jaws of death.

The fists clashed right in front of me as I ducked under and charged to the right. An involuntary squeak came out of my mouth as I entered the darkness of the passage. A moment later the beast’s last, desperate thrust consumed the glow from the entrance, but I had more momentum and was able to avoid its rage. There in the tunnel bleeding and exhausted, I collapsed.

Despite the pain and weariness, I felt vindicated. I had endured jokes and taunts about my cautious nature, but they served me well to the end. I was no Fiolud the Brown, but I had the speed and agility of my ancestors. I did not need to fight. I only needed to survive.