The silence was palpable. She could hear her heart pounding as eyes darted erratically in the darkness. Did they find her? No, she had covered her tracks. And yet, that hot foul breath. That had been too close. A sudden screech startled her, causing shivers to outline the sides of her arms. To move or not to move. Indecision could mean death. She had been their last chance. She grasped the golden locket harder and grit her teeth. It was time to move.
She struggled to her knees, and remembered his voice. “Keep to the shadows, whatever you do, keep to the shadows, keep low, lest the winds retain your scent and carry it to those who wish you harm. These are youkai, beings of superior scent, smell, and speed. They are intelligent predators. You must leave before he returns.” The wind howled above, screeching as it rustled trees, disturbing the silence that had encompassed the forest. Now! She ran, and ran, darting as fast as her exhausted feet could carry her.
In her mind the words reverberated, “This is not your world Kagome. You must survive.”