In His Arms

            I began to wake with the sensation of being carried.  My body ached and my left leg throbbed.  Trying to open my eyes I struggled to remember where I had fallen asleep.  I had been riding the bus on the highway.  I squinted, unable to make out the face of the person who was carrying me.  Though he was moving smoothly every little bump sent spikes of pain up my back.  I had been reading a silly paperback curled up in my seat next to the window.  The bus swerved, then what?

            We were running through the forest, my head was against his chest.  He dodged a tree a little too abruptly and I let out a gasp in pain.  It was dusk and the trees were just black columns as we passed by.  We had been driving along a mountain road.  The road had been curvy, had we crashed?  I must have hit my head.  I tried to raise my head.  Everything was blurry.

            “You are alright, relax,” said the man.  His arms were strong around me and even though he seemed to be running at a steady quick pace he did not seem weary or at all out of breathe.  Had I been abducted?

            “Wha-?” I struggled to say.  It hurt to breath, every little movement made me see stars.  His chest on which my head was resting was covered in a soft sweater.  He smelled like rain and he tried to shift me as gently as possible so that I was more comfortably as he ran.

            “You’re safe,” he said soothingly, “I’ve got you.”  I fought to retain consciousness.  It was getting darker.  Where were we going?  Who was he?  I was so confused and scared.  The pain came in surges like angry waves and it wasn’t long until I went under again and passed out.