I moved with the herd, always keeping a watchful eye on the line of hills and the ever-present men staring down at us. Unlike us, they were relaxed, sometimes eating and often laughing. Over time, I began to make out the figures. Apart from the trainers, there were six hunters, three lean older gentlemen with grey hair and three younger men. It was one of the younger men that game me goose bumps. Not only was he lean and handsome, with broad shoulders and narrow hips, but he also seemed to take an interest me. Of all men, his binoculars seemed to spend more of their time pointed in my direction. I was desirable meat.
About mid-morning the men made a move coming down into the playing field. The size our range reduced considerably with the men down on the flat. We tracked a narrow path caught between the men and the woods, something I now treated with much greater respect having seen the results of the tigers within. As a herd, we needed to continue moving to keep the bracelets green. The men took advantage of this and split up, some staying in the middle and a small group moving to block our path of escape. With only a narrow opening between the small cluster of men blocking our way and the woods containing their dangerous tigers, we knew we were in for a chase. No one wanted to be at the back and the herd sped up on its own as zebras jostled to move away from the back. As the pace increased and the proximity to the men grew, my heart beat faster and so did my pace. Within a few seconds, jostling and jogging turned into a full run and then a sprint as the zebras stampeded. Stacey rushed by me pushing me out of the way, her bracelet and my own turning red. I slowed not wanting to approach the men as an available target but the herd thundered on. Suddenly, I was exposed, available, and trailing the herd but a good fifteen metres. I lowered my head and increased my speed to catch up.
When I looked up, my eyes widened as I recognised the man with the binoculars moving in to block my path. My heart fluttered and my head spun with the exertion and shock as I realised the danger I was in. My bracelets remained stubbornly red as I trailed the herd. He moved in, arms out and quickened my pace. We made contact and his hands wrapped around my wrists. I dodged, shaking my arms and breaking free but running away from the herd and out into the open field. The man soon recovered and swung around in pursuit. Two more sprinting men closed in from the left and another from the right. My legs were on fire as my lungs burned and my heart hammered away. Already puffed from the stampede, I was no match for the men closing in. I switched directions again out of desperation and dodged another set of grasping hands but I was out of room and with the men closing in and my body fatiguing fast, it was only a matter of time.
Suddenly, there was a flash of black and white that crossed just behind me. Holly made a dash and provided a distraction, passing so close to me, the wind of her passage caressed my body. With two of us, the attention of the men was momentarily divided and we opened up the gap. The victory was short lived as the fit and still better rested men had more stamina. Now it was both Holly and I running for our freedom. The thunder of footprints closed in relentlessly behind us.
