Run in the Woods

It was one of those crisp autumn afternoons. The trees were dying and the dead leaves crunched beneath our feet. We could even see our breath, which reminded me that even though the summer was gone, we were still alive. In spite of the trees the place was full of life. Dogs, on leads, barked at squirrels teasing them, hungry to be freed from their owners desperately trying to restrain them. Children's eyes peered through the windows of their classroom prisons and over the hedge-fence of the neighbouring school, equally hungry to be set free to run into the world. The birds had all the freedom. Serenading each other and dancing in the air, before returning to their branches and nests. The trees, decorated with vermilion tips, looked on fire, just waiting for the first snow of winter to extinguish them. It was still early in the afternoon but the sun had already begun to set. It hung low in the sky and although too weak to provide any warmth it was still bright enough to blind you. We walked with our backs to it and our shadows stretched far out in front of us. The gates behind us were once painted a dark green but were now chipped and rusted and the path before us was cracked, snaking across the gentle slope of grass before disappearing into the woods.

We had never walked through a park before and I couldn't understand why; it was full of beauty. She didn't care about that or the cold. I looked at her and she seemed bored. I thought to put my arm around her but hesitated and withdrew. I had caught a glimpse of venom in her eye and knew it was best to leave her be. She had clearly had enough of this outing and was probably going to take it out on me. An argument would ensue and the day's peace would be ruined. Instead she just started to laugh. She took in great lungful after great lungful of air and laughed. She sounded maniacal. She was. She started to tear at her clothes and temporarily blinded me by tossing her long faux-fur coat over my head. It was a sight I wish I hadn't missed. I pulled the jacket from over my eyes and dropped it to the floor; I would've been sour about it, but I could still see her broken hourglass body running away. Her pale flesh quickly turned pink from the cold. She just ran, naked. Those hips of hers wriggled like no other. She knew they drove guys wild and that's why she would shake them. She never lost it, even when she was running through a park with no clothes on. She was a creature of pure sexual chemistry.  She was just another wild animal running free. People started to stare but she paid them no mind. I didn't know what to do - I was excited but my inhibitions would never allow me to join her. I went to chase after her, but instead lit a cigarette. I didn't need the exercise. I was happy to watch her shrink into the distance. When she finally disappeared into the trees, I picked up her underwear, stuffed them into my pocket and walked home. I didn't want a pervert to find them. I would've taken the rest of her clothes, too, but I was lazy and I figured she could do with rescuing some decency if she ever decided to turn around and come back. I wasn't going to stand and wait around in a wind-bitten park for that. I knew she'd be knocking on my door as soon as she got cold.