Run Freely Novels & Stories

Something like a stone rolls on the ground. Slimy. Ashy Green. Round like a stone. Hannah stands staring at it for seconds. But she doesn't wonder what it is. For she already knows. She feels light now. Her body no longer feels heavy or laden or prickly. Her legs no longer feel wobbly. She feels whole. Steady. Her wolf, Nina, is leaping. Too joyful to utter her usual whimperings. And then without thinking, Hannah breaks into a run. “I'm free!” the words echo in her mind as she runs.

He wanted to show her how to relax and embrace those emotions. "Run with me, Freya," he breathed against her lips. "Feel the wind in your hair, the earth beneath your feet; the sheer joy of being free to race through the trees. Let the forest into your soul; embrace the sounds and textures all around you. Let your spirit fly."

But I have no time to bask in their awe. Without wasting a moment, I swiftly leap out of the window, defying gravity as I soar through the air. The wind rushes past me, carrying the scent of freedom. The world below becomes a blur as I leave behind a trail of astonishment in my wake. The pups in my mouth yelp with joy, their tiny bodies bouncing with each leap.

“You would and should. The pack often comes through my lands on their freedom runs.” “What’s a freedom run?” I ask. “Are they called something different where you are from?” she asks, looking at me with curiosity. “A freedom run is where every werewolf in the back shift at once. We give into our wolfly urges of running and acting wild. It’s liberating, and a good bonding experience for the pack.” “Ah,” I say. I suppose that makes sense. As a human, I’ve never participated in anything like that, but I remember there being something similar back in my own pack, even though it’s called something different.

I emphasized each word that came out of my mouth before walking away. What the hell is that lunatic thinking? Argh! where am I supposed to pee now? That bastard! Damn it!

The best though, other than being an adult, was in the halfway houses; in there you were pretty much on your own as long as you checked in regularly. When I'm running, I'm free. I know that sounds simple, but it's really pretty profound. I'm free to move, to think, to just be. I have no masters, no responsibilities, no demands; it's just me -- putting one foot in front of the other -- and the road.

This is the part I crave. Not the pain. This. The freedom. The power. The pure, wild joy of movement with nothing holding me back.

Humiliated. But also... free. Completely, utterly free.

Not free. Just waiting.

--- --- Clearer. --- --- And finally— --- Free. --- ---