My legs burned, my side ached, my mouth was dry and still they chased me.

“You’ll only make it worse,” my mother had chided, “if you run.” I should have listened to her, but here I was, making it worse.

The cemetery was up ahead, I bolted through the open archway and vaulted three headstones. My old track coach would have been proud to see that I still had it. My goal was not only to outrun, however, it was to outfox. My destination was the forest behind the cemetery. Once I got inside, they couldn’t find me.

Sirens blared as backup arrived. Fresh runners and K-9s wouldn’t be good enough to catch me. In the forest I had a hideout. Jimmy and I carved out this niche, a burrow really, and stocked it with MREs for just such occasions. Actually, Jimmy thought it was for WWIII, but he was crazy.

I fell into the cavern, taking care to block myself in and spray it with the deer scent Jimmy had bought. I’d wait here while they did an investigation, then they’d learn it wasn’t my fault.

She deserved it.