A Sense of Her

Written for the Daily Flash Fiction Challenge with a word limit of 300.

The prompts: This story must contain the words: Star, Towel and Stripes

A Sense of Her

Where am I?

He sprinted down the path; aware only of two things: First, he had no idea of who he was or how he came to be running down a jungle trail. Second, something huge was chasing him.

Survival instinct screamed “Run Faster!”

So, he ran; away from the beast that seemed just steps behind.

Branches tore at his face and arms. Twice, he tripped over a stone or root and went down hard. Each time, he bounced back up, certain that the end was near.

His lungs began to burn and he slowed. It was time to throw in the towel.

Then came a sense of Her.

He felt the ache in his chest. He had to survive. He had to find Her. Only she could ease that painful emptiness in his soul.

In the blink of an eye, everything changed. The jungle disappeared along with the ground beneath his feet.

The fall seemed to last forever.

He hit the water hard. A moment later, he broke the surface, gasping hugely for air. A few strokes put him on the shore where he dragged himself out and sat shivering on the sand.

Realizing that hypothermia was a very real possibility, he took off his shirt to wring out the water. That’s when he noticed the stripes.

I know these stripes, he thought, this is prisoner garb.

He lay back on the beach; his mind racing. Was he an escapee? What about Her?

And why is that star getting bigger and bigger?

+++++

The doctor flicked the light into the eyes of the convict strapped to the table and then consulted the digital display on his pad.

“He’s not suffering enough,” he said, “Lower the threat simulation and increase the digital sense of Her.”

Word count 298