Rushing. Running. Not daring to look back. Breathing heavily he continues to run, in pain and in fear. The pain started halfway from when he started to run and it was getting worse, crawling through his body and strongest at his back and head.

The fear . . . the fear the child knew where it came from. It has followed him since his mother left and was brought to a new "home." At first, his new life wasn't so bad, but then the children decided to toy with him. The beatings never helped and though he was in pain then, it seemed like a joke compared to what he feels now.

Finally looking back to see his persuers, and the dogs, closing in, failing to see the root in front of him. He screams as he feels jolts of pain surge though him, one starting from his legs as he trips on the root and one from his head. The light in his eyes dim as he falls unconcious after the rock his his head - the children decided to through rocks at him again while in persuit.

As the small, bruised, and dirty child falls and crumples to the ground on the other side ofthe root, a hole opens, swallowing him up and vanishing without a trace. The persuing children finally caught up to wehre the child fell, but could find no sign or trace of him. One of them furiously hits a tree with his fist before the group returns hom to tell the Master, their father, what transpired.

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Laughter and light surround him as he fuzzily sees a woman tickling him. A flash of light dazes him before he can get a clearer picture of her, but he then sees the woman again, clearer this time - it was his mother. He stumble runs to her feeling sad, but no tears run while she smiles encourigingly.

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More flashes speed through, each bringing up a new memeory of his and each one slowly getting darker. The first of these seems bright as he sees the children who were chasing him before. This time they are obedient and looking at someone in his direction, but much taller than him. He looks up and sees a man he recognizes as the Master, but he sees no sign of his mother.

Next he sees only flashes of dim light for he is trying to protect himself as he feels the children beat and kick him as they yell and curse him. Another flash. Dim light shows chains are on him, bidning him from moving to far. The child looks at the puddle of water next to him and he sees his warn face.

Footsteps are heard, getting louder as they approach him, with laughter not far behind. Looking up the child sees the Master's children. One comes up to him and unlocks the chains. He fears to move. "Run, little twerp!" the child yells. Laughter from the others resound as he freezes before scrambling toward the dark forest near the property, rushing to head to where he normally hids when they decide to play "tag' with him; he does not want to be stoned, again.

Dogs start to bark as some of the children come chasing after giving him a head start, the rest had decided to wake the dogs in glee. Laughing some more, another child sneers and yells, "It's tag again. Let's see how far you can get this time!:

As he runs in the dim forest everything starts to fade. The child wakes up with a start in the night and he realizes it was just a dream. Just as he was starting to stand, a sharp pain races through him and he falls curling up on himself as he faints again from the quickly growing pain. This time though his past does not flash through while he fitfully sleeps through the pain. All the while a glow strengthens around him as time passes in the night.