Running: it was what I learned to do best in my life. From the time I was very young up until now, I’ve been capable of fleeing almost any danger. That is why I am still alive today, really. I could sense the thoughts and emotions of others without them knowing it, so it was hard for someone to ambush me. If I felt rage or coldness, my legs were quick to spring me out of the situation without further notice. Could you blame me for wanting to run now? Neither of us knew the other meant no harm. She was human, and humans meant bad news. I never knew otherwise for as long as I’ve been here. They were quick to judge and prejudice beyond all belief, even against each other. Imagine what I had to go through being like this every second of my life. Every day, I was spat at. Every day, sheets of water were hurled onto me when I fell asleep on the sidewalk as someone would veer their car into a puddle to splash me. I’ve learned to accept their malignance, but everywhere I turned, I found it absolute. No human has ever been kind.

I thought I would be smart if I left now. I bowed my head a little bit and gave myself permission to scurry away from her and remain out of trouble. I wanted to keep my identity hidden to the best of my abilities, which meant staying backwards so she wouldn’t see my tail. Unfortunately, it blocked my view and I had to take my hood off for that, but I made a run for it. But… why wasn’t she following me? At the edge of the forest, I turned around and glanced back at her curiously. I tried to focus in on her thoughts and only received more curiosity. Neither of us were thinking about hurting the other, so for the moment I forgot my fears and blinked, tilting my head slightly, not quite sure what to do with myself. How did she not want to hurt me? She must still think I was human.

She must have realized what I was though. The revelation was obvious in her expression, her essence. I stiffened, ready to make another break for it, but her words took me completely by surprise. I didn’t have to go? She sounded and felt completely reassuring, truthful, and afraid. It seemed to me like she didn’t understand my species. She didn’t quite know that we were completely human in mind, and that her cautious step forward made me take a cautious step back. Her next words reached me on the breeze, barely audible, but I raised a brow at her. Not going to hurt me… right. She must be extremely skilled at holding back her emotions or something, because I’m 100% sure that no human would ever say that to me. They all wanted me dead. It didn’t feel like a lie, though.

I took a step towards her, edging slowly closer until I could see the details of her clearly. She was a girl not much older than I, but her eyes were worn down from pain. Such a similar pain to what I had. “Who are you…” I said with the calmest voice I could muster, “And why are you really here? I didn’t hear anyone running.” I couldn’t help but be suspicious. I ran a hand uncomfortably through my sooty blue hair, my eyes falling back to the ground. It was rather awkward talking to a human like this... without any insults.

I just couldn’t get over it.

I suppose it would be rather strange to see an anthro if you happen to be a human. It’s always a novelty to them, seeing something so like them and so different all at once. I suppose that’s why they learned to despise us. To us, a human was an everyday occurrence. They were just like us, just… bald, and had squashed faces and no tales. She was looking me over, very carefully, and I grew extremely self conscious. In the anthro world, I was nothing spectacular. My coat was a rather dull shade of gray and didn’t grow too long except for on my tail. My ears hung down, not very wolf-like, more like a domestic dog, rather. My nose was long and slender, my eyes a deep glacier blue in color. My hair was a strange, sooty gray and blue hue, my bangs hanging messily and unkempt about my face. Even looking at me closely, you wouldn’t be able to tell I was as thin as I was. My sweater was enormous, the sleeves going at least an inch or two past the tip of my fingers, and the bottom of it went past my butt easily. I held this sweater far too dear to my heart to ever get rid of it.

Her voice lifted into the air a few minutes later, after I had already turned my eyes to the ground and stood in discomfort as she looked me over. I’m pretty? I looked up at her, confusion written all over my face. Never in my entire life had I heard those words come out of someone’s mouth… directed at me no less. I scoffed at her, taken aback by the sudden compliment, having no idea how to take it. I had no idea if she was being sarcastic or not. Flustered, I changed the subject back to something I could handle easier. Why was this strange girl here? She was freaking me out, but I couldn’t but be curious. For a moment, she didn’t answer me. I felt the tension rise again, and my legs began to tense in that pre-fleeing mode they go into. I looked at the ground again, unsure of what else I should do.

At last, she answered me. Jaklynn. A very human name, but not a bad one. I tilted my head curiously at her. A person she didn’t like that she had to run away from? She kept it very vague and ended it there. I was silent for a moment, my head still tilted at her. I wanted to ask more. I really did. Who was she running from? Why was she running from them? Yes, she said they scared her, but that’s definitely not reason enough. Instead, she asked me a question, and I shook myself from my curiosity and took to answering her instead.

“I always come to the valley. Most anthros do. I don’t have a home to stay at, so I’ve adopted the valley as my sanctuary of sorts, I guess you could say…” I paused awkwardly, holding back the biting tongue I had. Oh, it took a lot of effort to not go into a tangent about how we were practically forced here, and there was nowhere for us to live, but I decided against going there for now. I clearly did not know her enough, nor do I open up to people that easily. “My parents died when I was very young… this is the most comfortable place to be… away from eyes that judge.” I said quietly and looked away again. I dared not open my mouth again, for fear that she’d take something the wrong way, and this nice little meeting would turn into something terrible. God I hoped not.