Animal - Gazingo

I pace up and down the field

They make the first call

My long legs tense and begin to quiver

Quickly I jog a warm – up lap

Scenarios race through my mind

I imagine first failure

Before I can cross the finish line

I am caught and eaten by the pack

Second call rings out across the large field

The next scenario flashes

A short film in a series

This time, only half the pack catches me

The other half falls behind

They catch up just a second after it is too late

I may have been bitten, but I survived

Third call and I hyperventilate

I stretch my arms high to the sky

Bend over and reach for my toes, so far below me

The final scenario flashes by

The pack gathers close along the start line

My heart hammers in my chest as I see the animals around me

Is it possible my long, lanky legs will make it?

Will I be able to get away fast enough?

Far enough away to avoid being eaten alive

The gun sounds as my signal

It warns me the race is on

I push myself forward

The first curve already is behind us

The weak soon fall behind

But not without a fight

I fear of being unable to escape the bloodthirsty animals

I pump my wings faster

I duck my head against the raging desert winds

I hope against all odds to get the edge I need

Rounding the second curve I glance down

In my peripheral vision I see their shadows

I strain my small ears

Over the pounding in my chest I hear them

Their paws slam the ground on all sides

I know they can taste it

The victory of beating me

Of watching me die in a mob of vicious creatures

A second gunfire warns me

I know this is it

I cross the halfway mark and try to relax

The carnivores are so hungry it burns them

They won’t go down without a final fight

We speed around the next turn

Time seems to be stuck in battle

I feel them biting at my heels

Hear the rough growls escape through their teeth

We’re almost to the final curve

My legs ache

My dry throat burns from dusty gasps of air

One of the wild things behind me strikes too soon

She brushes past

A grunt of desperation escapes my throat

I open my stride further

I will my legs to move faster still against the ground below

Slowly, it seems, I am able to catch back up

I switch to the next lane over

Here the final race begins

My hooves beat the soft red ground

My long, pale legs feel ready to collapse

With just meters to go I push my legs harder, faster

I close my eyes, push off the ground, and fly

Suddenly nothing else matters

Nothing but getting to the finish

Finishing without letting her consume me

Her and the rest of the savage beasts so close around us

My wings beat hard and fast

My legs ache, but carry on

My long neck stretches to reach the finish first

I open my eyes and I see that I’ve done it

I got the finish I needed to continue on in the fight

The heavy bronze medal hangs lightly from my neck

The strange gazingo finally beat the Foxes and the Wolves