Slap. Slap. Slap. Slap.<br/><br/>She loved that sound. It was the sound of her shoes hitting pavement. Such a simple sound, but she could only hear it at a time like this. The evening was just draw, the crickets singing their songs to bid farewell to another day. The trees were quiet and still. No cars could be heard from the road near by as she ran down the forest trail. The feeling of her long, auburn ponytail hitting her back as it swung back and forth served to measure the tempo of her run, along with the thumping of her shoes.<br/><br/>Her breath was fast, slightly sharp, and the cool air of the forest felt splendid. She normally would stop and turn back at this clearing, near the break in the trail where families could picnic, but tonight, she felt like continuing on. The sun was setting faster each night, and she would be jogging in the dark, but she knew the trail well. It was such a lovely night.<br/><br/>As she ran, she slowly let the ball of yarn that was her thoughts unravel. Worries about work, stresses about family, and tension over bills slowly loosened and faded away as the yards melted away under her feet.<br/><br/>She finally blinked and looked around, shaking off the stupor of thought, to find herself deep into the wooded trail. She knew from the map that from here, the trail only went deeper. She could continue on for days and find only lakes and other hiking stops.<br/><br/>It was time to head back. She'd gone much later than she should have. After pausing to catch her breath for just a few moments, she turned back to retrace her steps back to her car. This time, her emerald eyes scanned the woods attentively. She was nervous now, aware that she was a single woman, alone in a darkened forest. Breathing heavy now, she increased her pace a bit, winding down the path as quickly as she dared in the darkness.