My attempt at something a bit less sci-fi-ish.
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Trees rustled in the forlorn breeze as the stranger crept through the midnight air.
In the distance, the wolves sounded again, howling their delight at the thrill of the chase. They had caught the stench of the stranger, a strong stench that emanated from his years in prison.
Tonight, he was free. But all was not well.
He pushed through the unfamiliar underbrush, scraping bushes out of the way as they scratched his face. What little moonlight remained this deep was insufficient to see by; his struggle seemed fruitless, but only because one did not immediately realize that the wolves were restrained by the leashes of their hopeful owners. Tethered, they were worse than useless; they gave false hope to their masters.
The man stumbled and fell, scampering back up almost instantly, ignoring his injuries to the fullest extent of his ability. He pressed on, tripped, and fell. Once again he felt himself falling forward, but this time, there was no solid ground to catch his fall. Instead he spun over, around, the tree log he had run into and bashed his face upon the creek wall. His trousers snagged; panicking, he flailed about uselessly for a few moments before grasping hold of the underside of the tree trunk with his other foot and pushing. The trousers ripped, and he was once again free.
But the log, now freed from its years of inactivity, rolled forward and fell. The heavy thud attracted the attention of the hunters, whose ears were already adjusted to the calm of the night. The wolves had long since grown silent; now they eagerly spied their prey in their mind's eye, ferociously tugging at their masters' leashes, controlling them more than they were controlled by them.
The man struggled forward and fled.
He was never heard from again.
