Day 51: The Maenad (from True Blood) Chased Me

Vampires, Werewolves and Faires- Oh My! That summarizes some of the characters you will find on the Showtime show called "True Blood". I don't have Showtime but I have been watching the series by DVD and last week I completed season 2.

Anyway, what is a Maenad? Their name literally translates as "raving ones". Often the maenads were portrayed as inspired by him (Dionysus) into a state of ecstatic frenzy, through a combination of dancing and drunken intoxication. In this state, they would lose all self-control, begin shouting excitedly, engage in uncontrolled sexual behavior, and ritualistically hunt down and tear animals (and sometimes men and children) to pieces, devouring the raw flesh (from Wikpedia). This creature was a pivotal character in Season 2 of the show.

Of course in reality, I wasn't chased by one but MY MIND did play a horrible trick on me last Tuesday and that is where the story begins.

Because of the heat, I have been getting up and meeting with a group of people that run/walk this beautiful nature trail. We meet at 6:15 am (Tues, and Thurs) and and usually run for an hour. We had been noticing that it was a little darker, than before, indicating the upcoming Fall season.

So the week before my Tuesday run, I had just completed Season 2 of the show featuring the Maenad. That Tuesday, I woke up and dragged myself to the trail. We started with our normal warm-up and began the walk/run intervals. Being in the south, the humidity embraced (more like a choke hold) us with true southern hospitality.

As usual, you heard the skimmer of the squirrels on the leaves and grass, the chirping of the birds and the foot steps of the other runners on the paved trail. However, at one point we noticed the sound of running feet behind us coming from the woods. This sound was definitely heavier than some squirrels and bunnies and it sounded like it was after us. Everyone in the group was like-what is that?

Instantly, my mind and over active imagination proclaimed it was the Maenad chasing us. Before I knew it and after a quick "Oh Lord", I had sprinted (did I mentioned that I am not a runner) in front of everyone and was off!! Fortunately with the humidity slowly strangling my air passages, my BODY was not having it. I think it told my Mind that it better infuse some Common Sense into me before it did , by any means necessary, something to stop me. So, my mind (I'm sure it was giggling) told me to stop being stupid because the Maenad doesn't exist. Instantly, I slowed down and was like why did I do that?

The members of the group congratulated me on the initiative I took to increase the pace of the run. Little did they realize, that they were following a crazed woman for a minute.

Anyway, tomorrow I will be back at the trail. Even though I know Maenads don't exist, I think I will start saying a little prayer toward off any vicious animals as well as the ultimate monster- Southern Humidity .