When the Gingerbread Man Ran Away

Previously

…He didn’t know where he was going, or what he would find. He only knew that he was moving, and that moving was infinitely better than being eaten. As he ran, a little song began to bubble up inside him, a happy, defiant tune. “Run, run, as fast as you can!” he sang to the wind, his voice a cheerful, piping sound. “You can’t catch me, I’m the gingerbread man!” The sun warmed his back, the breeze ruffled his icing hair, and the world unfolded before him, a magnificent tapestry of sights and smells and sounds. He had escaped the oven, the baker, and the teacup. His adventure had truly begun. He felt a thrill of pure, unadulterated freedom. He was alive, and the world was his to discover.