Unfinished Works

Milk & Midnight

I have never bought milk at midnight until now and I have to say I never want to do it again. Its pitch black outside and any sudden movement makes me jump. If I would have known where I was going to be this very minute, then I would have never read another of those Supernatural books, they give me the creeps. Either way they are really good books and even if I did know where I was going to be I may have just read them anyway. I wouldn’t have even been out here if I wasn’t so distracted by my book to not even check the time or see if it was dark yet. If I had realized I would have went to bed, missed my father’s grand entrance and be safely tucked away in bed. But I didn’t, so now I’m out here walking to the convenience store to buy milk all because I forgot to pick some up when I did the grocery shopping last time. You would think after doing the grocery shopping as long as I can remember, since my brother and father refuse to do it, (they won’t even go pick up one item, ONE ITEM) I wouldn’t forget the milk but I do.

 “Hey there.” Says a man’s voice from behind making me stop for a second before I start running as fast as I can. I can hear him behind me as fear takes over my body and adrenaline kicks in. I am not a fast runner, in fact I can barely run past the mark in gym but I find the man’s feet slowing down behind me and eventually I can’t hear them anymore. This doesn’t stop me though, I still keep running on until I make it safely inside the store.

 The older teenage girl by a couple years who stands at the counter gives me a look I can’t describe then continues on with filing her nails. I look from her to the large windows where standing outside is a large group of people mostly made up of men who stare at me with pitch black eyes. I blink and then they are gone. I really need to stop reading that book series.

 I look away from the window and go to the back of the small store where the overly priced milk is kept and grab a small carton. I want to look over at the windows but the fear has never left me and me being the coward I am, I don’t even try to look. Instead I walk straight to the counter where the older girl stands and put the milk up. A little reluctantly she puts the nail filer down and rings up the milk. I place the correct amount of change on the counter and take the milk.

 I glance up at the window above the door as my curiosity becomes too much and find that there is no one outside. Instead of breathing a sigh of relief I tense up even more and brace myself for the worst as I open the door. Nothing happens except a cool breeze that passes by making me button up the last few remaining buttons on my red sweater and pull up my hood on the thin brown hoodie I wear underneath. It’s a little worn but that’s to be expected when it used to be your older brother’s and he was about to throw it away.

 I keep walking and soon find myself half way home when I hear a noise to my right. I turn my head slightly to see it coming from an alleyway where a lone large garbage can stands and one street light shining in offering minimal light. I turn my head and start to walk away but stop when I hear a small, ‘meow’ come from behind the garbage can. As much as I would like to just walk away I have a soft spot for animals and find myself walking towards it. What I find is a mother cat and three, four baby kittens that look to be just born with eyes that haven’t even opened yet. The mother is white and orange and so are two of her babies. The third kitten is white and grey with only a couple of orange spots and the fourth is mostly grey with a couple orange and white spots. I can’t help but smile as they meow softly.

 There’s a crunching noise that comes from my left and I quickly look up. The same group of people from before stand here now in front of me with the same pitch black eyes that send shivers down my spine. One of them, the oldest who looks to be in his forties smiles and I cringe. I want to stand up and run away or at the very least back into the corner of the alleyway but stop myself. What about the mother and her kittens?

 I stand and hold my ground as they all take a step towards me. Just as they are about to take a second, they stop and the man’s smile is gone. Fear grips me as I realize that they are not staring at me anymore but something else behind me. My heart begins to beat so loudly that I think maybe everyone can me as I slowly begin to turn around and see who or what it is. I freeze as a voice from whoever or whatever it is begins to speak.

“Well, well, well. Cornering a girl and her… cats. I’m sure hell will be proud.” Says the man’s voice from behind me, or what sounds like a man’s voice.

 I feel the grip of a hand, or what I assume is his hand as I am pulled behind him and nearly knocked to the ground. He has a strong grip. I watch him and those people with the black eyes as I lean against the wall for support when my vision becomes fuzzy. I see it in a haze as the man puts hand after hand on the people’s heads making white light erupt from them until they fall over. It’s only when I can barely keep my eyes open do I realize that I’m still holding the milk. It slips from my grasp as everything goes dark around me and I fall onto something hard.

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 It felt real. From walking to the store for milk, to finding the kittens and their mother, the people with the black eyes, and that man. But when I wake up in my own bed I face the reality that it was probably a dream, even if, in my gut I knew it wasn’t. I try to get it out of my mind as I get dressed quietly as to not disturb my family that is still sleeping and head down for breakfast but it won’t leave me. I open the fridge and stop.

 Staring at me is a carton of milk.