"Billy, where are you?" my Mom yells. The Beast stops and runs in the opposite direction. I halt just short of the chain-link fence and chase after him.
I have to protect my Mom at any cost. What can I do? He is stronger and faster than me. "Close the door," I yell as I sprint towards her.
With her matted hair, Mom is still wearing her work clothes from the night before. With a horrifying growl, the Beast charges in the direction of the entryway. His fur stands as stiff as a board and his tail points to the neighbors across the street.
Mom squeals like a pig. She attempts to shut the door. The Beast stops her from finishing the task. He nudges his muzzle in between the door and the inside of the house.
I look around for something to use as a weapon. Anything. Something. I yank a brick from the flower garden and throw it at him. It splits in two and crumbles at his feet. He hesitates and then turns his head in my direction. Mom slams the door.
The Beast has a hungry look in his eyes as he snarls. This is a different kind of sound that he used for my Mom. It is the kind of growl a pack of wolves use right before they attack their prey. He is not only going to kill me. He will tear me limb from limb.
I sprint to the side of the house and scale the chain-link fence. This would be so much easier if I had my shoes on. My toes hurt but I force myself to climb. The Beast snaps and growls as I hop over.
His chilling barks ring in my ears. He grabs hold of the bottom of the fence and pulls. Nothing. The Beast tries to crawl underneath. No go.
He charges at different spots along the fence. It rattles and shakes. But it does not give in to the Beast's brute strength. It seems like he is searching for a weak spot. I should run into the house and watch the show from the bathroom window. But I am mesmerized by his tenacity.
He raises up on his back legs and places his front paws on the top of the fence. We stare at each other. It is like an old western standoff. We look at each other for a few minutes.
"Ha, what are you going to do now?" The Beast steps back about twenty feet and then runs toward me and leaps. He bangs his head on the fence and falls to the ground with a yelp.
I chuckle and smile at him. He peers at me as if to say, "Watch this." Using his back paws, he climbs the fence one chain-link at a time. He is almost like he is a real person.
I remember my old dog would do the same thing when my Dad used to pull into the driveway. She'd climb the fence and greet him with a warm doggy welcome.
The Beast hops over the fence and smiles...
Reader,
I hope you are enjoying "Beast." You can finish reading this book on Amazon.
Author: Reuben Shupp
Book: Creepy and Scary Tales: A Collection of Short Stories
