Serenity to Souls

That monster

Sloppily dragging my luggage after my wobbling legs, I woozily followed my friends as they exited the plane and strolled across the lavished airport.

My head was pounding.

What a start to my vacation...

"How far away is our hotel from the airport?" I asked, desperate to set an end to this headache of mine.

"The hotel is about half an hour away." Scarlett replied, checking her phone for clarification. I groaned. She patted my shoulder.

"Hey, don't worry about it, we're staying at the airport's accommodation for the night."

My eyes softened. 

Thank goodness.

After what felt like a blurry ten minutes, we finally set off for the accommodation. Soon after that, we found ourselves greeted by the attendants and brought to our room for the night stay.

The room was warmly lit, with four separate, fluffy beds that perfectly catered to our needs. There were a few basic kitchen appliances, but nothing more. Rather, unfortunately, there was only one washroom and one nightstand. However, at that point in time, all I could care about was sleeping, no matter how miserable the bed looked.

Without a moment of waiting, I dropped my luggage at my designated corner, took off my shoes, and collapsed on the bed, not bothering to change into my pajamas.

I dozed off almost immediately.

...

For the first time in an eternity, sleep was peaceful. For the very first time, my brain had never brought me back to accursed situations. For the very first time, my heart thumped in sync with my breathing patterns.

I never felt something more tranquil.

...

With a start, I awoke. As I checked my watch, I realized that it was just past midnight. I was up too early. The atmosphere was calmly accompanied with the gentle snoring of my friends.

Sighing, I walked up to the windows and drew the curtains open. The moonlit skies were perfect, their visuals almost as if they were painted. I stared at the moon, unsure of what else there was to do. After a while of staring, I was about to turn around to leave, when a sudden shadow was shown against the moon. Startled, I squinted my eyes to comprehend the shape of the shadow. It resembled a shape of a wing. The ends were jagged and sharp, hairs fuzzing about them.

Thinking fast, I snatched my phone from the nightstand, and stood intently, adjusting the camera to capture the picture of the sight I had seen.

I pictured it.

When I clicked on that photo to review it, I blinked in disbelief. I looked back at the shadow against the moon, and I looked at my picture.

Why did the picture not capture the shadow?

I clicked another picture. 

The shadow was still not captured. 

What?

This piqued my curiosities. I simply had to find out what that thing outside was. I unlocked the main door with a key, only my phone in hand, and exited the accommodation. Within a matter of minutes, I exited the airport and ventured into the forest that surrounded it.

Though it was pitch black, I stuck with my resolve to find a meaning to this situation. I was not nyctophobic. Turning on my phone's flashlight, I walked onwards. I walked until I found an open space, and I looked at the moon. That creature was not there.