Stolen Hearts (Creepers Love Story)

He's Toying With Us

Screams echo off of the school bus' walls as Andy is forcefully pulled up through the hole caused by the creature. Everyone, including me, are either stunned or are shoving each other further and further back in the bus.

Kimball and Big K take the chance to grab onto Andy before being pulled further into the hole; Andy continues to cry and plea for someone to help and get whatever the hell this thing is off of him. On gut instinct, I grab the javelin lying on the ground and stab the creature with all my might. And by the pained cry that escapes his lips I got him in the shoulder, weakening his hold on Andy slightly but he still has enough strength left in him to continue pulling him through. I tried pulling back on the javelin but its lodged deep in his shoulder and I struggle relentlessly to get it back. 'Curse my small body!' I thought as the boys continue their fight for the life of their manager while I struggle to get our only weapon free.

"Oh give me that!!" Rhonda cried.

Seeing that her 5'8 height overpowered my 5'2 frame, she was able to create a more powerful and painful strike against the creature, allowing the chance to win back Andy and all of us retreat to the back of the bus.

'Damn it!' I cursed myself for my sudden moment of bravery, I probably looked like a fool.

I tried to make my way to the back of the bus, but, all retreat further back away from me. It suddenly dawned on me that they were scared of me... All of them.

I look to Kimball and Izzy to see that they are ushering me to them.

Them, Minxie, Chelsea, and Big K have separated slightly from the others just so that they can get to me. Making my way to them I am suddenly in the arms of Kimball, Minxie and Izzy and an overprotective comfort that engulfs me completely.

Well not entirely.

Looking back we see the javelin still moving in struggled attempt to be set free and free it was but pulled outside with the creature. We all remained silent as we heard grunts on the roof and the bus being shaken from side to side.

All of us were too afraid to even make an attempt to move.

Spotting my camera on the seat I untangle myself from my friends' hugs and bring my index finger over my lips to signal everyone to stay silent. I quietly grab my camera and power it on, slowly walking towards the front of the bus where the hole resided. The only angle I could get best of the creature and see what he's doing is in the drivers seat of the bus.

Gulping, I slide into the seat and point my camera lens up and zoom in to get a clearer view. I have to applaud Rhonda for her strength because the javelin had lodged itself through and through his skull, through his eye socket to be exact.

What confuses me though is that he's grabbing both ends of the stick and dragging it forward and backward, causing more friction and painful grunts and moans to escape from him. After a while he's finally free of the javelin, but, taking a good quarter of his head and skull with it. And my stomach churns from the exposed brain mass and hair like strings on full display.

His head turns to where his body is captured by the moons light and part of his missing face is hidden, giving a side profile of the dark creature of the night.

Without thinking my finger presses down on the shutter making an audible 'click', breaking the deathly silence. The creature slowly turns to me and makes eye contact with me through the camera's lens. In that moment it felt like my heart stopped beating all together as he returns to me a deadly smile, licking his lips in the process.

"Oh GOD half its f***** head is gone!" Kimball was in front of me staring at the creature with me. His sudden statement makes me jump and squeak out, making the creature sneer at him and standing to take flight in the night once more.

Scotty and a few of the others had made their way to the front to see what was going on, but, missed his chance and only saw the creature take off. And the bus was silent again.

I could tell from the looks on everyone's faces that they were confused and scared shitless. "What the hell?!" Rhonda exclaimed, still shaking in her boots as she looked towards the sky.

"What the hell is that thing doing? Wasn't he gonna come after one of us?" one of the other jocks said.

I wondered the same as the others unless the creature was finding ways to make us more vulnerable; he is like most other predators within the animal kingdom.

He's toying with us. Make us antsy enough to make the first move to separate.

"Kimball? Izzy?" I wanted to explain to them what I thought was going on, but, both shushed me and were listening to their surroundings. There was a silent whir in the wind, as if something was falling from the sky at full speed. I wasted no time and grabbed both of their hands and led them to the seats and sat on the ground, covering both my camera with my torso and my head with my arms.

Eventually both boys caught on and did the same; in a blink of an eye there was a full on heavy collision on the bus' roof, strong enough to cause all of the windows in the bus to explode and shatter.

The atmosphere in the bus was now cloudy from the sudden impact and everyone stood on wobbly feet. I open my eyes to see Kimball's body over mine to protect me from the impact of the shattered glass. I took a breath but coughed from the cloudy dust in the air; I looked up at him as he looked down to me, "Are you okay Natalie?" he asked, all I could do was reply with a small nod.

Still slightly shaken.

This was not what I had expected the creature to do at all.

Izzy and Kimball helped me stand up and I scanned the bus and its inhabitants. "Sorry," I whispered as I looked down to my feet, feeling bad about not warning the others sooner.

"Hey, city girl don't worry about it," Izzy reassured me while messing with my hair. Kimball on the other hand had a firm grasp around my waist. My heart rate increased slightly as he tightened his grip, causing me to lean more and more into his chest to hear his spastic heartbeat; his head rested in the crook of my neck and as his breath hit the surface of my skin causing me to shiver. My breath was caught in my throat and I could feel my face heat up. I look over at Minxie behind me who was giggling with Chelsea; Minxie wiggled her eyebrows as Chelsea mouthed 'Go girl!'

They were no help to my blush whatsoever.

WTH!!

Izzy made his way to the front of the bus while a few students stayed in place. I placed my hands over Kimball's that were resting on my hips and turned my head slightly to try and look at him. But as I tried I saw the articles of clothing the creature had peak though the broken cracks of the bus. This caught not only my attention but everyone else's on the bus.

He landed right down the middle of the bus. His wing rested on the other side of the bus window.

"You have gotta be-"

"F***** kidding me" both Andy and another random jock said, finishing each others sentences. I look to Kimball who's now looking with everyone else at the clothing peeking through the now exposed bus. He looks back to me and the look in his eyes shows slight fear but bravery and determination overshadows the fear as his big hand comes tot he back of my head, pulling me to rest on his chest once again.

And same time as the last.... the feeling of safeness returns.

However that moment doesn't last long before Izzy comes back and nods his head at Scotty. He looks to us then to the clothing in the roof, "Get those doors open! Now's our chance!" he exclaimed.

But I have that gut feeling again, it was too late for us.

We were trapped.