BLACK

Something monstrous

It was hard to turn James down after he put it that way. He's right, it's far too dangerous to be out there walking especially my house being near to the woods. 

James and I walked together to the parking lot, to his parked toyota. Jake is nowhere around to make me feel guilty with his penetrating stare. No one to make me feel uneasy. But despite trying to convince myself the worry is gone. I still couldn't help the heaviness that gripped me. 

Lucas isn't around either so Lou and Caitlyn had no choice but to take the bus. 

The dark cloud and sinister fog lingered as we drove through long stretch of the road. Eerily like a strange phenomenon in one of Stephen King's books. It's even darker now today than it was a few days ago. 

James has his fog lights on, leaned forward on the steering wheel for extra precaution. I tried not to bother him, igniting unnecessary conversation might only distract him. 

We drove a few miles to my house without passing a single car. No other vehicles around either. James kept driving on the road until something heavy fell from the sky and on top of the car. 

James slammed his foot on the break bringing the car into a screeching halt. 

"What the heck was that?!"

We were both startled. I looked up and saw the large dent, big enough to push the roof down. Whatever jumped or fell on his car, it was large and heavy enough to create that kind of damage. 

"I don't know."

James turned around looking for the culprit but whatever it was, it has already escaped. 

All I could pick up was the rustling of the leaves from the woods that I somehow managed to hear. I've always had uncanny sharp hearing since I was young. It was a unique talent that I sometimes found useful.  

I pointed the way to the noise. 

"It sounded like an animal trying to escape."

James yanked the handle, opened the door, and chased after it. 

"Don't!" I tried to stop him but James' adrenaline must've have been in full swing that he failed to hear me calling. 

For a few seconds, there were sounds of two sets of legs running in the woods, and then, there were only one. I couldn't tell whether it's the chaser of the runner who disappeared and there's no sudden sound that gave it away. 

All I know is, one is suddenly gone. 

I tried to focus my ears searching for it when a flare of sudden noise caught my attention. A silhouete of something monstrous stood with lethal silence in the middle of the road. My eyes narrowed trying to make out what it is, but I couldn't. It doesn't look human and it doesn't look like an animal either. It looked like something you'd see in a scary movie or read in a horror book. It's a hybrid of animal and human. A lycan. It stood motionless, it's bright eyes penetrating mine. 

I waited for it to pounce, to attack me, but it just stood there watching. And just as quickly as it appeared, it stalked out of my view and disappeared to the nearby woods.  

I let out a deep shaky breath. I didn't realized how terrified I was until I felt my bladder wanting to give in. The only thing that held me back from losing control was the thought of peeing in James' car. 

I haven't had a chance to gather myself together when James hopped back in to the car making me jump and scream in terror. 

"Grace! Calm down!"

He must've seen the terror in my eyes. My forehead covered in rivulets of cold sweat. 

"Are you okay?" He asked assessing me with his eyes.