His heart raced as he ran panicking through the brush. Afraid to look over his shoulder. Afraid of what he might see reaching, claws extended, for his exposed back.
The beast was back there somewhere he knew. It tracked him. It smelled his blood, his fear.
He could not have saved Anna. There was nothing he could have done. He got out of the car to take a leak. He stepped around a tree and as he was finishing he heard her scream. He ran back towards the car where Anna had been waiting for him.
The rays of the full moon illuminated the scene. The horror of what was occurring was fully evident to him. The beast was tearing her apart. Eating her alive. She reached out to him.
She pleaded amid screams of pain for him to save her. He covered his ears to block her out. Her screams and the beasts howl tore any heroic sense of pride away from him as he turned and ran through the forest.
He didn’t hear the beast in pursuit. He knew however, that after it feeds, it will hunt. He had to stop for a
moment. Fear begged for him to move but his lungs refused to comply. He bent over with his hands on his knees gasping for breath. Listening for any sounds he heard none and moved on. Racing through the forest the limbs of the trees he ran by groped at him, clinging to him, tearing at his clothing. Scratching his face.
Ahead of him he could see a clearing. He paused there, afraid to come into the open.With a deep breath he dashed toward the other side expecting at any moment to meet his death. Relieved to have reached the far side he bounded into the cover of the brush and the thick growth of the trees. Sweating profusely, with his heart hammering his chest, he thought he may damn well die right there before the beast could have its prey.
Ahead of him he saw a light. As he neared the source he realized it was a porch light. Quickly he ran and found himself in a newly mown yard. A wave of relief and the sensation of safety washed over him as he stepped toward the house.
Suddenly with no forewarning a large black mass leaped out at him. He tried to pull away but the thing possessed inhuman strength and speed. To his horror he saw fully, the thing that pursued him. He smelled the animalistic breath that reeked of decayed flesh and the copperish smell of blood. He tried to scream but his cries died in his throat as the beast bit into the flesh of his neck and tore it away, bathing itself in blood and gore.
***
The elderly lady sat in her recliner with her remote easily within reach. She loved cable TV. Best damn thing ever invented she always told company when anyone came over. She was a channel surfer. She doubted if she ever watched an entire program. She was always afraid she would miss something on another channel.
She was rapidly changing channels when she thought she had heard something outside. She pressed the mute button on her remote. She turned her ear toward the nearest window listening.
She heard it again.
Getting up much more slowly than she once did, she shuffled her feet toward the front door. She pulled back the blinds and looked out on her porch. The light was on. She had left it on for William.
There was nothing there.
She opened the door and stepped outside.
“William? William, are you there? ” She called out.
Squinting she looked out over the yard. She didn’t see the black shaped crouched low, crawling slowly towards her.
” William, if your out there you had better answer me! ”
The beast made its way silently to the porch steps. Slowly, quietly it crept up them. It was almost upon her and poised as if to leap before her failing eyesight allowed her to see.
She staggered back in horror. Her hands flew up before her face. The beast looked up to her with its pale yellow eyes which narrowed to slits.
” William! What have you gotten all over your fur! I’ve told you not to make a mess so close to home haven’t ? ”
The beast dropped its head shamefully as it was being scolded.
” Now get in the house and get cleaned up! ” She moved aside to allow the massive beast in the house and she followed him in shutting the door behind her and turning out the porch light. There was a moment of silence before the turning of a deadbolt locking in place could be heard.
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©2011 Gary Ferrill
August 30th, 2011 at 6:16 am
Fun story. Ugh, I hate when my beast tracks blood all over the living room floor.
August 30th, 2011 at 11:42 am
I di like that!
August 30th, 2011 at 12:53 pm
Awesome story…it’s obvious the author has talent.
September 12th, 2011 at 3:21 pm
lol This was great! I truly loved it! So descriptive…during the first half I truly felt panicked. What can I say…I really get into a good story! The ending was PERFECT. I wasn’t expecting that at all