Concrete Safety

In our little town there are whispers of dark creatures that live in the woods bordering our quaint society. They’re said to lurk behind the tree line in wait of their next victim. Many people have gone missing in our area and each and every time it’s blamed on these creatures; never has anyone encountered them and lived to tell the tale… That is until the night one of those monstrosities left the comfort of their dark, wooded home in search for their prey.

It’s eleven o’clock in the evening and I’m laying in my bed listening to Joel Faviere’s voice lull me into my own world. As his voice reaches a crescendo, a ruckus from downstairs makes itself known. At first it sounds like a boot on our door. Then a crash as the front door’s window is broken and translucent shards are scattered across the floor. At this point I am pulling the ear buds out and propping myself up on my elbows, head cocked to one side, waiting. My mother’s screams sends me bolting towards my door, bare feet pounding the wooden floor; I hit the staircase at a full out sprint, never slowing down. As my mother screams a second time, there seems to be an infinite amount of steps left and my legs feel like they’re running through molasses. As I reach the last step my mother screams again, only this time she’s cut off by a sickening thud. I hear her body hit the hardwood floor and the sound I hear next makes my stomach turn and my heart leap into my throat.

It’s the sound of thick liquid being squished through clasped hands.

And slurping.

I want to vomit.

I want to cry.

In that moment, I know I’ll never see my mother’s smiling face again. I know that things have changed. That my mother is dead and I will soon be next. Before I know it, there it is. This tall figure, dressed in all black, a white gas mask covers it’s face, the plastic ventilation hose swings lazily as the figure sways on his feet. The front of the assailant’s black hoodie is wet and slick, it’s hands stained red.

I choke back a scream and will my feet to move towards the back door. Shoving furniture behind me and slamming doors in an attempt to slow down this legendary killer, I finally reach the door. Throwing the white door open, I fling myself into the yard. Screaming and yelling for someone to help me, I gather my feet under me, my bare feet sinking every so slightly into the moistened dirt of our backyard. I continue my screaming as I run through our yard and hop the fence separating our house from our neighbors.

I bang on front doors, trying to get someone to open up, give me shelter. I see curtains close quickly as the realization of what pursues me hits. Nobody wants to be it’s next victim.

I can hear the thing’s breathing behind me and the heavy thud of it’s foot steps. My heart is racing and tears streak my face. My breath comes out in short gasps as I struggle to catch my breath.

I don’t want to die.

Not tonight.

I choke on a sob before screaming for help yet again. I only get half way through my yelp when strong arms catch me and yank me hard to the left. I scream, thinking “It’s got me. I’m going to die. Please, God, help me.” A hand covers my mouth, forcing me to look up at its owner. Seth stares down at me with hard grey eyes. He places a finger to his lips and drags me through the grass towards the wooded nightmare that haunts everyone’s dreams. I dig my heels into the dirt upon realizing this.

Seth spins around, grabbing my upper arms and pulling me to him, “It’s the last place it’ll look. There are more places to hide, more shadows. Harder for it to focus.”

I shake my head furiously, “This is mad! There are more in there and you know it!”

“Do you trust me?” His steel grey eyes bore into my green ones. I take a moment to think this over; hearing heavy boots closing in, I agree.

Seth grabs my hand, lacing his fingers through mine, and nimbly navigates between trees. We weave in and out of the densely wooded area, hearing not just one set of heavy foot steps but five. I squeeze Seth’s fingers and blink back tears of fear all the while praying that these things don’t catch up to us.

I trip bringing Seth down with me, causing a yelp to slip past my lips. He quickly places his hand over my mouth to keep me quiet. He whispers in my ear, “Be very still.”

The leaves rustle as the creatures run past, completely unaware of our location. After the last descends deeper into the wooded area, Seth drags me to my feet and into a bush. “Stay here, I’ll be back.”

He takes off at a full sprint leaving me in the dense bush to wait.

I’ve been waiting for ten minutes and I’m starting to wonder where my knight in shining armor went, when I hear a shuffle of leaves and a grunt. Peeking between branches I see Seth, flat on his back propped up on his elbows, looking up at one of the masked terrors. The creature from the woods leans over and places a finger under the boy’s chin, and seems to lift my friend back on to his feet. There they stand; the boy from my neighborhood all grey eyes and dimples standing face to face with this masked, murderer of thousands. I’m repulsed to hear the killer’s heavy breathing as he stares down my friend.

I feel a hand at the nape of my neck, suddenly my world shifts; my cheek kisses the cool grass on the forest floor and a boot is roughly introduced to my back.

“Stop it!” Seth screams at the figure standing above me, “She didn’t do anything!”

I’m confused as to the meaning of his outburst.

The figure above me grunts towards his comrade before yanking me to my feet. I feel cool steel at my collarbone, and my heart leaps into my throat. I don’t want to die.

“Stop!” Seth shouts again.

I focus my eyes on the boy standing just feet from me. He glares defiantly at the figure, it’s finger still under the boy’s chin. Wispy noises come from the ventilation tube hanging from the grotesque mask. Seth clenches his teeth and hisses something under his breath. Silent tears roll down my face as Seth continues to speak under his breath to these monsters.

The boot above me shifts and suddenly the weight it lifted. I gaze up at the sky in confusion.

Are they going to kill me now? Please, God, I don’t want to die. Not yet. I still have so much to do, so much to see.

The creature drags me to my feet and gives me a shove. I look at Seth for some clarification.

His cool grey eyes meet my confused gaze, “Run.”

I stand there momentarily looking at the boy who saved me; my knight in shining armor. I do a 360 before deciding on a direction I believe will take me home and to the police, and I run. I run like hell is on my heels. I run until the air in my lungs hurts, until my bottom of my feet are cut and bleeding. I run for fear, I run for my mother; I run.

I don’t look back

I don’t cry.

I don’t think about it.

I don’t question it.

I just run.

After I had reached the tree line, I make a mad dash for the police station. They sit me down with a hot cup of coffee as I tell them what had happened. I tell them about my mother, dead in the living room. I tell them about how I ran from those creatures and how no one would offer me shelter. I tell them about how Seth saved me and how I made it to them. At first they don’t believe me until a small child testifies that he did in fact see me being pursued by a masked being across his lawn.

They searched the woods.

They found nothing.

I’ve never seen Seth since that night. Some times I dream about him though. Sometimes they’re good dreams. Some times I dream that he’s become one of them. Mostly I try not to think about it, but I say a prayer for him every day.

I have since moved away from that small town, now I live in a big city in a nice little apartment; far away from any sort of wooded area. The smog and concrete are safe. The busy, bustling people are safe. This is where I need to be; this is where I can forget.