I kept my shaking, jittering shoulderspressed against the lamppost, because it was the only landmark Ihad left in this pitch-black street.
The sanity I'd been desperately trying tohold onto violently gave way. With a crash, I realized this wasn’tnormal. Normal? Hell no. This was magical. It had to be.
My eyes pulsed as wide as they could, so wide I wasterrified my eyeballs would drop out of my skull and fall onto theground by my feet.
They didn't.
But that wasn't because I calmed down. Iheard footsteps. If you could call them footsteps. They weremethodical, rhythmic, one thump after another that grew louder asif something were moving closer. I couldn’t say they belonged to anordinary human. It sounded 10 times heavier than that. To makematters worse, between the stifling beat of my heart, I swore Iheard the sound of a metal chain being dragged across thestreet.
I did not do well in scary situations.Okay, I was pretty good at confrontation – you had to be if youwere from my family. I was good at faking it and lying, too. I wasnot, however, good when I was this shit scared. And I wascompletely and utterly terrified. My entire body had seized up, myshoulders felt like metal rods, my back like an immovable treetrunk, and my cheeks were so stiff I was certain they'd beenreplaced by plaster.
Thump, thump, thump. Rattle, rattle,rattle. Whoever was behind me, they weregetting closer.
I still couldn't see a damn thing. Butthen I remembered my phone.
With a shaking gasp, I plunged a hand intomy pocket, drew it out, and thumbed the screen on. The light itemitted was disappointingly small. In fact, the only things itcould illuminate were my shaky,sweaty hands. I felt a few puffs of my breath shift across thescreen, but that was it. Because, yeah, that was the other thing –suddenly it was cold. And I mean fricking freezing. Whilebefore a lightbreeze had been marching downthe street, it was absolutely nothing to the almost arctic galethat now furiously chased its way down the road.
I pushed myself even harder into theunyielding support of the lamppost. But what could itdo?
I heard something breathe. If, in fact, itwas breathing. It was this strange, rattling, wheezing, heavynoise. Kind of like a giant trying to catch its breath through astraw.
“What… what’s out there.What's outthere?” I screamed.Maybe it would have been smarter to stay quiet, but I was no idiot– that thing knew exactly where I was because it was coming righttowards me.
“Whoever you are, stay back. I’marmed,” I lied. Sure, Ihad a phone that could barely project its light, but—
I had a phone!
Sure, I was almost out of credit, butemergency calls were free.
Though I could barely control my sweatyhands, I clenched my teeth and used all my determination to controlmy fingers as I dialed the number.
I drew my phone back and crammed itagainst my ear, trying to stifle the sound of my terrifiedbreath.
A second later, there was a click as thecall went through. “Oh my god, help me,” I began.
“I am sorry. Your call could not beconnected. You have broken your contract and will be punished.Goodbye.”
I froze.
What the hell?
I didn't get a chance to dial the numberagain.
That thing behind me? It finally caughtup.
I heard something. It was kind of like across between a door creaking on its hinges and a bird of prey. Itwas categorically one of the most terrifying noises I had everexperienced, let alone imagined. It tore through me, shakingthrough that last reserve of my courage and turning me intojelly.
It did do one good thing, though. It brokethe spell holding me in place.
Despite the fact Icould not see the street andeverything was pitch black, I threw myself forward. I stumbled asmy foot twisted towards the gutter, and I fell down to one knee.Though pain slammed into my leg and up into my hip, I still threwmyself to my feet and staggered away. “Help. Somebody help me.Please, help!”
Even if there were any other people inthis magically dark street, I doubted they could come to my aid.For, at that exact moment, the cross between the creaking door andthe hawk moved. I felt a flutter of something past my shoulder thena massive resounding thump as something landed right in front ofme.
I screeched and pitched backward,stumbling and falling on my ass. I scooted along on my hands andbutt, shifting to the side just in time.
Something sliced past my cheek, whistlingthrough the air before it slammed into the pavement a centimeteraway from my right arm.
Chunks of asphalt scattered over my jeans,arms, and face, plastering my hair against my neck.
I brought an arm up, tried to hide behindit, but that wasted precious time.
Because the creature attacked again.
There was another whistle of air andsomething sliced towards me. This time, I didn't have theopportunity nor the luck to duck away. Something slammed against mywrist, wrapped around it, and yanked me forward. Pain shot up myarm, sliced into my shoulder, burnt through my wrist.
I screamed, but there was nothing I could doto fight against the force as it dragged me forward.
The unmistakable heavy metal loops of achain were wrapped around my hand as the creature dragged meforward through the dark street.
I was way beyond screaming for help now.In fact, my terrified mind realized there was only one thing Icould do.
I still somehow had my phone in my otherhand.
Calling the emergency services hadn'tworked, but what about Max?
I didn't have the mental energy toquestion the idea, didn't have the foresight to realize he’d bepretty pissed that I'd run away from him.
None of that mattered. Only living did.
Somehow… somehow I managed it. With the last of my energy,I dialed Max.
I didn't even wait for him to pick up. Istarted screaming. Over and over again.
A second later, the creature dragged meover a particularly rough patch of street, and the phone – my onlyhope – jolted out of my hand. “No, god, no, please,” I choked as Idesperately scraped a hand over the pavement beside me, trying tofind it. It wasn't there. It was gone. And, likewise, I
