The Skylar Experiment : Beginnings

Chapter Thirteen - Alone in The Clearing

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They were singing and laughing in the backseat and I was hardly acknowledged. That was cool with me. My social battery had run out.

I asked the driving girl to drop me off at an intersection after the main road. Although my house wasn't quite near, I could use a stretch of walk to sober up before my dad would witness this mayhem. Also, it had been established that the streets were safe from predators with a vendetta.

It was taking me longer to walk than I'd estimated. I was floating, cold, sore, and achingly thirsty. At least it was calm. Wish I had a flashlight, though.

"Riley?"

I perked up at the sound of my name, peering through the trees. It sounded like... like...

"Luc?"

A moment. I waited on the side of the road, unable to process how he got here, of all places.

"Where are you?" I yelled, and thought I might barf right there on the asphalt.

"I'm right here."

It sounded eerily distant like an off-key piano. I frowned, unable to grasp why he followed me. How did he know I left the party? Right here, my ass.

I stumbled across and dove beyond the treeline, about to show him what right here meant. There was nothing in these woods or it would have jumped us both by now. Wicked branches clouded my vision. I called again in between checks. This darkness was total, and the glow from my dying phone didn't provide much assistance.

"Riley?"

What, he was searching too? It was impossible. He had to have spotted me to flag his presence. But it... it rang further than it used to. Did it? Drunk people are not exactly the most reliable in terms of perception. For all I knew, I could be plodding in the wrong direction, or he was cheating.

"I am right here!" I screeched, losing patience. I misstepped around a large rock.

Dizziness careened my knees to the cold soil. I was so buzzed the forest wasn't even scary anymore. I just wanted to lie there. Stranded in the damn woods again. Splendid. Desperation spilled over me and I tucked my legs to my chest. The hammer in my head was sickening me.

"It's not safe," he said, his voice carrying out in echoes. "You're lost."

Minutes passed, and I heard his footfalls disturb the leaves a little more uphill. Rubbing my face down, I groaned. Somehow, I found the will to reopen my eyes.

"Where are you?" I almost sobbed, digging nails into the mud.

"There's a clearing ahead, that's where you can find me."

Slowly, I got up. I checked over my shoulder, but there was nothing except shadows and beams of moonlight. The wind glided across my warm skin, soothing the sickness with its fresh breath.

I abandoned the bag and staggered to the sound of his voice, wrestling with thick foliage and knotted roots. The trek ended and I finally discovered the clearing embedded with little wildflowers. There was a problem, though. Luc was nowhere in sight.

My eyes darted around the place in search of a dark figure. I hobbled over to the edge of the clearing, craning my neck and making myself visible. Utter silence filled the space. Even the crickets had stopped their swarming hums.

"Luc?" What the f—

A growl vibrated behind me, ensued by another rustle of leaves. Snap. As I spun around, a pair of glowing blue eyes met mine from the tree line, and I froze. In my foggy mind, I realized Luc had never been here. I didn't know how or why, but it managed to get me right where it wanted. The full horror of it dawned on me.

The creature didn't move for what seemed like forever, almost like it left me time to assess how futile running would be now, to make my last wishes. Despite the fact that this was a mysterious wild animal, there was intelligence in its piercing eyes, in the way it scanned me.

Fear coated my insides and paralyzed my brain, washing away the numbing of the alcohol. This battle was probably over before it even started, but like a naive little child, I reached into my pocket and retrieved the knife.

I kept eye contact with the creature still hiding.

"Come on." It was barely a whisper in the smothering anticipation. "Try me."

It sensed the change and the eyes descended to the knife. Another growl came out in short bursts like it was laughing. My heart pumped in my chest, threatening to leap out of my ribcage. Cold sweat broke out at the nape of my neck.

The thing came out of the bush, and I saw it in its entirety. Deathly thin, dark-skinned arms that finished with miniature claws. A glistening bald head and long legs that never seemed to end. It looked like a human body. The proportions of the limbs and torso were identical, only it was exceptionally tall. It had no eyebrows and no nose. Two tiny slots replaced that. The lips were thin and translucent. I made out sharp teeth underneath.

And it was butt naked.

It flicked its chin. An invisible force pulled on the knife, pulling so hard my fingers slipped and it disappeared into the clearing. I heard it fall among the grass, and all my hopes and courage vanished with my only weapon. I turned tail and ran.

It shrieked behind me. The sound was so sharp it stunned me momentarily. Tiny claws hooked over my shirt and threw me over the ground like I was a feather. I yelled, tumbled out and rolled over at the tree line. Everything ached as I regained bits of clarity.

The creature's disgusting face streaked in and out of the darkness, teeth snapping as it pinned my arms down. I could feel it more than I could see it. I screamed so hard I felt something break in my throat, and it responded with a shriek of its own. I flailed like a little mouse would, but it was vain. The animal had a force like nothing else.

One slippery hand tightened around my throat, starting the clock.

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Consider this my "drink responsibly" promotion, kids, because drinking and bad decisions go hand in hand, and I bet Riley is regretting it right about now. I just love tormenting her.  On an excited note, you have finally become acquainted with the monster of my story ! You will discover its name and what it does soon enough.