The Beast Inside

13.

I heard a door shut, and jolted awake. "Urgh" I groaned rubbing my temples. I had a raging migraine. I slowly opened my eyes. They grew wide when I realized where I was. I was in my home. How is that possible? I thought for a moment. The last thing I remember was having dinner with Austin. I remember smiling at him, about to tell him thank you for cooking again when all of a sudden I felt dizzy. Loopy....

Oh.. No.... He... I swear.... He drugged me! I threw the covers off me and marched my way to through the house. I was mad. No. Livid! He actually drugged me. I threw every door open in my house. He was gone.

I sunk down to the couch in my living room. He brought me back? That didn't make sense. Why would he do that?

'Okay Natalie. Think rational here!'

Maybe it was all a dream! I mean the house was exactly how I left it. I did have a wild imagination at times. Of course there can't be a creature such as himself that would exist. It's impossible. I thought it all up!

I breathed a sigh of relief. Turning to the right a little bit, I froze. My picture. It was gone. I never moved anything in the house. I liked it just the way it was. Where was it?

I got up and checked the whole house. Nothing else was missing except the picture. 'I'm going crazy.'

I laid out on my couch and turned the news on. Looking at the top right hand corner, I jumped up. The date. It was March 5. That can't be right. It would be the first day of March if this was all a dream.

I quickly grabbed a jacket and my keys from the counter. Getting in my car, I rushed to the closest store and bought a newspaper. Front page were two main headlines. One was Cole was found dead in his apartment, suicide. Then a missing person. Me.

Holy shit. I started breathing hard trying to not hyperventilate. It was real. Everything was real. I remembered my arm and took my jacket off. There was all the proof I needed. A dark bruise in the shape of a hand.

I threw my keys on the counter and made my way back to the couch. I rested my head in my hands and took deep breaths thinking of everything.

Why did Austin just take me back home? He said it was too big of a risk. What was I going to tell the police? They were looking for me. Did I annoy Austin so bad that he just couldn't get rid of me fast enough? His beast wouldn't let any harm come to me, so instead he just dumped me back off at my home. Did he expect me to just forget about him? How could I do that? I had grown to like him and enjoy his company.

Wait? Shouldnt I be jumping for joy? I got my freedom back. I was just crying yesterday about how I would never have it again.

What is wrong with me?

First on my list. Call the police to let them know that I am alive and wasn't kidnapped. I laughed to myself. Technically I was kidnapped, but then again, I didn't put up much of a fight.

I decided not to call the station and just show up. The whole drive there I was going over every part of my story. I had completely thought of as I walked through the door.

"Natalie Grace?" A males voice called from the other side of the room. I nodded, and walked towards him.

"Where have you been? There has been a missing report on you for 4 days, and yesterday your boyfriend turns up dead from hanging. You need to come with me."

I simply nodded and followed him to an interrogation room.

"Start from the beginning."

"February 28th. I was hanging out with Cole. We were walking down the street when he told me to stay put and he'd be right back. I got bored after a few minutes and turned to follow in the direction he went. A heated conversation happening in an ally had me stopping. I recognized Cole's voice. I looked down it, then freaked out, and stood at the opening of the ally. He was holding a gun with a suppressor to the mans head. Cole said the guy owed him money. That his time was up to pay. The guy pleaded saying he had a family. Cole didn't care. He just shot him."  I took a few deep breaths.

"Continue please." I nodded.

"After I heard the man hit the ground. I took off running. I was blocks if not miles away from my home. Once I got there I lost consciousness. I think it was the adrenaline leaving my body. I woke up to Cole beating on my door. I figured if I tried to play nice and act like nothing was wrong then he would leave and I would call the police. He ended up asking me to dinner. I thought if I refused then he would definitely know something was up. So I accepted. I didn't realize until it was to late that he wasn't taken me to dinner.

He had driven me out in the middle of nowhere. Out of town. There were just old warehouses. He told me that he saw me running. That he knew I saw something I shouldn't have. So I took off running. He followed and tried to shoot me a few times." I took a few more deep breaths. Time to lie.

"I got away from him though. I hid in one of the warehouses. He kept calling my name and he even searched a few of the buildings before he gave up. I was too scared to move. Scared that he was playing a trick on me. So I stayed there for two days. When I got really hungry, I left the warehouse and just started walking. I found my phone cracked on the side of the road, and just left it. I eventually found a little store and was able to buy me something to eat with cash I had in my jeans. I went back to the warehouse and stayed there some more. A man saw me walking today and gave me a ride into town. From there I went to a store, and saw the headlines. I knew it was safe to return home." I was completely out of breath by the time I finished. The officer studied me for a few minutes and then nodded his head.

"Well he committed suicide. We found no other finger prints in his home besides his. We spoke to his family and they said he seemed to be going crazy. Speaking nonsense about seeing a monster with fangs and wings. We figured he just went a little too coocoo and offed himself."

I nodded. Austin was right. No one would believe him.

"Sounds a little far fetched to me." I spoke carefully.

He nodded. "Well you're free to go. I'm glad nothing bad happened to you. You helped us solve a murder case and now you don't have to be scared anymore.

I smiled. "Thank you."

I left the police station after that feeling good. He didn't even question my story. 'Go me!' I headed for the mall. I needed to buy me a new cell phone. I also needed to call my friends. I'm sure they were going crazy worrying about me. Then I need to call my bank, to get new cards and call my job.

A frown made its way to my face. I should be happy. I got my life back. I couldn't help but think about Austin though. He was all alone again and I missed him. Who would of thought I would miss that brooding hateful man? I laughed to myself.

I'm sure he was happy to rid himself of me though. I would no longer be exra baggage. He wouldn't have to put up with my good moods and laughing. At least his ears wouldn't hurt anymore.

After my mall trip, I made my way back home. I pulled up into my drive way and made my way through the door. I froze when I saw the condition my home was in. It was trashed. Furniture was thrown everywhere. Everything that could be broken was. I quickly pulled my phone out and dialed 911.

"I wouldn't do that if I was you." A deep male voice came from behind the door. He walked out and put a gun to my temple. I froze. He snatched the phone from my hand and disconnected the call.

"You are coming with me." The man said, right before the butt of his gun hit the side of my head, sending me into the black obyss.