His fingers danced near my skin and it took me a hot second to realize that he was tracing the freshly healed scar marks. I popped open my eyes to see him standing very close to me. His forehead almost touched me and his lips close to mine but he was not looking at me rather at the scars.
He had a weird look on his face and I don’t even think he knew that he was this close to me. Like it was easy for him to be this near with any girl and not get affected while I was burning up even without the attention.
This was why I never let go. One way or the other, people always find some flaw in me and discards me like trash as my parents did.
He found my scar repulsive; it didn’t mean that he should keep fingering it. It almost felt like dig at me.
With a surprising show of strength, I pushed at his chest with my free hand and got out of his hold. His eyes snapped to mine like he just now realized that I was practically attached to his body, while he stumbled back a few steps with my sudden push.
Before he could stupidly grab me again and be at the end of my wrath, I gave him my middle finger and went inside as fast as I could.
It was like a douse of cold water to realize that I would never be desired by a man who I genuinely like, even a stranger. I was not exactly hurt but it still felt a little disconcerting to get disappointed at any point in my life.
But as I went, in search of the couple, I told myself to be happy for getting a job I like and getting a couple of trusted friends to have my back. What else an orphan would need other than that. Nothing.
I just need someone to take care of me and someone to care for. And I am perfectly fine even if I never would have a perfect relationship.
I looked for Livy on the dance floor but she and her boyfriend were suspiciously missing. I took out my phone and like I guessed there was a message from Livy.
LIVYA: Saw you with the hot guy, outside. Enjoi the night. *winky eye emoji*
I groaned out loud. It means that they would have already left for the apartment without me and would start doing the deed soon enough. I don’t want them to think they are alone and enter into the apartment in their mid-fuck, which happened too many times to count.
I tried calling Liv but she didn’t pick up. Airhead. She could have at least called me before going off. I didn’t have many options now. I could stay at the bar for a little while till I would know it’s safe to go into my own apartment. Or otherwise, I could book a cheap motel which is not ten minutes from here by walk, and the next morning I could brag about having sex for the first time with a total stranger.
The second option it is.
I didn’t feel drunk at all, so I knew I could decide in the morning for which lie to tell, either being hangover or having mind-blowing sex. But I don’t want another night to be spent in their fuck fest.
Decided, I took off to the main door and started walking on the deserted road. Pulling up my maps on my phone, I got the idea of the general direction I had to walk, so I stopped being on my phone and concentrated on my surroundings.
I could never stop being a paranoid person. Maybe it was a trait I got from being in the orphanage and getting bullied or by simply being a woman. But I just took note of my surroundings always.
The edge of the forest was clear from here. It surrounded half of the city and in the dark, it felt a little scary even with the street lights. Because it was right there. Thank god there was no forest on either side of me.
I would say fuck it and go on a cab to the hotel, otherwise.
The night started seeping into my bones and I wished I brought a coat, but Livy told me that my jacket didn’t go well with the dress and made me drop it off at the apartment.
And the skirt blowing off in the wind gave me next to no warmth.
At least I am thankful for the shorts underneath it. I crossed my handbag across my chest and tried not to fall on my face while walking with the heels.
I got it on online from Windsor store for like under ten bucks in discount and thought it was the best investment I made at the time but now I was questioning my judgment. I could already feel blisters forming on my pinky toe and the pointy heels make it tough to walk on the road with debris. The only thing that kept me reassured was the straps that crisscrossed up my legs till my calves.
Occasionally, vehicles moved down the road bringing some noise but then everything quiets down like usual. I hummed a song while looking ahead; it was a little eerie to be this silent, so to not shit myself I made loud sounds while I walked.
I would have been like three minutes from the motel when I felt like someone was watching me. It was a little prickle of awareness that something was going on. I looked behind me on the road and there was not a single soul in my line of sight.
To my right were some big buildings but all of them were closed and shut tight. And to my left was the forest. I fisted my hands and released them, and did it again and again.
I could see the motel sign from where I was walking and it was a little minute away and even if I wished to speed walk, my heels wouldn’t have it.
Clutching my bag for a little strength I tried to walk fast. I could hear a faint sound coming from my left or behind me, I was not sure. But it reminded me that this road was not safe late at night. I cursed myself and turned a little to my left while walking to investigate the sound.
There was nothing, and the sound seemed to vanish.
I relaxed with reassurance that I was paranoid for nothing and there could be little animals running around in the forest, so that sound could mean nothing.
Seconds later, I heard huge thuds directly next to me. I got startled so bad that one of my heels broke, but I regained my posture and swirled around in the direction from where the noise came from.
“Hello?” I called loudly. There was no reply like expected.
I bought myself some time because the noises abruptly stopped.
I stamped my good heel on the ground hard until it broke too. I bent down quickly and held both the broken heels on my hands and made sure the pointy heels were visible from the edge of my fist. At least it gave me a pretense of security against this invisible threat.
I let go of my own rule of not letting the enemy see my back, and ran. I could feel the ugliness chasing me from behind, I could almost feel its victory. The motel sign was so near but so far away at the same time. I needed another head start.
I could feel the thuds to my left increase, so I stopped abruptly and turned around, and stumbled back at the same time when I saw what was looking back at me.
Just outside the trees stood a creature like no other.
I took it all in with my wide eyes. It stopped chasing me and was looking back at me with a wicked snarl on its snout. It had two different eye colors, one with the lightest blue and another with neon green.
My stomach dropped out when I saw how wicked sharp those claws looked. Nothing like claws from the wolf I saw in the woods a week back. That wolf looked normal but this, this one looked nasty, ugly, and … unnatural.
The pointy ears and too sharp canines and the black color fur hide, all of it looked scary enough to shit my pants.
The most disturbing part of it all was, it was standing on its hind legs and in those legs only. It didn’t even use its forelegs to support itself.
The sickening thing was it looked like a human, with stomach packs, but it looked like it could easily be 8 ft. tall, but it also looked like an animal. Like a human-animal hybrid. People would have a field day with it if they knew a creature like this existed among them but I didn’t also know if there was a real animal like this, which I was unaware of.
I swallowed back my saliva which was lodged firmly on my throat and took a shaky step back.
It saw me retreating and let out a huge bellowing snarl and leaped into the air with its sharp claws out in its front. I screamed and turned around.
The last thing I saw before I ran towards the motel was that there was dried blood on its claws. Rearing back my nausea I ran with all my might. I couldn’t die a very gory death.
I could feel it reaching for me and I knew it was close. A putrid smell wafted off its body and into the air. I gagged a little, my eyes misting, and felt my will crumble down the drain. It covered the ground faster than I did and its crazed eye was looking down at me like I would be the next blood on its claws.
The hotel ground was only a few steps away but my slipper strands broke off at the same time, tripping me, I fell on the grass and immediately curled myself into a fetal position. I know I am going to be the dinner for whatever the creature was.
Accepting my fate, I waited for the pain to follow. I couldn’t think of anything other than how I would be found the following morning. Like a wild animal mauled me, and it would be true.
Car tires screeched by the road and I lifted my head in time to see the creature roll down the road. The car swirled a little and went off-road but thankfully it didn’t hit on anything. The creature got up with a snarl and started towards me again, ignoring whoever was in the car.
I got up quickly, panting, ignoring the scrapes in my arms and legs, and started running towards the hotel ground. I heard the car door open, but I didn’t wait to see what would happen.
I was grateful for whomever in there that accidentally saved my life but they should have stayed in the car. I felt guilty to run away from them but they were not the ones who were being chased right now.
I immediately ducked into the nearest community bathroom and locked myself in a stall. Breathing in a lungful of air, I tried not to pass out but it was a near thing.
My whole body shook like an addict who didn’t take his next fix.
I closed the toilet seat and sat, putting my head between my knees, I breathed in deeply. Trying to regulate my inhale and exhale, I felt lightheaded and felt all my blood rush to my heart at the same time.
“Oh god. Oh god.” I kept on muttering as I heard the main door of the bathroom rattle a little. I didn’t even see a soul while running up here, and it was no surprise as it was a little late in the night.
I didn’t know how much time passed but it was all suspiciously silent for a while. I gathered enough courage to finally sit up straight.
What the fuck was happening? It was the only thing running through my brain.
Why the fuck was there a creature outside dead set on eating me. Was I smelling of something in particular to attract it? I didn’t know anything and the way my brain was going miles per hour, I just wanted to escape the nightmare.
I carefully got up on my shaky legs and walked through the deserted restroom to reach the main door. I stalled there with my hand on the handle but at the last minute, I stuck my ear to the door and listened carefully. But apart from some men talking and laughing in the distance, I couldn’t hear anything.
I grabbed the knob and slowly turned, I let out my breath when I saw there was nothing outside. For a horrifying moment, I thought I imagined it all but I saw a big claw mark on the door.
It just looked like one big scratch but I know. I know that it tried to open the door.
I looked around but I knew that the creature was not there anymore. It was a feeling. And to be honest, the ground was well-lit, I would be safe.
I am safe; I kept on muttering as I walked to the main lobby.
The man behind the counter was on his phone and he just passed me a book, and I wrote my details, and just asked him for a room for a night.
He picked a key from one of many and I gave him some cash and he gave me the change back. I didn’t even look at balance money; I was too jittery to do anything. I just hope I could go through the night without panicking for every little sound.
Using the direction board, I made out my room on the first floor and I was a little happy about that. The stairs were made of steel and were a little unstable and even if by chance the creature came back, it wouldn’t be able to climb up, or at least that was my thought.
It could jump with its height and land on the 1st floor easily.
I shook off those thoughts and made my way to my room. I crossed a vending machine and back peddled to get some soda and chips, my dinner.
As soon as I was in my room, I removed my bag and earnings and what was left of my slipper and kept it on a table before going to the restroom. In there I got naked and went under the shower. My breath was still shaky, my mind producing freaky clips of that animal again and again. I was in there a long time before my fingertips started to prune.
I took a shuddering breath and wrapped myself in a towel before going out into the room. I ignored the pain in my knees and hands from the fall and moved towards the table.
“Fucking fuck.” I cursed when I took out my shattered phone from the bag.
The screen was gone and the inner part of the phone was hanging out. Shit. Even though it was an old phone, it was my only one.
Now, I have to buy a new one and wouldn’t be able to contact anyone for the night.
I thought I could just inform Livy before going to bed, but now I won’t. I did see a phone booth on the entrance of the motel but I knew I would never step foot out there in the dark again. It was a good thing that I was getting a well-paid job soon.
Telling myself that I shouldn’t cry, I pushed the heavy desk to the front of the door and blocked it. The windows were another case, but at least they were wooden and not glass.
With my towel still wrapped around me, I switched on the T.V. and sat in one of two single beds, and opened my chips.
I tried to forget everything that happened an hour ago and watched some cartoon playing on a kid’s channel while I completed the joke of my dinner. After a while, I put back on my clothes including my tube top and the lace shirt on top of it. The material was quite soft.
Getting under the sheets, I tried in vain to fall asleep but just kept rolling on the bed. After a while, though it looked like, I slept.
Because a banging woke me up. I was a little disoriented at first to not knowing where I was. Moments later everything came back to me, just as someone restrained me on the bed and a cloth was pressed to my face.
I thrashed my whole body but I couldn’t move an inch and my shouts were muffled because of the cloth. I tried so hard.
But there were at least two pairs of hands holding me down, I never stood a chance.
My thrashing slowed down, reaction to some kind of chemical I inhaled from the cloth. I didn’t fight back when my eyes dropped and everything went dark.
…..
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