Her Beast

Chapter 10: Gone

For the next three days, Zoey could feel him nearby constantly. Whenever she was at work, driving home, or sleeping, she knew he was there. Zoey called for him to come out of the shadows, but he never did.

His words," I'm here to protect you," frightened her. She didn't understand why she would need protection. Zoey didn't have any enemies. She hoped it wouldn't be from Amber, as she hadn't seen or heard for her since the festival. She knew she was alright, as she had asked Ambers parents who informed her that she had headed back to school.

Zoey considered running away to another town before he returned or even checking herself into a mental hospital. Her brain was having a hard time coping with this. She needed a logical response for what happened, but she was coming up blank.

Zoey tried to distract herself by looking at the different shapes in the ceiling, but her thoughts would drift back to the matter at hand. Her brain felt like a jumbled mess.

Zoeys frustration started to boil over when she made her decision. I'm going.

She jumped up before she could stop herself and started shoving things she might need for a couple of days into a bag. She grabbed her keys and a coat and ran out into the dark night. The cooling air bit harshly against her skin until she got safely in the car. Zoey felt the hair at the back of her neck stick up as she started to feel a bit anxious about the darkness.

Zoey quickly texted her brother, asking if she could come to stay with him for a bit. She lied, telling him that she decided to go tour the college at the last minute. She pulled out of the drive like a maniac and drove out of my street. Her fear tormented her as any shadow she saw filled her body with an icy chill.

Once passed she the old faded town sign, Zoey let out a breath of relief. The beast had never been spotted out of the town.

After a half-hour into her drive, Adam called me.

"Hey, are you coming now?" She could sense the uncertainty in his voice.

"Yes, sorry, I know it's late."

"What made you come now?"

Zoey racked her brain, trying to think of a good reason. She couldn't tell Adam that she was pretty sure the beast of Aria has been stalking her, bite her, and now he promised he was going to come back for her.

"I've been talking with mom, and I think I think I'm going to start college next semester instead of next year."

"That's great, Zoey! We were hoping you would get your life together."

Zoey never thought she would feel ashamed to hear those words.

"I'll be there soon."

Just as she was setting down my phone after hanging up, a glimpse of a shadow passing by in her window caused her to swerve slightly into the other lane. She quickly corrected her wheel taking deep breaths trying to slow the pounding of her heart.

"It's okay, it's okay. It's not real. It's all in my head."

"Oh, I would say I am very much real."

Zoey screamed, slamming down on her brake. Luckily she was the only one on the road. The beast sat casually in the passenger seat. She could feel his eyes on her though they were covered by the shadow he kept over them.

"You are not real! I'm just losing my mind." Zoey argued while debating if she should pull over or keep driving.

She saw in my peripheral as he patted himself down and shrugged his shoulders.

"It's not possible...wait, how long have you been here?" She asked, entertaining her delusion. She thought to when she sang calming songs trying to distract herself. He couldn't have heard that, could he?