Crushes Fade, Love Stays

Unexpected Meeting

"Hey there cutie! Are you lost?"

Snapped out of his daydream, Zon looked around to realise he wasn't sure where he was before turning to face the source of the loud voice. His chest tightened and his heart raced nervously as his eyes fell upon a group of dodgy looking men leaning against the wall up ahead. The way they were eyeing him like prey made Zon pretty sure they didn't have good intentions. Was he about to get mugged? He looked around for people he could walk towards, but the street was empty. How and why had he come to such a quiet area?

"Are you shy? Why aren't you saying hello?"
"He looks scared. Does he maybe think you're hitting on him?"
"Haha! I'd be scared too if I thought that ugly face were hitting on me!"
"Shut it! I can always flatten your face if you want."

Zon decided to take advantage of their bickering to turn and run. The streets were lit, but it was still dark and he couldn't recognise where he was. Glancing back, he saw the men were getting on their bikes to follow him. He couldn't outrun bikes! Looking around desperately, he saw a large open area up ahead that seemed like a vast pit of darkness. A park with no lights? There was only one in this area. He knew where he was now. Just how long had he been walking in a daydream to end up there?

But knowing where he was wasn't going to help his current situation though. He was miles away from home, and there weren't any crowds or groups of people about. He could call for help, but who? The police? His dad? Tutor? Even if he called they wouldn't get there in time. The men chasing him were almost on him. It seemed hiding was his only option. He turned sharply and ran toward the dark outline of the trees bordering the edge of the park. If they couldn't see him, they couldn't catch him.

God, please help me out here! Zon begged in his head as he ran across the pavement and onto the grass. He had only run a few feet into the park when a large shadow ran across his path, scaring him enough to fall back onto his ass. He heard the bikes screech to a stop behind him. It's over, he thought, I'm screwed.

A low gurgling growl turned Zon's attention to a bulky figure with glowing eyes skulking out of the shadows. A massive dog walked into view looking less than friendly. Just as Zon thought things couldn't get worse, he spotted two more pairs of glowing eyes heading towards him. The massive dog standing a few feet from his side let out a few terrifyingly loud barks. Zon curled up into a ball on the grass hoping he wouldn't get mauled to death as he heard the sound of the bikes setting off in a hurry. Had he managed to go from a bad situation to an even worse one?

"Please don't eat me!" whimpered Zon as he felt the hot breath and wet noses of the dogs on his arms and neck. A long sharp whistle sounded, and the dogs barked and bounded off. Zon peeked out from under his arms. "Am I saved?" he questioned nervously. Had the gods actually answered his prayer and sent those dogs to save him?

When the dogs didn't return, and he felt safe to move, Zon rolled onto his back and stretched out on the grass. They were faint, but he could see quite a few stars since it wasn't cloudy. What a day it had been so far. Tomorrow perhaps he should just stay home and write. Speaking of home, how was he going to get there? Zon sighed realising unless he called for a taxi, he would have to walk to a main road where he could catch a bus. If he was going to walk so far after leaving the bar, why couldn't he have at least walked in the direction of his house?

A loud bark sounding from the darkness made Zon jump to his feet. Were the dogs coming back? Why? He was considering his options, but before he could make a decision, he spotted a shadowy figure bounding toward him at speed. Squatting down he covered his face with his arms as the giant dog skidded to a halt next to him. It sniffed Zon heavily while circling him before running a lap barking.