AJR's Fantastical Adventure

2: Night Walk

Chilly wind made Jack's jumper ruffle. Small leaves fluttering and swirling around them. Him and Shay walked with an agile step across the pavement of the park. Orange and red leaves decorated the sides of it, limiting the grass and trees around it. It seemed a straight path, the streetlights illuminating lightly every inch of it. Large trees outlined the park as they hovered above the tiny pedestrians which admired their changing colours. The lonely moon helped illuminate the path a little more. Like a spotlight, it showed Jack and Shay their way home.

Shay's ears fluttered as the wind struck her while Jack took a good grip on the leash so to not lose her. But it got difficult. Shay had always liked a night walk. A little too much. The leash tugged and tugged at Jack who was now grabbing onto it with two hands. The dog's paws scraped the stones and her tongue hanged out at her exhaustion.

Jack then heard it. Shay was growling. She saw something she wanted. She tugged and tugged again. The tremendous tugging tested the limit of Jack's strength. The fibres of the leash now seemed those of a metal as Jack tried to hold on to the animal. Shay growled louder as if her prey was closer.
It seemed the chord joining Shay and her owner snapped when in reality, Shay had finally gotten lose.

Jack immediately ran after his dog, yelling her name as he stumbled towards the trees and into the darkness. Jack surrounding began to darken, the orange of the leaves began to become brown and eventually there were no more defined shapes. Only darkness. It arrived to the point that Jack would not walk any further. You couldn't make right from left.
Shay's bark was heard in the distance. "Shay! Come here girl!" Jack yelled.
Leaves brushed behind Jack. Steps orbited Jack and circled him. Small breezes hit him as something approached them. A grey figure walked towards him. "Shay! Let's go." Jack said. Shay whimpered. She hid behind her owner with her tail in between her hind legs.

All Jack saw was two bright yellow eyes staring at him. He couldn't make out the figure of the being. He didn't have time for it either, for the creature plunged at him pinning him down. Sharp teeth bit down on Jack's left arm. A throbbing pain overtook him and all he could do was scream.
Just then, an alarm blasted elsewhere alerting all three of them. Jack felt the grip of the animal loosen, and used this chance to grab Shay and run. He ran and ran. Leaving a red trail behind him, Jack finally arrived home.

He tried to open the door slowly and not try to cause much of a ruckus. Even with his bleeding arm. This accident made him return at 1 in the morning. His brothers had succumbed to sleep in the sofa waiting for him.

Jack felt a lot of sleep overcome him and quickly took bandages and iodine to clean up his wound. The animal didn't bite down to hard. Only the small incisions of the canines and other teeth were visible. However, still bleeding and causing lots of pain. Jack took some pain meds and headed off to his very deserved sleep.