The Facility of Norm

The Dark

" Ugh!" Lu Stevens scoffed, annoyed as the sky fell down,pouring." Should have brought an umbrella, or something."
She quickly became drenched. Lu cringed as she could feel her socks absorb the water. She looked up at the pouring night sky and wondered irritatingly why her father insisted he needed Drain-o for the bathroom sink that instant. They had other sinks is the house, why couldn't they use those? Besides,who sends their fifteen year old daughter out at nine PM to get Drain-o,alone?
For about five minutes, Lu contemplated going back home. Sure, the bus would be there soon, but Lu was soaked and tired and ready for bed. If her dad got mad,she could just tell him how unreasonable he was being,right? Besides, Lu had never liked the dark, and being alone in the dark woods was kind of giving her the heeby jeebies.
Right as she was about to head back, she got a spooky feeling on her back and her arms that made her freeze. It felt as if something were watching her, stalking her maybe.
Personally, Lu had never been one for horror or anything scary at all. Once, her father had shown her a slightly spooky video of a clown. She was so scared, she had trouble sleeping for weeks.
"It's okay, Lu. You're perfectly fine." She said as she pushed away some of the scary things she had seen over the years." There's nothing there. Those are just stories to entertain people."
    Still, she glanced around self consciously. It was almost impossible to see because of the heavy downpour, but she still squinted her eyes and scanned the trees.
    She let out a small gasp as she saw them. Hostile and menacing red eyes met her terrified hazel ones. She drew back a step.
    Lu felt like a deer in headlights being the subject of the gaze.
    It's a bat! Just a really,really big bat! She tried to assure herself. Her mind still flitted self doubtingly. But bats in North Carolina don't get that big,right?
    The eyes raked fear across her mind and all down her body, making her hair stand on end. Her primary instinct was telling her to run but she suddenly couldn't remember how to.
    The monster stepped out into the clearing.
    It had the height and bulk of a grizzly bear, and its foaming, twisted muzzle was more like prehistoric rottweiler than a bear. It's leathery grey skin was being pelted by the rain, and it grinned at her intelligently. Lu watched, frozen as it took a step closer. It stared down at her like she was a chicken sandwich and let out a soft but rumbly growl.
    "Holy sh-" Lu stopped and squeaked as it stepped closer.
    That's when the beast lunged.
    Right as it's enormous clawed paws were about to slam against her chest and crush her ribs onto the muddy earth, her muscles moved on their own. At the last second, Lu sprung out of collision course and into a mud puddle.
    Anything! She needed anything, something to defend herself with! Or at least to distract it so she could make her escape. Lu panted and lifted herself up out of the mud.
    She looked around desperately. Finally her eyes caught on something that might help.
    Her fingers enclosed around a fairly large rock and she used her arm strength and the adrenalin pumping through her veins to lift it high in the air. It wasn't big enough to hurt the creature, most likely, but it was enough to hopefully distract it. Or maybe just piss it off...
    But this was her life, she couldn't throw it away without at least trying!
    She catapulted it towards the grizzly rottweiler creature with all her might. And she watched as her last chance at life...fell uselessly at it's feet.
    Tears started to pour down Lu's cheeks along with the stinging rain. She couldn't help it. Her life has been in her own hands and then her lack of capability had gone and ruined it.
    The thing growled and gave her an almost pleased look.
    Lu screamed and flung herself backwards, only to slam into a wall. Great. She was trapped.
    She stared at her soon-to-be murderer, her life flashing before her eyes.
    Wait! A wall?!
    Hope swelled up it her chest as she realized it was the bus. Why would the bus stop anyway, when it could see there was this thing there? To help her? No matter the reason, it didn't matter. She was so grateful for the bus-her savior- she scrambled frantically onto the bus.
    As she was climbing on, the beast gave one last swipe at her, tearing a huge rip in the back of her jeans and leaving a shallow slice across her leg.
    "Get on!" The driver shouted, grabbing Lu's hand and dragging her up the steps. The driver narrowed her eyes at Lu and flung her onto the bus floor.
    "Mother of Christ! Start for God's sake!" The woman roared at the protesting engine.
    "Lu?" She heard a faint shout as she rested her head on the cool, metal floor of the bus.
    She immediately recognized it.
    It was her father.
    "Dad!" She summoned her strength to scream." Run!" That creature was still there, and as a matter of fact, the bus was swaying from side to side as the bear thing scratched violently at the side of the bus.
    Lu's head shot up when she heard her father cry out. Right then, the bus started and the woman sped the bus with a screech of the tires.
    Lu felt momentum shoving her body towards the back of the bus and struggled to keep her resting place on the floor. Tears slid down her face silently as she worried pointlessly about her father.
    The last thing she remembered thinking was, What in the world is going on?