Lamia's Dream

Chapter 2

I jogged lightly, the cold air nipping my lungs.  I didn’t want to intercept her too fast, as I had no idea what I was going to say.

“Hey, Valerie.  I saw you leaving Tyler and couldn’t help but be concerned.  Can I walk you back to the party?” I rehearsed. 

Tall, wooden sentinels surrounded me.  Moonlight peeked through them, illuminating the gnarled roots that snaked across the ground.  The creatures of the night contributed to the creepiest real life soundtrack I had ever heard.  I almost expected Vincent Price’s voice to suddenly narrate “darkness falling and the midnight hour,” like in Michael Jackson’s Thriller video.

“Valerie, there’s something I have to tell you.  No, no, that never works…”

More darkness.  I took out my cell.  It didn’t provide much light, but some was better than none.  I ducked under some low-hanging branches and then continued, flashing it ahead of me.  Leaves crackled beneath my feet.

“Valerie, you’ve had the rest, now try the- ugh, too middle school.”

I stopped and leaned against a massive tree trunk.  I had to get this right.  “Valerie, would it be lame if I said the quarter we sat together was the best of my life?  I miss the way you asked me really easy questions, which you probably knew the answer to, since you were the best in our class.  It sucked when we were separated again.  But somehow, whenever I looked across the room for you, there you were, looking back at me.” 

A whole-hearted declaration at the start. 

That was good, right?

I started walking again.

“You deserve better.  Valerie, be mine, and I promise you…”

I stopped. 

“You’ve gotta be kidding me.”

I turned full circle.  Nothing but trees and darkness.  I had completely lost track of Valerie.  And I hadn’t gone in a straight line, either.  So that meant…

“Ok, don’t freak out, don’t freak out…”

My pulse quickened and sweat beads lined my forehead.  I started running.  I didn’t know where, but I had to run.  If I went too slowly, I’d only freak out more.  The caricature-like faces shaped into the bark watching me didn’t help.

“I know you’re following me,” a female voice called out.

“Valerie?” 

I came to a stop. 

“Umm, yeah.  Look, I know this is kinda weird… but… can we talk?”

No immediate reply.  I kept walking in the direction of the voice.

“Show yourself.”

“Believe me, I’d love to,” I called out.

Again, nothing immediate came.  I continued at a slower pace.  The peal of a piercing scream almost made me jump.

“Valerie!” I shouted.

I sprinted toward the scream at top speed.  This could not be happening.

A branch smacked me right in the face.  I fumbled several steps and shook my head a few times in response.  I ignored the stinging sensation and squinted my eyes as I burst back into top speed.  I didn’t slow until I heard a moan a few yards off.  I dashed left, and then came to a halt to briefly survey the scene illuminated by the full moon’s glow.

A massive man, way bulkier than Tyler, had his back to me.  He faced Valerie, stepping slowly behind her.  Valerie watched him closely, while blundering backward.  His clenched fists rose into swollen arms, connected to a voluminous, yet articulated torso.  He seemed unfazed by the frigid, night air.