The Stargazer

Chapter Five

Thump. Thump. Thump.

The sound of my heart beating resounded in my ears. The crisp chirping of the few birds that were left, the laughter in the bleachers, the cheerleaders rehearsing on the other far side of the field. All muffled. All that was left was the steady, sunken, pulse, threatening to go frantic. 

A flashback gripped me by my hair, tearing at my scalp, exploding into smithereens that pierced every inch of my being. Looking at the reflection of myself in the strange redhead's eyes, it was like looking into the eyes of a beautiful Medusa. I became motionless as her spell infected me. 

...

Autumn.

I was 7.

"Be home by 6!" 

"Okay, mom," The leaves crunched beneath my feet as I ran off into the woods.

I ran and ran, and I found myself stumbling, out of breath and out of strength, on the gold and peach  leaves, amid the pine cones. I laughed my loud, childish laughter, and was joined into the chorus of life with the songbirds.

The rays of sun seeped through the gaps where the autumn leaves fell, bounding off my brown braid and satin bow that my mother had done for me. My little shoes and overalls had maple leaves stuck in them. I was exuberant.

In the embrace of the warm earth, I drifted off as the light grew dimmer.

I awoke with a start when there came a rustling noise that faded closer and closer. I clambered onto my feet, my knees like jelly. The light swirled around me in mystic hues. Soft, padded treads on the dry floor were followed by the sound of dead leaves scraping against fur.

I took two steps to my right, with the same edgy pulse ringing in my ears.  My ankle struck something warm and silky, yet rough at the same time. 

My shock grew as the creature emerged from the shadows. A hare, small and covered in dirt and rocks. A forlorn creature, with short ears and cropped fur. 

Red eyes.

The adrenaline ran through my veins. My palms got damp and sweat beaded off my forehead, A scream caught in my throat.

A deafening hush came over the woods. The padding had stopped.

A sharp crimson flashed beside me and tore the muted silver coat of the hare apart. A fox, my size, ripped the hare into shreds of skin and bone. All the while I found myself lost in the ever red eyes of the hare. The hare that once moved on it's own was now jerking in the jaws of the fox.  

It's head tumbled onto the black floor, gleaming with blood. It's red eyes burning its way into mine. The word "sabotage" printed on it's mauled face. The fox paid no heed, and the red eyes vanished as the fox stooped towards it. Another stream of black escaped as the floor became slick with gore, the hare's red eyes haunted my young mind. 

And the fox turned.

The fox's eyes met mine. This was the last thing the hare saw. A sullen, cosmic blackness, lacedwith a venomous crimson. Standing in a small pool of remains, it coiled and was ready to pounce.  

Red eyes.

I screamed, letting the trapped sound go, like a caged hound into the night. I screamed the trees awake, and the ravens took flight off into the moonless night. I screamed with all the strength and ferocity a child could muster.