'Moon Shapes'

Chapter 11: Part 2: (Dannity)

The wind rekindled its deadened pose, but with it came a caution that phased over me. Something was watching - and not the good kind.

My instinct was as what one would think - run like a mad woman on lithium-laced steroids; but rather than take the obvious approach I scoped warily to the right of me; to where I felt this intense entity was emanating from.

Staying true to form, being right was sometimes a detriment to my own existence.

There! Just beyond the bleached light fuming the glass doors, stood - or more appropriately - crouched...a dog? Some wavered off wolf...a freakin' puma for all I knew - abnormally in size, yet, the appearance of the portentous figure was frightening to place your eyes on. I mean, I am out here alone; at night; with no weapon of any kind (unless you count a tube of vanilla blistex stuffed in the front of my shorts.)

Suddenly, the front paws spewing the concrete - rose; it was standing up-right. Clearly, I must've taken too many of those pain-relievers for a headache earlier - this is just a subcategory of a hallucinated reaction.

It appeared to have taken the position of a stout man - a cracked man - that is.

The appetite for flesh was obvious; the baring of its front daggers gave some impression of that.

It abruptly struck me to what may be causing this 'anti-man's' athirst now for me - I was bleeding from several different wounds.

Sweeping an index and thumb together in a dawdling motion with my own copper substance. I dared not look away as I wandered what in the hell do, I do next.

Can I make it to the entrance way just off to the left of my peripheral view? Or ...

In a flint swift staggered attempt, I was off running before that thought could even finish.

The 'beast-man' gave way to a shrill that could wake the dead as it lunged forth in attack.

I was nearly to the door, as I unthinkingly looked back in horror at the sight of it gaining every inch necessary to make its' meal for the night. I plunged for the door only to be stopped bluntly - it was LOCKED! FREAKIN' LOCKED! I swirled around, pressing hard against the glass.

The 'wolf-man' was readying for its critiqued leap, as I aberrantly bowed out of the way just inches from teeth that were razor-blade-tipped, as shards of glass splattered into thousands of pieces swarming around me.

All that could be determinedly heard were the excruciating cries free flowing throughout the building's acoustic hall; then as if nothing had just taken place, there was a complete, and eerie silence.

I stayed wary of another attack, quiet to keep from gaining any attention, but I saw nothing.

Glass shook free of me as I stood. I peeked within the doorframe, where the 'hyena-thing' should've been, yet, all that was there, was an aflame of dust, or encrusted dirt. Then, a smell hit me hard, as I leaned out of the hollowed glass frame to moan over the side of the concrete peak step with the effort to accommodate my queasiness. I couldn't explain what was reeking, but I had to get away from it right now.

What the hell just happened? I questioned, getting the now noticeable muck off my clothes. Was that real? Or was I in some really, really, disturbing night terror?

Either one, I still made my way to the professor's office. Perhaps telling this to an actual grown-up would help me with interrogating my own brain of these last fifteen minutes.

It wasn't long before my hand was stretched out to Professor Jennebet's office door, just one flight of stairs up from the extreme ruckus along with the shambled door. I had to admit that astonishment crowded a bit as to why no one would've come to search for the source of the noise.