Visions

   The man got out of his car, took out his lunch box and closed the door. He went into the nearby building and after a few minutes, came back out with keys jangling from his hand. He stepped into a machine and the giant beast of metal roared to life. The man began to work, unaware of the green eyes watching him. The dark creature was learning, taking in everything it saw. It bared its teeth in a triumphant smile and began to growl. The carrion bird in the trees above threw itself into the air, shrieking. It was calling its brothers and sisters to their next meal.

~~~

     Grant sat up, panting and drenched with sweat. It was a nightmare. No, it was a vision. Only his wife, Anne, believed he had visions. Everyone else would turn away laughing and scoffing. They were wrong. Grant knew what he saw, he knew they were visions. But, it didn't matter, no one cared, no one but Anne.

     Grant turned on the lamp that was sitting on the desk beside his bed. He looked at the picture of his wife. Her reddish- brown hair was moving in the wind, and her bright blue eyes smiled at him. Grant missed Anne so much. She had died two years before of leukemia, and there was nothing he could have done but watch her suffer before she was taken from him.

     These past two years had been so long without her, but it was time to move on. He couldn't live in the past forever. That's exactly what Dan, his best friend, had told him.

       Dan had invited Grant to go camping with him, and naturally Grant accepted. Grant had to be at the trail by eight, and his clock read six.  He took a quick shower, ate breakfast, and made sure he had everything in his pack he needed, including extra bullets for his gun, just in case if he needed them. He strapped the gun to his hip, loaded up and headed out. The vision had already faded, leaving nothing but excitement for the trip.

     Grant arrived at the trail at eight o'clock, and Dan was already waiting for him.

     "You're late," said Dan.

     "Late? I'm exactly on time," Grant replied.

     "Only in your world."

     "Hey!" Grant protested. They stared at each other for a few seconds, then broke down laughing. When they were done, they picked up their gear and started the trail.

     The trees closed in on them, and soon all they could see were the many different hues of green and brown. It was beautiful.

     Grant looked around him and breathed in the fresh air. Dan was right, he thought, I did need to get out and do something.

     After hours of hiking, Dan and Grant set up their campsite. They ate a hasty meal and almost immediately afterwards, fell asleep.

     Grant dreamed again that night. He dreamed of the creature and he dreamed of Anne.

     He woke up just as the light was beginning to seep through the trees. Grant, instead of finding himself in his sleeping bag, found himself in the forest, alone. There was no sign of the campsite.