Escaping Duty

Chapter 23

He knew better than to run into the woods, but he was chasing Roxie. Valentina had no idea why the dog would take off for the woods. The woods would be dark and hard to walk through for Mateo, so Valentina knew they could catch up to him. After waiting for a car, they pulled out their phones turning the flashlight on and combed the woods.

"Mateo! Come back we'll get Roxie later" Valentina called.

She tried her best to remain calm, but she wasn't calm.

The worry for her brother muddled her thoughts. The woods were stereotypically where something bad happened, and she didn't want it to be to her brother. Splitting up might've covered more ground, but as Phoebe would say, and she agreed, it was too cliché. Stepping over a tangle of roots on the ground Phoebe walked behind her calling Mateo's name.

"The kids 7 but he can move," Phoebe said attempting to pick up her friends' mood. Valentina didn't respond, too anxious to joke now.

"We'll find him Val it's only been a few minutes," she said squeezing Valentina's shoulder.

But as they continued looking they couldn't hear or see Mateo anywhere with their phone lights. As Valentina grew more worried she considered calling the police or someone else to help.

"I think that's him up ahead," Phoebe said pointing to a dark figure up ahead.

Valentina squinted cursing how her phone light didn't reach far, but she saw the figure coming their way. Her hope rose and fell quickly when as the creature approached it ran by them. It had been Roxie whimpering as she ran in the other direction.

"Where's Mateo then?" Valentina asked eyes wide and Phoebe's pale face told her she was growing more than worried too.

"I'm calling someone, we need to get out of here," Phoebe said shaking hands beginning to dial on her phone.

Valentina continued looking, not wanting to stop as she wiped frustrated tears from her eyes. Where was he!? What if something happened to him, and she had only looked away for a second.

Turning her light around Valentina's limbs stopped shaking from the cold, and she felt her heart pound a mile a minute. Meanwhile, Phoebe argued heatedly with a 911 dispatcher. Right behind Phoebe, there were two very large sets of eyes. Phoebe had her back to the eyes so she wouldn't see, but Valentina had to tell her. The last time she saw eyes like these they were connected to some very big creatures.

"Phoebe can – can you come over here?" Valentina asked trying not to let her voice shake.

"Hold on Val this woman thinks we should wait before someone comes," Phoebe said holding up a finger.

"Phoebe this is important" Valentina added unintentionally snapping but getting her attention.

"What -?" she started but then a low growling filled the woods. The chatter of the correspondent on phoebes phone had moved to the background.

Phoebes eyes widened, and she went stock still when she heard the noise and felt the creature's breath on her back. She told herself not to turn around since that's what everyone did but everything in her screamed to run.

"Val?" Phoebe asked voice cracking.

"It's okay Phoebe," Valentina said taking a step but stopping when the growling grew louder. The eyes were right behind Phoebe now, and Valentina couldn't shine a light on the thing without making it move.

She knew what it was now, but she didn't think she'd encounter one like this again and so soon. The wolf continued growling, and Valentina could hear leaves and branches get crushed underneath its foot as it walked. Phoebe watched her friend eyes filling with tears but didn't move. What could Valentina do to make it move?