THE FIGURE’S MURDER….

How do we define a nightmare? Or nightmares? Is the hollow impediments we can’t get a grasp of? Or the cold feeling of lack of control in where we deem to find peace?

“Wake up”, the being encircled me like brown water.

“He’s coming, you need to get up”, it began to panic.

I reluctantly obeyed as I felt like cement. My body was no longer much of mine and the ground lighter than plastic.

“Are we on water”?, I asked with the intention of hiding in those high grasses.

“You wish”, it replied as my blurry eyes saw the creature take on the form of my late father.

“Dad! You’re the voice”?, I yelled.

“Shhhh”, he alerted me. His face sealed my lips immediately as half his body was human and the other belonging to another thing.

“He is hunting”, he said as a low rustling sound brought forth the man in the suit.

I saw his long hair cover half his face as his wristwatch was nothing but a gold-kind. His footsteps were mild like a predator stalking a prey.

“Who is he”?, I hid my face immediately.

“Master George”, the creature spoke from its side of the mouth.

It was then it dawned on me that we were at Travis’s house nonetheless.

“Dad….. what’s going on”?, I struggled to wake up.

“Be quiet would you”?, he scolded me.

We tiptoed together around the back of the old building hoping to find a way in but then I heard a growl, not the one from a wild cat. This was much louder that the termite dust of the wooden shade encompassed me like smoke.

“Sneeze and you’ll be meat!”, my dad giggled.

I tried to peek through the keyhole but it was no use, not when Travis screamed. I didn’t know what got to him and it would be best if I just left it at Master George rather than whatever caught the boy. Suddenly I heard bones snap as Travis’s call for help came to a close.

“He’s dead”, I withheld my mouth from the horror news but even a slight sound couldn’t escape this monster’s grasp.

“I……..see……..you?”, The croaked voice peeked at the other end of the keyhole.

“Dad”, I turned to my right but he was no longer there. His voice faintly threatened me as I ran helter skelter through the tall grasses. Could I have dared to look back? Of course, I did. My legs were never my eyes as they kept me farther away from the backdoor that now creaked open.

I couldn’t catch a full glimpse but it was a large dog, much the size of a bear. It didn’t flinch even as I somehow halted in my race to survive.

“Fool! Keep running”, the voice now turned up it’s volume in my head. I did my possible best to shut it out knowing that he abandoned me when I needed him most but then the weirdest thing happened. Slowly the large dog shrieked as I could literally feel it’s pain. It’s hind legs bended into shape as a man’s naked figure stood in the shadows. It’s head was the last to be part of the homo sapiens species as it somehow twisted out of turn.

“Keep running”, his croaked voice said to me. “You’re next.”

********

I woke up immediately in a bathtub seriously sweaty and definitely not wearing pants. It was strange as some parts of the tall grasses I ran past surfaced in the water.

“She is awake and hungry”, I heard through the walls. I can’t believe school was back in session.

“It has only been a day”, I said to myself but just as I by-passed the calendar, I saw where Josie circled with a red pen. She promptly told me she would be resuming classes on this very day.

“What”?, I yelled with every last hungry tone. “How is it possible for me to sleep through a whole week”?

“Mar…cus”, my eerie mother’s voice called out to me.

“Mum!”, I quickly ran to where her room’s door still stayed dark.

“Shut the curtains would you”?, she bursted into tears.

“Why mum”?, I attempted to get closer to the half-shut door.

“Because it’s what Josie would have wanted”, she sneezed after.

I didn’t say a word after that. I somehow felt the need to be mute even as I served her eggs and toasted bread at the entrance of the door.

“Make more”, she sent back a broken piece of the plate.

“Mum I’m heading to school”, I countered.

“Make more….I want more”, she cried.

“I’ll make more when I get back!”, I frowned as I grabbed my phone and slammed the door behind me.

“Stupid flowers!”, I kicked the roses on my porch.

There she was, my girlfriend Angie standing in front of my car with another of those roses. I immediately felt ashamed and short of words.

“So it’s stupid huh”?, she tossed the new ones at me.

“No! No! No!”, I grabbed her hands. “Angie! I’ve got alot going on right now, there’s so many things happening that don’t seem normal.”

“I figured Marcus!”, She pulled away from me. “That’s why you won’t pick up your damn phone.”

“Babe! Please I didn’t know”, I immediately grabbed my phone from my pocket.

“You didn’t know for a whole week? Lie better Marcus!”, she got into my car and banged the door.

“I’m sorry”, I breathed hard on the steering wheel. “Something is about to go wrong in this town Angie and you know……you know…”

“Spill it!”, She folded her hands with her twisted lips indicating how much of a goofy person I’ve been.

“I can smell blood Angie”, I raged at my car.

“I’m seeing a figure in form of a large dog, my mother on the other hand now acts like an insane person and….and….and…. I miss Josie”, tears fell off those red cheeks.

“Baby….”, She attempted intercepting me.

“No! Angie! I have no excuse”, I continued. “I’m so sorry!”

She exhaled louder at my mercy plea but instead of a peck, I got a full blown kiss. My unfocused mind got hazy for a bit as I shut my eyes and held those hips tight around my waist.

“Think of me Marcus!”, She whispered to my ears. “Anytime they come, think of me.”

I nodded with subtle joy as she requested that smile that got her crazy on the very first day we met.

“We are not telling Timothy about this”, she cautioned as she fixed her lipstick problem on the side view mirror.

“Of course”, I giggled. “Neither are we telling Michelle and Sam.”

“Oh yes”, she giggled too. “We’re late for school babe.”

“But not late for ice cream”, I suggested a terrible idea.

She didn’t refuse as we stopped to get some ice cream from the Hat Lady. It was the one we had last Tuesday.

“Willemshire’s finest”, I tried to strike a conversation with her.”

“Really”?, She blushed at the compliment.

“Yes ma’am”, I gave her the money in my other hand.

“You’re not a wolf are you”?, her words hit me like stray bullets.

I sensed that presence as her eyes were suddenly dilated like those of a beautiful antler.

“Excuse me”?, Angie snatched her ice cream from my hand. “Don’t tell me you’re weird too”?

“Aren’t we all”?, She threw back a much suspicious question.

“My regards to Master George”, she smirked as I got into the vehicle with that anvil on my chest.

“Who’s Master George”?, I asked as we drove off.

“The new mayor……my father”, she replied.

“A werewolf”, the creature in me rumbled.

To Be Continued……

Read Related Story… The Wrist Watch