Dark is the Night

School

She drove like a crazy person, freaked out that the beast might lunge out of the field at any moment. It took a lot of nerves just to go get in her car, but she definitely didn't want to stay home all day alone. Her drive to school was, however, uneventful. She wasn't so scared in the parking lot. There were plenty of other people around, and no corn fields in immediate vicinity. Her friend and fellow track star, Trina, came bouncing up to her.

"Girl, didn't you shower after your run this morning? You look awful, " Trina told her.

"Oh, no. I totally forgot." Cassandra said.

"Forgot? How do you forget you are all hot and sweaty?" Her friend was anything but dishonest. She would tell you how it really was and wasn't trying to hurt your feelings. Trina was just a person who was brutal, honest, and on your side. Cassandra ran a hand through her disheveled hair.

"I'll tell you about it, but you have to not tell anyone else. I mean it, no one. Pinky promise? I don't need people thinking I'm off my rocker," she said seriously. They had been best friends since primary school, so even though they were high-schoolers now, that didn't mean a pinky promise lost any of their integrity between them.

"Oook," Trina answered hesitantly, clearly worrisome over her friend's unusual behavior. "Come on, let's get you cleaned up," she suggested, tugging her toward the bathroom. "We only have like fifteen minutes to make you look decent."

"Geese, thsnks," Cassandra told her. However, she didn't hesitate to follow her friend. They went into the nearest restroom, and Trina went to work on her hair. She brushed it over, added water to take out the frizz. She added hairspray and tied it into a tight bun like the wet look was on purpose.

"Wala," Trina said, waving her arms at her masterpiece.

"Thanks," Cassandra told her friend. She put on more deodorant and washed her arms with soap and water, all the way up to her upper arms. Finally, she sprayed her body spray and put her cucumber scented lotion on, and presto! She was a new person.

"OK, spill," Trina had waited patiently, but now she wanted details. Cassie pulled out her phone and opened up the picture she had taken of her ripped pants. She showed it to Trina.

"Oh my God, did you fall down," Trina exclaimed.

"Look closer," Cassie told her. Her friend took her phone from her hand and blew up the picture.

"Those are claw marks! What attacked you? Are you ok?" Then her friend proceeded to freak out and try to strip her to get to her calf, taking her leg in her hands and heaving it up so she could pull up her pants leg.

"Hey, hey, hey, you going to pull me off my feet. Then I will be damaged!"She complained, trying to hold the sink for balance. When Trina was satisfied, her leg was fine she dropped the offending member unceremoniously.

"Ooof," Cassie huffed as she caught her balance again. " Yes, those are claw marks. Something very weird happened this morning. It was terrifying! I don't think anyone will believe me, maybe not even you." She said.

"Try me," Trina challenged. She was primping herself but staring in horror at her friend through the mirror.

"Well," Cassie started to tell her, but the bell sang loudly echoing in the restroom, hurting their ears. "Come on, we have to go. I don't want to be late." She pulled Trina from the bathroom.

" But you have to tell me!" Trina protested. She tried to stop them from continuing, but Cassie wouldn't relent. "OK, but you are spilling your guts at lunch, girl, promise?" She asked.

"Promise," Cassie told her. They had no choice but to part ways until lunch. They didn't have any classes together until after lunch for science. Math was Cassandra's first class, and her least favorite. Whoever decided that numbers and letters go together should be fired. She could usually figure out the answer, but she couldn't do it their way and didn't get credit for it. Ridiculous! Ugh... annoying! She was relieved when it was over.

During science, she was paranoid and bored, looking out the window towards the woods. She was freaked out, thinking she would see it watching her. Finally, lunch hour came, and she bolted for the cafeteria, anxious to see Trina. Anxious to share her experience with the one person who might actually believe her, and not have her committed. Although, maybe she would be safe behind the locked doors of a mental institution. Hmmm...

"Wanna grab a tray and head to the common?" Trina asked her. Cassie hesitated. " What's wrong?"

"It's too close to the woods. Can we go to the library?" Cassie suggested.

"OK, whatever makes you most comfortable, Cass," Trina agreed.

Cassandra had been right, Mrs. Gomez just waved at them when they entered the library, and they made a beeline for the farthest corner from any people. They had looked around to make sure they were alone. Then they plopped their trays down and took over the comfy couch.

"OK, let me see that picture again," Trina said, holding her carefully manicured hand out for the phone. Cassandra opened her phone up to the photo and handed it to Trina.

"s**t, girl. This is definitely claw marks. What the hell happened this morning?" She wanted to know. Cassie picked st her food, taking small test bites of today's mystery food. The cafeteria wasn't known for five star meals. Trina tapped her foot impatiently.

"Come on, Cass. We only have an hour you know," she pushed.

"You're going to think I'm off my rocker," Cassie said looking at her helplessly.

"OK, look. I promise to believe you. I mean, I know you aren't on drugs." She said playfully, trying to lighten the mood, bumping her elbow into Cassie's arm. Cassie took st deep breath.

"OK, but you promised," she started, fixing her with a look, and her friend nodded in reassurance. "So, I went out for my run, just like I do every morning. I just got this weird feeling, like something was watching me. I told myself I was being crazy, but I couldn't shake the feeling." She told Trina.

"Then what happened," Trina asked, she was enthralled like it was a good ghost story leaned forward and listening.

"So, after I turned around and headed back towards my house I thought I heard footsteps, like someone running through the cornfield beside me. When I stopped to listen, the sound also stopped. Then when I started running again, I sweat I heard the footsteps start running also. Like they were matching my steps, like they were hunting me, trying to blend their sound with mine. I mean, no rabbit or deer does that, right?" She paused to access Trina's reaction.

Her friend was in rapt attention and she shook her head, " No way, they dont."Trina agreed.

"It seemed predatory." Cassie continued. "OK, so I just ran, as fast as I could. saw the corn moving beside me, like a wave. Something was moving in the corn. Something really big!" Cassie started to. Ryan and Trina grabbed her hand.

"I could hear it breathing, Trina. It was so close. I whimpered, becuase I was afraid, you know," Trina nodded. " and it growled. I haven't ever heard something like that, Trina. This growl wasn't from any animal I have ever heard around here. It was definitely canine. It didn't sound like a big cat, more like a dog or a wolf." Cassandra had to take a break. She had tears in her eyes, and she was trying to breath normally, but the trauma was plaguing her. Trina moved closer putting her arm through Cassie's and squeezing.

"It's ok, I'm right here, Cass." She comforted her friend. " I believe you, ok?" She reassured her. Something had definitely happened out there. It was evident in the ripped jeans, and her friend's reaction. She wasn't sure if she was prepared for it, but she would be there for her friend.

"Ok. So, I saw the road to my house up ahead. You know, where the road forks?" Trina nodded. She had been to Cassie's house too many times to count. " The thing. It was on that side of the field, and the field was ending. I was running for my life, pushing myself harder than I've ever done before. I couldn't stop," she choked up, trying to push away the tears. She was trying to stay quiet so no one would hear her. "But I knew if I went that way it would get me. It would be right there as I turned. So I made a plan. I would go right towards my neighbor's house. I told myself not to look, but I couldn't help it!" Her voice went up several octaves.

"What did you see, Cassie?" Trina asked her, dreading the answer but she had to know.

"It was a wolf, Trina! But it was running on two legs, it was tall as the corn!" She cried. "It had giant sharp teeth, and arms with hands and claws. Claws the size of a frickin velosaraptor!" She couldn't anymore. She put her head in her hands and broke down in her friend's arms.

"It's ok now, babe. You safe here," she soothed her, patting her hair. She let her freak out for a few minutes and then asked her, "How do you get away, Cass? There are claw marks on your pants."

"When I got to the fork, and I saw what it was, I freaked out inside. It was like a shot of adrenaline, I ran into my neighbor's yard. I forgot they had a fence, but it didn't matter. I frickin jumped the fence and landing in their pool. I don't even know how I did it. I sank to the bottom and I stayed there until zi felt like I would drown. When I came up, nothing was there." She took a breath.

"I literally stayed down there until I felt like my eyeballs were going to pop out. Mrs. Larson heard the commotion and came out. She didn't believe me. She was super pissed I was in her pool. She made me leave. It was the most terrifying thing. I had to run soaking wet back to the fork, and to my house. I was thinking the whole time I was fixing to be dead. Totally scared out of my mind. When I got home I slammed the door behind me, no one else was home. I just laid there on the floor thinking I was crazy. I thought maybe I had a really vivid dream. But I was soaking wet and then I saw the marks on my pants. I didn't know it was that close! Trina, it was actually close enough to grab my pants leg." Cassie cried some more, trembling.

"Oh my God, Cassie. I'm so glad your ok." Trina hugged her friend tightly. "What are we going to do?" She said.

"I don't know. The grown ups aren't going to believe a thing. They'll just saw I ripped my pants on the fence. They are never going to belive a frickin werewolf attacked me! Because Trina, what else could it have been? You didn't see it. It looked just like what was in the movies, you know the good movies, with the good special effects." Cassie complained.

"I don't know, Cass. No more running when it's dark outside. Just here st school. That will have to do. You can't risk it." Trina told her.

"This just isn't fair!" Cassie complained. "I've worked so hard. I need to practice so I can make state!" Cassie banged her fists on the side of the couch. Just then the bell rang.

"Cone on, we need to get to athletics. We can run our hearts out, ok?" Trina said. The girls gathered up their forgotten lunch, and made their way out of the library, whispering about the situation.