Freeing the Beast

An Angel with Curly Hair (2)

Astrid

      I slide my butt off the hood of my white Jeep Wrangler and start pacing. The cold wind tousles my hair as I press my palm over my unoccupied ear to better hear what Moira is yelling. The pounding bass of the techno music that's playing in the background drowns out her voice over the phone.

"It's so loud where you are, I can't hear a word you're saying!" I yell, the wind making my voice vibrate. "Try moving someplace quieter!"

"What? Where are you? I need you. Eva just threw up on me and totally passed out. I'm too high to drive, and I can't carry Eva to our car, let alone all the way up to the dorms. I can't even remember where we parked the car."

"s**t, Moira, I can't. I'm not near SCT right now, I left the rave an hour ago!" I reply, raising my voice over the wind.

"What? You're breaking up, Astrid. Wait...you're not here?"

I wince, my ear hurting at the loud music mixed with Moira's yelling voice.

"No! I'm not, I'm..."

"But, I thought you came to the rave. I saw you dancing with Michael just an hour ago..."

"I know, I did...I was, but I left early and drove back to SCT to study for that exam I have tomorrow—but when I got there, Ciara was having this huge party in our room, even the hallway was packed. I couldn't study there."

"Oh, okay, where are you n—s**t!" Moira curses suddenly.

Startled by her exclamation, I speak over the wind and ask, "What? What's wrong?"

I hear Moira grunt before answering me. "Eva just threw up again."  I hear her address Eva gently. "Eva, baby, please don't pass out again."

"Crap, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have left. Is she alright?" I ask, worried about my two best friends, and hating that I'm too far away to help.

My anxiety fades a little when I hear Moira chuckle. "Yeah, she's fine. She's just smashed. She raved too damn hard. Okay, so where exactly are you now?"

A smile spreads over my face as I look at my surroundings. Facing the beautiful lights of the city, I answer, "I found this perfect spot, Moira. Not only is it peaceful, but it also gives me this great view of the city."

"Oh? But how far are you from SCT?"

"About five miles, and like six miles from the rave. Look, I'll call Ciara and she'll leave her party and come pick you and Eva up. Okay? She owes me. I hid her coke from the RA twice last week."

"No, I'll call her. You need to study for that exam. Thanks."

"You're welcome. Be safe, alright?"

"Will do. Bye."

"Bye, bestie." I hang up the phone and put it inside the jacket I'm wearing. I exhale my relief, hoping that Moira and Eva survive this crazy night.

With another sigh, I zip my thin brown jacket further up, to fend off the brutal wind from my naked chest and collar. I walk to my car and sit back down on the hood, picking up my studies where I had left off.

"What are you doing here?" a harsh, deep voice booms near me. Like thunder, the deep sound reverberates through me.

"Ah!" I gasp, feeling my heart stop for a brief second. Then, like a missile, I launch away from the scary voice, tripping and falling on the rocky floor.

"Ow!" I quickly pick my elbow off the floor, inwardly scolding myself for forgetting my pepper spray in my dorm.

After a couple of quick breaths, I finally gather the courage to slowly look up at the source of the masculine voice that made the hairs on the back of my neck rise.

The dark figure is standing still, next to my jeep. In the dark, the shadows of the nearby trees cover his identity. I can tell he's wearing a hoodie but I'm not sure of what color, or why. And I'm not planning on finding out.

As long as he gets away from my car, I can drive away from here.

God, I thought this spot was safe and peaceful. I just told my best friend that it was. Now, some stranger with a threatening voice is asking me questions? What if he rapes me?

Oh my God! I'm in the middle of nowhere, with no one else in sight! How will I find help?

No matter how breathtaking this view is, it's certainly not worth getting raped or dying over. "Um..." I start nervously, barely able to get a word out.

I look behind me and grimace at the view now. The only way I can escape this predicament is if I jump over the railing behind me, fly down the ravine, and crash face-first into the rock edges on the way down. My body would have already been turned into noodles before I even reached the bottom.

Grim!

"Uh..." My throat closes up immediately as I try to speak again. I try putting a stiff smile on my face as I squint at the dark figure.

Maybe if I appear friendly he won't hurt me.

I clear my throat and attempt to make my trembling voice sound clearer and more confident. Failing miserably, I ask, "Wh-who are you?"

"I'm supposed to ask you that. Are you aware that you're trespassing?" he asks, his deep tone a bit condescending.

My eyes flare in surprise at his question, but I shudder in fear of his voice. God, his voice! Am I supposed to feel it on my skin? A man with a voice like that can't be a good man. He has to be evil, or deprived, or...worse.

"I...am?" I croak, my voice weak and my body covered in goosebumps. Despite the cold, I know my body's intense reaction is not from the chilly air.

Trespassing? This dead-end road didn't have a sign. And there's a f*****g ravine here! Why would someone own it?

"Since this is private property, I'll say," he replies, harshly.

God, he sounds angry. Time to bounce.

And what was I thinking, wearing such heavy boots? They might be ideal when you're planning to go out to a rave with your two best friends and trying to cram some hours studying for an exam, but not when you're trying to run away from a possible rapist-murderer.

"Sorry, sir. I'll leave right away," I say, calmly, finally moving my body and my heavy feet a step towards my jeep.

Suddenly noticing that I cut my elbow due to my stupid fall, I stop to gently wipe the dirt off my jacket and jeans.

"Uh, thank you for not calling the police, Sir, I honestly didn't know I was..."

"Just don't let it happen again," he says, his voice making that strange vibration go through me again. My heart skips a beat and I swallow nervously.

"Got it." As I continue to slowly approach my car, I am still anxious, even though now I'm mostly certain he's not here to rape me after all. I notice his stance: a tall, big man, he has both hands in his pockets and is standing straight and rigid, almost as if he's afraid to move.

I want to leave quickly, but he's right next to my Jeep. The only way for me to get out of here is to get closer to him, which I'm afraid to do.

Who knows what he will do? What if he attacks me?

"Does right away mean something else in your book?" he calmly but abruptly asks in a gravelly voice.

I want to think he's amused with the petrified expression I imagine is on my face, but his curt tone sounds otherwise.

"Sorry... I, um, I was just hoping you would leave. I mean, move...away, or leave... Not that you should..."

"Why would I leave?" he asks suddenly, startling me again.

God, give a girl a heart attack, why don't you?

"Well...because you're kind of freaking me out," I answer honestly, joining my fingers together (a habit I have whenever I'm nervous).

"How is that? You can't even see me," he says slowly, as if puzzled. He then does the strangest thing and hides lf further from me, burying himself into the shadows of the trees.

"Exactly. It would be ideal if you'd step into the light," I politely suggest, adding a nice tone to my voice in the hopes that he doesn't think I'm ordering him around on his own property.

"I'm not doing that. And I won't hurt you. You can leave just fine without having to see me." He steps back again, further into the shadows, granting me more space to open my car door.

I run to my car and quickly hop in the driver's seat.

In a rush, I turn the keys and reverse until my wheels find the main road, and I quickly drive away from the dark stranger.