The sun was slipping lower, moving toward the horizon. The sky looked like an artist’s canvas with splashes of shades of pink, orange, and purple. Kayla was glad she decided today to take the long way home. It was so nice to enjoy such beauty.

The lights came on one by one as she got to the edge of the park. She would do her best to stay on the path until it came to that small area of trees and brush. She would slip through the bit of forest in order to make it back to the street and her apartment. It could be a little scary going in there; however, Kayla had done this a dozen times before. 

She jumped a little and looked around as she heard a strange noise. It was difficult to reassure herself, but she thought that it was probably some small animal. Once, she spied a cute little rabbit. It has to be that she thought or a raccoon or even a possum. It was all going to turn out alright.

Just inside the area of the forest, she looked over head. At least a full moon was out, so she wouldn’t have to stop to pull out her phone and use the light on it. Kayla took a deep breath, held it for a few seconds, and exhaled while walking further into the trees.  

—-

There were eyes in the shadows keeping a close watch on a young woman as she tripped over a small branch. Humans were so frail. Their vision was poor in the dark, and their sense of smell was not adept as others. Nevertheless, the creature had smelled the woman as she entered and came to take a look. It had been some time since he had hunted. She was such lovely prey.

—-

Kayla felt her body quiver. She sensed someone or thing was watching her. Goosebumps appeared on her arm. A tingle went up and down her spine. After taking a look, no one was around; however, something was not right. It was almost impossible for her to figure out what was causing her to feel this way.   Her pace quickened along with her heartbeat.

—-

The chase had begun. He could overtake her, but what fun would that be? The thrill was what he sought tonight. Easy prey was not something that had interested him. The woman moved faster, and he kept some distance between them, so she would not discover him.

—-

It sounded like someone or something was following her. Kayla started running as fast as she could. She stopped for a moment when her ears picked up what sounded like a growl. Turning, she took off again but failed to see the large branch hiding in the tall grass. All of a sudden, her body lurched forward, and she fell to the ground. Her whole body should have hurt, but her brain didn’t register it because of her fear. She picked herself up and started running again. 

A blue light was shining in the distance. Kayla had to be getting close to breaking free from the trees. The lights on the street would make everything less scary. Plus, she would be just a few yards from the back of the building where her apartment was. She was almost home free.  

As Kayla got closer to the blue light, it did not seem right. She slowed down and looked at the swirling motion. A nagging feeling inside of her said that it would not be a good idea to head that way. At the last moment, Kayla turned right and ran in the opposite direction.  

She ran fast, her feet pounding on the ground. She was about to break through the trees when there was a breath on the back of her neck. It was such a relief when her feet hit the concrete. Even though she was almost sure she was safe now, she kept up the quick pace until she was at the door to her apartment.

—-

The beast stopped as his prey escaped into an area too populated with humans. He knew that if he were spotted it wouldn’t be good. He started to rethink things. This time it was not a wise idea to toy with the woman. He should have overtaken her from the start. Now she had the fortune of escaping him, and he would have to hope for some other to come along.

—-

Kayla’s sides were hurting as her feet pounded on the concrete. She recognized the tall buildings where she lived. Her apartment was so close. It was her intention that she would not stop moving until she made it to her door. Her feet moved up two steps at a time as she made it to the landing. It was then she realized her purse was gone. She must have somehow dropped it when she was running through the woods. It was impossible for her to go back for it now. Her hand knocked hard and fast on the door and didn’t stop until her roommate, Liz, opened it up.  

“Jesus Christ, Kayla. Did you have to knock like the cops? What? Did you forget your key again?”

Kayla pushed through the door and watched as Liz closed it, making sure she locked it too. It was only then she was able to relax a little and start breathing again.  

 “What’s wrong? What happened? Where is your stuff?”  Liz asked.

“I….I….I…dropped it in the forest,” Kayla said. Her chest expanding and contracting, gasping as she felt unable to get enough air into her lungs.

She flopped down on the couch while Liz went to the kitchen. She came back and handed Kayla a glass of water. Kayla looked down, staring at the water in the glass, not knowing what she was looking at it for. Then moving the glass to her lips, she took a sip. It should have made her feel better but it didn’t. An alcoholic drink would have been an improvement at this moment.

 “That had to be the most frightening experience I have had,” Kayla said. A few droplets of water fell from the glass and onto her jeans.   

“Tell me what happened,” Liz said in a soft voice.

Kayla told her about how she had cut through the forest and how she had this perception someone or thing was stalking her. It was then she made the decision to walk faster.  

“I looked around but saw nothing, but I couldn’t shake the feeling. You know?”

Liz nodded and let her continue. Kayla mentioned running fast through the trees and brush to get to the parking lot. The sense of being chased never leaving her. Her heart started beating fast again as she relived the moment.

“Are you sure you didn’t spot some guy or an animal?” Liz asked her.

“I don’t get it.   I swear nothing was there.”

“Kayla, if you didn’t see anything, then how do you know something was following you?”

“This insane creepy feeling was running through me. I…I…wish my explanation was better,” Kayla said, hanging her head down. “I don’t think it was a person. While I was running I heard a growl. Before I stepped onto the concrete, something brushed through my hair.” She paused, then continued, “If it was an animal, it would have to be something huge, like a bear. I am pretty sure I would have seen an animal that big. I don’t know. Maybe I was just having some weird hallucination.”

Liz put a comforting hand on Kayla’s. “It will be alright. In the morning, I will go with you and help you find your stuff. However, I do think that you should cancel your credit cards, just in case.”

Kayla nodded and stood up. “I need to lie down. This has taken a lot out of me,” she said. Her head turned to look at her roommate. Kayla tried to give Liz a reassuring smile that everything was fine. But the fact was that incident shook her up.

Liz called out to her, “If you need anything, I am here for you.” Her voice sounded with genuine concern.