StarFall (Completed)

Ch. 8 (part 2)

I had enough of this. No more being afraid, no more hiding from this, I was done with all of it.

"Miller, duck." I screamed.

Miller let his body drop to the floor as I pushed my hands out towards Bobby, and sent him crashing into the lockers. He slid down them and fell to the floor.

"Let's go." I pulled Miller up, and we ran.

Out the front doors we went, not daring to look back. We ran down the steps, across the lawn, and over the curb onto the road, trying not to vomit from running so hard. I could feel my heart in my throat.

"The book. It's in my car. We have to get it," Miller said between rushed breaths.

I nodded. His house was out of our way, but he was right, we needed it. We took a detour and made our way to Miller's house.

                                                                      ***************

The garage door opened.

"Hurry, faster." I kept looking over my shoulder.

"I can't make it go any faster," Miller said, his hand still red.

We moved under the door and went straight for the car.

"Get in, I'll drive."

"Do you know how to drive?" Miller said, as I slid into the front seat.

"I'm going to pretend you didn't just ask me that." I grabbed the keys from the glove box and started the car. "Getting in?"

He crammed into the passenger seat and pulled on his seat belt. "Just be careful. My mom would kill me if anything happened to this car." 

I put the car in gear and drove out of the garage. "I think your mom is the least of our concerns on the list of things that could kill us right now."

We cruised down the street, I did my best to not run any lights, we didn't need to draw any more attention to us.

"Grab the book."

Miller riffled through the backseat as he searched. I was too caught up from fleeing from a deranged Bobby that I didn't notice the car parked in front of us at the side of the road.

Miller turned forward. "Adeline, look out." He shouted.

The brakes screeched as we braced for impact. The sound of the tires halting on the asphalt was met with the voice of one so familiar.

"Oh. My. God. What the hell?"

Madison got out of her car and I died a little inside. Madison? Really? It had to be her car. I was hesitant but decided to get out of the car. 

"Madison, I am so sorry--"

Her face devolved into the same look she had worn throughout most of high school. One of boredom and superiority. "Oh, it's you. You're paying for this you know." She pointed to the dent on the back of her car.

Miller got out of the car and stood next to me. His hands gripped his medium brown hair. "My mom is going to kill me." 

"Miller, do you have the book?" I said, as an immediate danger caught my eye.

"Yeah, why?" He turned to see what I was staring at.

Bobby stood no less than twenty feet from us. His breaths heavy, his face bruised. "I'm getting really sick of this." 

"Bobby?" Madison said, confused. "What's going on?"

I pushed Miller ahead of me as we ran for the clearing in the forest. Bobby darted after us, swift and with intent to kill--or at least severely disfigure us.

He shot past Madison. "Hey, what the hell? Where do you all think you're going? Someone's paying for this," she said as she bolted after the rest of us.

Our feet could barely keep up with us as we scrambled through an opening of trees littered with vines. Vines?

We ran and ran, far into the forest, until we had to stop. Not knowing where we had run to. How deep into the forest were we?

"Any sign of him?" Miller said, panting.

"No, I think we're okay."

I spoke too soon. 

"Summers." Bobby ran towards us like a mad dog.

Miller got in front of me.

"You don't have to do that, I can take care of myself." 

"I know, but my mom would also kill me if I didn't at least try to defend your honor."

I appreciated the gesture, as pointless as it was.

"Hello, don't just leave me back there." Madison was trailing behind Bobby. "Where are we even?"

"You're dead, you're both dead." Bobby shouted, rampaging towards us.

His threats fell flat when the faintest of grumblings grew into a loud, scathing roar. We looked all around us, but saw nothing.

We all stood near one another, searching the forest surroundings with our eyes, listening for the source of that dreadful noise.

"What the hell was that?" Bobby said.

"A bear?" Madison chimed in.

"Bears do not sound like that," I said.

"Guys...look." Miller pointed to something behind all of us.

We backed away in terror, in disbelief. Standing before us was a strange creature, scaled like a lizard, but covered in patches of dark fur like a wolf. A lizard-wolf? 

The creature's jaw opened, and it bared its sharp, knife-like teeth. Its claws dug into the earth as it neared us. It towered over us, and all we could do was look on in horror.

"That is definitely not a bear," Madison said.

My words fought to get out, the lizard-wolf focused its yellow eyes on us, and let out a cry. My legs were ready to get moving as I turned around, pushing everyone back, I screamed out. "Run."

Tʜᴀɴᴋ ʏᴏᴜ ᴛᴏ ᴇᴠᴇʀʏᴏɴᴇ ғᴏʀ ʀᴇᴀᴅɪɴɢ ᴛᴏ ᴛʜᴇ ᴇɴᴅ ᴏғ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ! Iғ ʏᴏᴜ ᴇɴᴊᴏʏᴇᴅ ᴛʜɪꜱ ᴛʜᴇɴ ᴘʟᴇᴀꜱᴇ ᴠᴏᴛᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ꜱʜᴀʀᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ꜱᴛᴏʀʏ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴏᴛʜᴇʀꜱ! I'ᴅ ʀᴇᴀʟʟʏ ᴀᴘᴘʀᴇᴄɪᴀᴛᴇ ɪᴛ. Aɴᴅ ғᴇᴇʟ ғʀᴇᴇ ᴛᴏ ᴄᴏᴍᴍᴇɴᴛ ᴀꜱ ʏᴏᴜ ʀᴇᴀᴅ ᴏʀ ᴡʜᴇɴ ʏᴏᴜ'ᴠᴇ ғɪɴɪꜱʜᴇᴅ ᴀ ᴘᴀʀᴛ ᴏғ ᴛʜᴇ ꜱᴛᴏʀʏ. Dᴏɴ'ᴛ ʙᴇ ꜱʜʏ! Tʜᴀɴᴋ ʏᴏᴜ ᴀɢᴀɪɴ, ᴀɴᴅ I ʜᴏᴘᴇ ʏᴏᴜ ᴄᴏᴍᴇ ʙᴀᴄᴋ ғᴏʀ ᴍᴏʀᴇ!