Journal 3:

13 September 2017

 

“Goodnight Dan! Text me when you get home safe!”, she called. “Goodnight Justine! I will!”, I answered back, we embraced. As I walked out the door, I was hit instantly with the crisp cool air of the night. Tasting this new atmosphere, I began the seemingly endless walk downhill to my car. Tree frogs squeaked. A peaceful, yet unnerving harmony. In comparison to the frogs, my heart beat was slow and got faster. At first, I did not hear it, then came the crescendo. “Ba bum, ba bum, ba BUM, BA BUM”. The few shining constellations, were my only consolation.

It is much harder to go into such a seemingly foreign environment after being in such a comfortable one. I finally reached my car, got in and took a deep breath. That “new car” scent, I’ve never been so relived to smell it. In reality, my car was not new at all. The linen ceiling was falling and the lightbulbs in the shifter had burned out. Forgetting such things, I started the car and flipped the headlights to on. As I shifted into what I thought was drive, I began to roll back slowly. I felt like something was pulling me. I turned to look back. Suddenly those falling linens looked monstrous. A creature of the night had come for my car! Maybe the frogs had tried to warn me with their hymn? Or maybe it was them who had summoned it. I exclusively knew terror.

Locking my doors faster than you could say “Zoinks!”, I threw my car into drive and hit the gas. Sending bits of the dirt road up behind me, I tore it out of there. Thank god Justine was safe inside. I hoped that she had locked the door. It was wall between my fear and her comfortable existence. Oh, how I wished to be safely back in her arms. Alas, I knew to escape this monster I had to drive home. Hands sweating profusely, my grip on the wheel became warm ssand slippery. Every tree looked like a creature straight out of hell. The glowing eyes within them, the face of their demon. A tear running down my face, I could taste the salt.  Adjacent to me, a pond, glowing eerily in the moon’s light. With the light of the moon, came the calls of the coyotes. The roar of other engines, became those of mountain lions. Blinded with fear, my other senses became more enhanced with delusion. The sheet was still hanging down from the ceiling. All the way home, I never looked back.