Hidden Monster

by Amanda Strong

  I stretched my legs out and then recoiled into a tight ball on my side again. “Brrr, where are my covers?”

  The bright light was making the back of my eyelids pink, but I didn’t want to wake up yet. Just a few more minutes. My hands reached for Grandma Johnson’s quilt, but instead felt cold dampness. Confused, I tried to rouse myself completely, but found my body rebelling. Every muscle felt stiff and sore.

  A snuffling sound in my ear caused me to bolt up, fatigue forgotten. A black nose filled my vision and a large, wet tongue ran up and down my face. I fell back as a dog jumped into my lap.

  “Misty! Where’d you go, girl?” The voice was definitely male. I scanned the area, seeing only golden-brown grass and a thick forest of trees. The dog, Misty, whined and jumped off my lap, disappearing into the woods.

  What’s going on? I staggered to my feet, my joints popping. Feels like I slept on a rock. Misty burst through the underbrush and tried to jump into my lap again, almost knocking me over. I tried to push her down, not wanting another face bath.

  “Oh jeez, I’m sorry! Misty, get over here, girl. What are you doing? Get off her!”

  My head jerked up to see a man emerging from the thick woods. Wearing a baseball cap, a blue sweater, black gym shorts, and flip-flops, he seemed harmless enough. He held a leash in his hand—one the dog was obviously not attached to. Misty instantly flew from my arms and shimmied back to her master, her tail between her legs.

  While the man leaned down and re-attached the leash, I tried to compose myself. Smoothing my hair back with my fingers, I was horrified to discover it was caked in dirt.

  “Sorry about that. Misty’s pretty friendly,” the man said, straightening up. He was close enough now to see the face beneath the hat. He was younger than I’d thought. Nothing about his features was out of the ordinary. He had aqua blue eyes, a straight nose, and lips bent into a crooked smile. The over-all effect left me ogling.

  When his eyebrows shot up, I gasped. Please don’t tell me I’m still in that nightgown! Glancing down, I was relieved to see a white T-shirt and gray sweatpants. Knowing I was bra-less, I gratefully zipped up the matching jacket. Shifting my weight, I realized my feet felt numb. Where the heck are my shoes?

  I caught him studying me. “Uh, no problem,” I replied. “Well, I better get going.” The guy’s gaze darted to my feet and then back up. He arched one brow.

  Yeah, I know I look crazy, I wanted to shout. Embarrassed by his wordless stare, I turned and strode away. He didn’t hesitate to follow. The nerve!

  “Hold up,” he called after me. “You must be Samantha.” That stopped me short. I spun and stared at him. His smile faltered, and he struck out a hand. “Hey, I’m Blake.”

  I didn’t move, and his hand dropped. “My family moved in a few doors down, last week,” he offered, like I should have known this. “My mom met your mom—”

  I cringed. Maybe I should pay better attention to Mom. “Oh sorry, yeah I’m Samantha.” He grinned. I hated that it both irritated and attracted me. “It’s nice to meet you Blake, but I better get home.” I wanted him to get the hint and leave me alone.

  “I’ll walk with you. Like I said, I live real close,” he offered.

  My stomach sickened but I nodded and picked up my pace, hoping he’d drop back or just go away. He kept up, as did Misty, who trotted happily between us. Well, at least I’m not far from home. If he tries anything, I can scream and try to outrun him. Although, peeking over, I realized I didn’t feel as afraid as I thought I should.

  “So, what were you doing out here? It’s sort of cold for a walk without shoes.”

  Wish I knew! I tried to deflect him. “You’re one to talk. Aren’t you wearing flip-flops?”

  He chuckled, his exhales producing little, white clouds. “Yeah, I guess you’re right. Misty likes to get out early. I didn’t realize how cold it gets here though.”

  I was about to ask where he’d moved from when it dawned on me that if he was awake, then maybe it was late enough for my family to be too. Oh no…

  “What time is it?” I blurted.

  “Uh, six, maybe six fifteen…”

  I inhaled sharply.

  He glanced over. “What’s wrong?”

  “Sorry, got to go!” I called, sprinting away, leaving him and Misty behind. I knew I looked nuts, running barefoot in the woods, leaves strewn through my hair, but I didn’t care. I just prayed I’d be able to reenter our home and get in my bed before my parents discovered my absence.

  At least it’s Saturday. My sisters and parents weren’t exactly early risers on the weekend. I slid the backdoor open and tiptoed through the kitchen. Taking the stairs two at a time, I was relieved to see the house was dark and quiet.

  Once in my room, I shot a glance at my vanity mirror. Ugh. Black smudges under my eyes left them looking bruised, my sweat suit was covered in enough dirt to appear brown rather than gray, and my hair… for a moment, I remembered the feel of it slapping against my back as I ran. I ripped a brush through, pulling out the remaining leaves.

  Stripping out of my clothes, I dug in my pajama drawer and found a cotton nightgown. Glad for the first time my mom insisted on me using makeup wipes, I tugged one out and scrubbed my face until my skin felt raw.

  I crawled into bed and hoped my toes would thaw. Why was I out there anyway? I had a sinking suspicion I’d spent the night out there. Great, I sleepwalk now, just what I need. After a few minutes, my thoughts shifted to Blake. I hated to admit that I wished our walk had lasted a little longer.

  Maybe it’d be good to hang out with friends again. Blake doesn’t know about my near-drowning accident, or about what happened in the cabin. He doesn’t think I’m crazy like everyone else does. I grinned and then groaned. Darn. After this morning, he probably does.