The mutant wolf jumped forward and knocked me to the ground. Swearing under my breath, I curled into a ball. This was it. I knew that it would be a canine that would finish me off. I closed my eyes when it probed me with its nose. It started to pace around me before stopping with its muzzle inches from my face. I could feel the heat of its breath on my skin. A soft whining silenced the wolf’s growl. I peeked over my shoulder to see the monster step to the side as another appeared. 

I hated dogs. I hated them so much.

The black-colored one nudged my cheek with its nose and started to lick my face. I didn’t understand what was going on. Why wouldn’t they leave me alone? The black one made a weird noise to the other, who then jogged toward the farmhouse. 

The remaining wolf sat down and cocked its head to the side. I rose to my knees and wiped my face. This seemed like some cruel game. Its tail started to beat the ground. What a strange animal. I glanced to the side to find the fence was about a hundred yards away. I slowly stood and watched the wolf for any movement. It just sat there with its tail wagging. 

Holding my hands out in front of me, I backed up. “Stay.”

It rose to its feet, and I stopped. 

My heart was pounding. “Please, stay,” I said in a shaky voice. “Stay.” I took a step back, and when the wolf didn’t move, I ran for it. 

Making it to the fence, I skidded to a stop and dropped to my knees. I slammed my fist against the boards, searching for a way to escape. Footsteps sounded behind me. Slowly turning around, I saw the black wolf standing feet away. 

I pressed against the fence. “Please, go away.”

It dropped to the ground with its tail still flicking back and forth. 

I scooted down the fence line, feeling behind me. My hand slipped through a hole, and I felt along the outline. It was just big enough. Flipping onto my stomach, I army-crawled through. I yanked my legs out of the way right before the space was filled with the wolf’s muzzle. 

Taking a deep breath, I sat up on my knees. I was still alive. Somehow, I was still alive.

Something scraped against the ground. The monster had started digging! Cursing under my breath, I leaped to my feet and raced down the road. I tore across the front lawn and threw open the door. Slamming it shut, I turned the deadbolt into place and rested my head against the wood. I made it. 

“Aden,” snapped my mother, looking over at me from the living room couch. “Was that necessary?”

Gasping for air, I didn’t move and waited for my heart rate to settle.

“Aden, what’s wrong, and where’s Demon?” She put her book down.

“Aden,” said a deep voice.

Two hands grabbed me, and I bit my lip to stop from screaming. 

My father turned me around. “Aden, what happened?”

“There’s this thing in the Anderson’s pasture!”

“What do you mean?” my father asked. 

“I don’t know.” I gasped for air. “It looked like a wolf, but not.” I clasped my forehead. “They were these giant demon creatures. It was all black and there was a red one, too.”

My mother hurried over and pressed the back of her hand to my face. “I think you’ve had a bit of a traumatic day, and your mind is playing tricks on you.”

Scratching noises sounded from the other side of the door. My dad reached for the handle, but I blocked him.

“Don’t open it! Those things could’ve followed me home.”

“Aden, that’s enough.” He grabbed me and moved me to the side. I hovered around the corner and watched as he unlocked the door. It swung open, and little Demon trotted into the house.

“Demon!” my mother said, relieved. She picked him up and kissed his head. “You naughty boy, did you scare Aden?”

My father peered back at me with a raised eyebrow.

I gave him a repulsed expression. “That thing was a hundred times the size of that stupid dog.”

“It is dark, Aden,” said my mother, bouncing Demon in her arms. “Your imagination could’ve gotten the better of you.” She scratched the puppy between its ears.

He barked at her and licked her cheek.

“I know what I saw.”

“It could have been a cow,” suggested my father, walking into the living room with my mother.

“It growled!” I stood in the entryway and glared at my parents. “I know what I saw.”

“Aden, I think you’ve had a long day.” My mother set the dog on the ground and took me in her arms. “Maybe you should go to bed. I think it might have been more than just motion sickness.” She brushed my hair off my forehead. 

I took a deep breath and slowly released it. “I guess.”

She kissed my cheek. “You’ll feel better in the morning. Goodnight.”

Nodding, I turned to the stairs and dragged my tired body to my room. I went to the window and checked the lock before placing a chair under the door handle. I’d rather be overly cautious than wake up with a giant wolf in my room. After changing into sweats, I slipped into bed and tried to forget what I had seen.