1 for Halloween (quite mellow)

05-26-11 Prompt: Her eyes took on a faraway look. “I’ve always wanted more,” she said.

  The hairy beast crouched over its prey, as blood dripped from its fangs.

  Lily stood straight as she could, sticking to the side of the tall pine she hid behind.

  The monster looked once her way. Lily couldn’t see it, but she sensed it. She sensed his low growl rumbling through the air, rippling through the oxygen until it met her ears.

  She felt the breeze blow strands toward her face. “Thank God,” she whispered. She knew she’d be dead if she were down wind from the form she saw at the edge of the old boathouse, and now only yards away.

  She heard a flap of material and knew it was the old windsock on top the roof. If she could hear that, she knew she had to plan a delicate escape. But how to be that quiet, she wondered.

  She paused and heard nothing. No growl. No more tearing of flesh. No more breaking of bones. “Stay together.” She hoped she thought and didn’t say. Nothing. Not a crunch underfoot either. Where is it? Not knowing whether to look, she waited.

  Her eyes took on a faraway look for a moment. I’ve always wanted more, she thought. Never again. Not after this time. … If I get out of here.

  She heard a distant engine on the lake and knew it was Charles. He and Steve were going to pick up her and Margaret at midnight. … If they made it to midnight.  They may have been kidding, but Lily found out tonight the creature of Elton Island was not a myth. It was true. And if they come soon, they may be killed. 

  Lily didn’t know what to do. It was as if her legs were frozen.

  Where’s Margaret, she wondered. Did she make it?

  And where’s the beast?

  Then she heard it. Three clinks. That was the signal. Lily knew Margaret had made it back to the old boathouse.

  But had she seen the beast? The killer in the night… the stalker of prey larger than man, who kills and leaves the bones mangled, looking as if they are stirred dominos of a child’s game.

  “Margaret--” Lily didn’t know what to do. If she ran from her cover, certainly she may run into her death.

  Lily stayed, and still heard nothing. Anger irrationally lifted, thinking she couldn’t listen for the animal over the louder approaching boat engine.

  Lily heard the chains. They were on the deck, around the backside of the boathouse.

  Margaret—the monster! Lily thought.

  She peered around the pine feeling shivers as the moon cast rays of evidence on death nearby.

  It smells Margaret, Lily thought.

  Lily saw a spotlight from the boat going back and forth—along the shore, over the boathouse. It stopped at the other side of the boathouse. It jerked up, down, scattered, then stayed. Lily could make out forms in the boat.

  The boys were almost to shore. She felt her legs strengthen. Her heart beat within her chest stronger than she had ever felt it.

  “HEYY!” She heard Chuck scream. 

  She couldn’t tell the tone.

  What did he see? Lily wondered. Did he see the monster?

  HEY! Again, then laughs.

  Lily was confused. She heard something strange from the boathouse. Wood was being broken. Then glass.

  The boys’ laughter stopped and the spot light danced erratically.

  Lily heard a scream and saw Margaret run to the side. Behind her, Lily saw the monster lounging.

  A flash of light from the boat’s flare gun screamed over the land past the boathouse and into the back of the monster…. Skin, hair, bones and blood dispersed onto the back of Margaret as she fell forward.

  Lily watched the windsock whipping erratically now, and the boys jump off the boat and run toward Margaret. She couldn’t hear anything, except for Margaret’s screams.