The Night Terror

Chapter 1

Friday, 11:53 pm
Gripped by intense fear, Aaron could barely breathe. Ducking behind a tree, he remained as still as possible, trying to keep his heart from racing as he breathed shallow breaths while attempting not to be heard. Cold sweat streamed down his forehead, dripping from the tip of his nose, covering his lips with the taste of salt. Holding his knees tightly, he tried to steady himself as he crouched, cold and motionless.
A wind whistled through the trees causing Aaron to cringe; it reminded him that something destructive lurked in the darkness. To calm himself, he tried making sense of the events that had taken place. Time had become indefinable. The terror and adrenaline soaring through his body created an energized agony. “What is that thing?” he pondered. He had seen many strange oddities in his life, but nothing compared to this. His mind kept replaying the image of dead bodies drained of their blood by this vampire-like beast. He steadied his breathing, trying to calm himself. “I must keep my senses. Andy is out there somewhere and I can’t let this thing kill him,” thought Aaron. He knew his son must be scared to death and he was determined to find him, no matter the cost.
His thoughts were suddenly interrupted. He could hear something whispering his name but knew no living person was near him. He could barely see something rustling in the bushes a few feet away. A loud shriek broke through the darkness, overpowering the whistle of wind. Aaron could see two eyes eerily glowing, appearing as bright red orbs enveloped in a sea of darkness. Heart pounding, body soaked with sweat, he moved as fast as he could. The creature was moving much quicker and Aaron soon felt its breath on the back of his neck. In an instant, the creature dug its claws into Aaron’s shoulder. Feeling his flesh tearing as he plunged to the ground, he screamed, knowing no one was there to hear it. Managing to turn on his back, he realized he had made a big mistake: those eyes were peering directly at him, piercing his soul. Aaron felt vexed, doomed and panic stricken as he attempted to force the creature off of him, to no avail. As he flailed, he felt one last jolt of pain before unconsciousness set in.

11:58 pm
Her flowing dark hair glimmered in the light of the full moon as she sped down the road near Devil’s Canyon Lake in her red Mercedes roadster. Marcia Foster, a local attorney, had recently left a party. She felt a kick from the alcohol in her system but was confident she knew her limit and felt completely comfortable driving. She loved the feel of the wind blowing through her hair and the exhilaration that speeding down the road gave her. For a moment she took her eyes off the road and looked at the sky above and inhaled the brisk night air. Turning her attention back to the road, she noticed something or someone in front of her car. Marcia was driving fast, too fast, and the alcohol had impaired her senses. Marcia jerked the wheel hard to the right, sending the car into a skid, spinning out of control. The car collided with the tree and careened into a ditch. The overturned Mercedes landed just below the road near the entrance to Devil’s Canyon Lake. As it impacted ground, Marcia saw a bright flash of light. For a moment she could feel the blood oozing from her head, but it was only for a moment, then the world became dark and cold.