I knew it was a bad idea but whenever I felt myself get angry to the point of rage, a run helps me cool down. I shouldn't have done the run in the middle of the night through the park but I needed it. With my growth stunted, I looked younger than I actually was. I was forty-two years old but could still pass for eighteen. This has caused me many issues. I still got carded wherever I went. The looks people would give me like I was some yuppy looking for attention. Dating was the worst for me and that was the problem that sent me on this run.
Tonight, my blind date ended up being this guy who was only a few years older than I was. He dressed nicely like he had an office job. Yet, he thought I was some girl with daddy issues. Kept asking what I planned to do for college, did I have a summer job, and all these other questions like I was some tramp looking for an old man to fuck.
After thirty minutes, I tore the man a new one and walked away. I graduated top of my class in high school, did my college work for a bachelorette degree in computer science. I was working for a tech company that was making software for the military. For one night was it too much to ask to not be treated like some young piece of meat? It was like they thought I was willing to bend over and drop my panties just because they would be my daddy for the night. Fuck that, I hated my father. He wanted a son and got me instead.
So that brought me out here tonight. The dress was gone. Shorts, sneakers, a hair tie to put my hair up in a tail, and a t-shirt were called for tonight. I had about an hour of sunlight left but I knew I would be back at my car before it got dark. And even if I was wrong, I had run this trail enough times I could probably run with my eyes closed.
The trail was clear tonight, I could hear birds chirping, some bugs buzzing about, but there was no one about. My heart was beating in my chest, my blood was pumping through every vein, and the anger I felt was dying down as it got used as fuel. I was sweating some and knew a shower would have to follow the run. Might have been tempted to pull the nozzle down and...
There was a loud snapping sound. I froze in my tracks and tried to find where it had come from. It sounded like it had surrounded me, like a long single stick broken in several spots at the same time to mask the direction. The birds nor the insects broke the silence. All I could hear in my ears was the beat of my heart that was now trying to lodge itself in my throat.
Slowly, my eyes scanned between the pine trees, trying to see if I could find what had made that noise. All I saw was nothing. I was starting to think about just going back to the car when something broke the silence. The sound echoed off the trees and something in the core of my soul told me that wasn't a natural cry. It was like some bird was dying yet was on the attack at the same time.
That was when I saw the slight shimmer. It was for a second but I saw the light reflect off something that looked like a greyish-blue. Between the sound and what I saw, my anger was out. Fear was the new fuel and I turned around. I had no idea what that thing was but if it was a sick animal then I didn't want to be out here and get attacked by it.
My heart continued to pump hard as I prayed for someone to show up. I didn't want to be alone with that thing. I heard that horrible noise again but it sounded louder this time which meant it could be closer to me. I stole a glance over my shoulder but saw nothing directly behind me.