Moonlit Life

Once on the first day of the first of summer on the first afternoon Sara was sitting on the bench at the park. It was hot, and a few kids were playing tag or swinging. Then a man walked up, and at first Sara did not realize who it was. Then she saw it was James from the collage football team. She was a observer so she had seen him around practice. She liked him, because he was a football player yet still a scholar. Sara did not think he even noticed her at all. But James felt the same way about her. The next day, he saw her, and this time he sat down and asked her to go to the Brown Derby, a famous restaurant in town. Sara felt as light as air, never in her life did she think he would say a word to her but, “Hi.”

Even though it was unexpected, she of course said yes. That night he drove her home. Then he drove to his house. All that night he was thinking about her. The next day they met again, but this time she asked him to dine with her and her family at her house. He drove home to get into nicer clothes. But when he got to her house he was three hours early! He was so embarrassed, he said he would be right back and went to the store and got candy and flowers for her.

After that she introduced him to her family: her mother Susan, her father James, and her sister Alley. Through dinner they laughed and smiled as they were watched by someone unknown to all five of them. They were watched for all of dinner. Then when James went outside to go home, he heard car wheels shriek and zoom away!

He looked out, “Sara!” he yelled.

She came running out of the house.

“What!” she yelled. There was a dog that looked like it had been run over. They went back in the house and told the family about the dog.

Sara’s sister was a vet, so she ran outside, but when they went outside the dog was gone. All that was there was a blood trail leading into the forest behind the house. She ran back in the house and got a flashlight. Then the rest of the family followed her. They followed it to the end of the path. But there was nothing there. When they turned around, the trail of blood was also gone. They all thought that it was a freak of nature, a ghost in their presence. James liked scary stories, but not this one. From the stories that he had read, a bloody trail lead to a moonlit spot in a creepy forest just like this.

What no one saw was that there was a clue to what made that dog appear that night, and to who stole James’ car. That was what no one, not even James, the scholar thought of. All they were concerned about was how the dog got there and would they be safe. Since James house was so far away he stayed at her house because there weren’t any taxis out at that time and his car had been stolen. He huddled on the couch that night next to her bed listening to the wind howl and the trees whistling and shifting in the wind.

Then a loud crack!!!! Both of them jump as Sara came tumbling on to the other side of the couch. Then a loud zap!!!! Again they jumped. Lightning hit the roof. The lights started to flicker and Sara leapt back into her bed. Then a loud bang, bang, bang! Someone was trying to get in. Then the lights stopped flickering and everything was silent, absolutely silent. It was as if time had stopped in its path. Neither Sara nor James even breathed. James got up and put on his shoes and went outside to check out what happened.

Again there was the whimpering dog where it had been before. James called for Sara then went inside. Then she came rushing out, but when she got there the dog was gone. They went into the house and got a flashlight and followed it like they did earlier that night and it lead to the same place as before. But when they turned around there was not a drop of blood. All that was there was a sharp silver bladed knife with the initials N.U. Sherman. They were tired so they went to the house and got into bed. At about 9:00 A.M Sara was waking up but James was not there, she called for him. She called about ten times then went outside. She heard loud whimpering behind the house. She walked in back and stared in surprise. This time it was not the dog it was James who was crying and drenched with sweat.

James pointed across to a tree. Sara stared across at it. There were green eyes staring at them. They herd growling as the green eyes slowly sank into the woods. Sara looked down at James ankle there was a huge gouge bleeding madly. Sara rushed into the house and ran in the attic and got a wheelchair. She hurried back outside to get James. But James was gone she thought it was all her fault. She ran into the forest yelling his name. After an hour he was found. She gasped and started to cry as she saw his body cold and barley alive on the forest floor He said his last words “It’s all a bad dream.” Then he faded into a deep dark sleep that he would not awake from. She sobbed and sobbed then she felt something strange in her head like it was getting heavy, and then somehow woke up.

“What was that?” she asked. James was sitting on the other end of her bed. “It’s was all a bad dream.” He said and she fell in a deep sleep.

Sara did not know how long it was before she finally woke up but it was at least a few hours. But when she was awake she saw it was 9:00 PM James she yelled he was not in there. She went outside and looked she herd loud whimpering but she was not going to let this happen again. This time she ran in the house and she grabbed the wheelchair before and got him in the house then she put a warm rag on his ankle to slow down the bleeding. Once she had him calmed down she called 911 and they came rushing down to the house James was taken to the hospital and Sara road in the back with him. He had to get 12 stitches and 3 staples. Through the surgery it felt as if she was a part of him on that very awful rainy afternoon. Through the long days and nights a nurse helping out and Sara helping him too they both helped each other get him better. On June 15, 1992 thirty five days later James got up and walked to the kitchen and sat down.

She looked at him as she entered the room.

“Out of the wheel chair I see.” And she turned and went to the stove turned it on and went into the pantry and got out a pan and some pancake mix. Neither of them said a word, and then Sara said “Do you want anything specific in them because I’d be glad to make it.” He said no and stared at the wall. After she made some pancakes he ate it and stared out the window now. He looked like he was a dead person then he bowed his head James was acting like a two year old losing a game. She was scared and wanted him to stop but he wouldn’t. Something must have gone wrong with the pills then the first thing that came to her mind was an overdosing. She cheeked the bottle not a single one was missing from the case.

Then she remembered it was because she had not given him his pills and he was in horrible pain. She quickly grabbed the case full of pills and gave him two just like it said to. He swallowed the pills with ease. After a while he felt better and started to act normal at least in his regular way. Sara thought about what the doctor had said. He said that she was to bring him in to be checked on when he thought or he could walk. Then she realized that today was the day that she should bring him in. So of course she did. When they got there the doctor took off the bandage rapped around his ankle.

Then he looked at how it was doing and he said that if he could walk like he was he should give it one extra day of healing in bed and bring it back Tuesday because it was Sunday. Sara agreed and said that she would bring it back on Tuesday afternoon. He would have his staples and stitches removed. Well as they expected time just flew by and it was Tuesday already. She then dropped James off at the hospital. While she waited for him in the lobby she thought what did he mean by it was all a bad dream because she could feel she was alive and so was he wasn’t he?