Moon Tide: Chapter 2
#2 of Moon Tide
Her chest heaved with the force of breathing, her boots slammed off the pavement, and her cobalt hair waved out behind her as she ran down the street. Everything around her was silent, and it should be, since it's 2 a.m. All the cars are parked in their driveways, or neatly on the side of the street. The only sound she could hear was the worst sound as well. It was the padding of a very large animal.
She dared a glance over her left shoulder, and saw the beast was gaining. Even worse, it didn't look like it was even trying. It was playing with her. The thought spurred her to put on an extra burst of speed, as she saw her street just a block away. She whipped around the corner, and took off up the street, locking her eyes on her house. It was mid-way up the street, and she reached it in no time. She turned up the driveway, seeing the door was open, and smiled. She would make it!
Or rather, she thought she would. Until she felt those massive forepaws slammed into her back, and pushed her to the ground. She watched the stepping stone block rush to meet her face, but couldn't close her eyes to block the image. But instead of hitting it, it disappeared, along with her house, the car in the driveway, the rest of the town and world, and thankfully, the weight on her back. The only thing left however, was darkness everywhere.
She was aware of sound around her. A rhythmic beeping, and a low snoring. She flexed her hand, and felt it worked just fine. Same with her other hand, and both her feet and legs. She opened her eyes, and saw a white ceiling. She then remembered the last thing she saw before being knocked out, and in her fear, sat up suddenly, which she regretted. When she let her head drop back down, she regretted that even more, because it doubled the waves of dizziness that began washing over her when she sat up.
She closed her eyes and waiting for the room to quit spinning, before she sat up slowly, and opened her eyes to look around. She was laying on a bed with rails on the side, with a television mounted in the corner closest to the door, and a heart monitor producing the beeping she had heard. She then realized she was in the town's tiny medical center. She looked to her left, and saw her father gently snoozing in a chair next to her bed, and knew that whatever trouble had landed her here would be nothing compared to the trouble she would be in once she got home.
Her father was a bit shorter than she was, and a good deal stockier, with thick arms and legs, acquired from many years in a steel mill. His hair was just long enough to hide the tips of your fingers in, dark brown with recently grown flecks of gray, and stretched down across his face, where it formed what seemed to be a permanent 5 'o clock shadow. His broad chest and beady eyes completed his intimidating image.
She reached over and gently shook her father, who awoke with a grunt, and looked around, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. Soon his eyes found his daughter, and focused on her. He stood up from his chair, and squeezed her into a massive bear hug. "Jo-Ann, what the hell did I tell you about being out at night during a full moon!?" He released her from the hug, and held her at arms length, hand on her shoulders, staring right into her eyes.
At this small outburst, she looked down into her own lap, the shame taking her face, and mumbled, "It's dangerous.... There's crazy people out during a full moon..."
He lifted her head so her eyes met his. "And now that you've learned that lesson the hard way, do you need more proof? Are you going to sneak out again next month at this time?"
She forced herself to meet his eyes again, as scared as she was. "No daddy... I'm not going out that late ever again..."
"Good choice. It'll help with your punishment. You aren't allowed out after 9 for the rest of the summer. And remember, your phone can be set up to tell me your position." The mention of her phone reminded him that he had brought it for her, so she wouldn't go mad from boredom. "Here ya go," he said before handing it to her.
Glancing at the screen, she noticed she had roughly 20 new messages. Great. Word spreads fast when you get attacked, she mused. "Thanks dad. How long am I supposed to be in here?" She was already fidgety and eager to leave.
"The doctor that wrapped your head said at least a week, barring a miracle. You took a pretty nasty hit. There was something sharp enough to cut you involved, and it came within an inch of your temple. Not to mention all the other cuts and bruises you had from being dragged five blocks."
Cuts and bruises? She looked down at her arms, lifted up her blanket, then looked at the exposed area of her legs beneath the gown. She couldn't see any. A few spots that looked like a cut might have healed, but no actual cuts, or any real bruises. She gently touched her head, expecting pain, but nothing. No pain, no numbness, just her head. For a near death experience, she felt pretty normal. "I... I don't see any cuts or bruises... And my head feels just fine... How long have I been out?"
"Not long. It's about 7 pm. You were found at about 6 this morning. I wouldn't worry about it though. You've always been a pretty fast healer, Jo."