Forever Freaky (24 page)

I stopped suddenly, my feet slipping on the
damp leaves that covered the ground. I turned, but it was already
too late. It had already planted its hind paws, ready to leap on
me. All I saw in that second were its glowing red eyes and yellow
fangs that were oddly long, like the fangs in sketches of a saber
tooth tiger. I fell back on the cold ground and watched as it
jumped toward me.

Then I glimpsed something small flash through
the dimness, striking the side of the beast with a tiny pop that
sent a splash of liquid through the air. The thing let out a
painful yelp. White smoke bloomed out of the matted fur of its
side, and in mid-air, it seemed to crumple. It landed short of
where I lay. It dodged to the side and retreated back into the
darkness of the deep woods.

I push myself up and sat there, staring at
the shadows into which the creature escaped.

Then, when I heard something stir to the
other side of me, I jumped to my feet. Now what? I wondered, until
I could discern a most harmless figure approaching me, bouncing in
one hand something round—a water balloon?

“Hey,” Jack said.

I was instantly furious. “You promised not to
come here.”

“Yeah, well, you’re welcome.”

“You promised.” Okay, I was an ungrateful
bitch; I didn’t know exactly what had just happened, but I knew he
had saved me from something terrible.

He shrugged. “I lied. You know about
lying.”

I couldn’t argue with that. I let the subject
drop.

“What was that thing?” I asked.

“No wolves around here,” he said. “Way too
big for a coyote. Its eyes were glowing. If I had to guess, I’d say
it was a hellhound.”

“A hellhound?” I could hardly believe
that.

“I’m just guessing.”

“You think it was something Amy conjured
up?”

“I’m thinking no.”

“And you hit it with what? A water balloon?”
I asked.

“Filled with holy water, of course.”

I stared a question at him.

“I got it from Saint Vincent’s,” he
explained. “I figured it might work on Amy.”

“You stole holy water from a church?” I
asked, astounded. Maybe there was hope for him after all.

“It’s not stealing. They want people to take
it,” he said. “Really, they do.”

“Ah hah. Well, if you get struck by
lightning, it won’t be by me.”

We walked back to the clearing and stopped
just outside the tree line, and checked out the party. Food was
still grilling. Music was still playing. Couples still gazed up at
the stars. It was amazing. In the woods, not far away, fireballs
had flown, trees had exploded and fallen, a hellhound had attacked,
and nobody had noticed a thing.

“They are so oblivious,” I commented.

“Most people are. They only see what’s in
front of their noses. Right now, they’re just trying to have fun,”
he said.

“They’re idiots.”

“And you saved them.”

I snorted. “Don’t remind me.”

“It’s not a bad thing, you know.”

“I don’t understand bad or good,” I
confessed. “Things always seem so jumbled.”

“That’s the way life is for everybody, not
just for you.”

“Next thing I know, you’ll be trying to tell
me I’m normal.”

“You’re more normal than you realize.”

“Yeah, right,” I grunted.

For a moment, we looked across the clearing.
Pretty soon the cops would come and clear everybody out. And
afterward, this party would be a memory. And what exactly were
memories, but a whole lot of nothing? Really, I didn’t understand
why anybody bothered.

“You want to go down there?” Jack asked.

I frowned at him. “Why would I want to do
that?”

“Come on.”

“I can’t.”

“Why?”

“I’m tired. I’m dirty. I smell bad. Aside
from that, I just don’t much like people. Actually I’d rather go
back into the woods and play fetch with the hellhound. If you want
to stay, then stay. Me—I’m going home and trying to forget this
night ever happened.”

Jack walked me back to my car. He watched me
climb behind the wheel, and slam shut the door. When I rolled down
the window, he leaned over and asked, “You sure you don’t want to
try?”

“Jack, really, what’s the point?”

He sighed. He reached into the car and set
the water balloon on the dashboard.

“What’s that for?” I asked.

“Just in case,” he said.

I watched him walked away, heading toward the
people clustered in the clearing.

After he was gone, I sat there for a long
time. For a brief moment, I felt like following him. Maybe if I
tried something different, my life would become different.
Honestly, I didn’t know what I wanted, but I was sure I didn’t want
a freak show of a life.

Then I noticed two glowing eyes peering at me
from within the woods, as though reminding me something that I had
always know: Life is never about what you want; Life is about what
it wants for you.