The mutant wolf jumped forward and knocked me to the ground. I screamed and curled into a ball. This was it. I know that it would be a canine that would finish me. I closed my eyes when it probed me with its nose. It started to paced around me, before stopping with its muzzle inches from my face. I could feel the heat of its breath on my skin. A soft whining silence the wolf’s growl. I peeked over my shoulder to see the monster stepped to the side as another beast appeared.

I hated dogs. I hated them so much.

The black colored one nudged my cheek with its nose and started to lick my face. I didn’t understand what was going on. I just wanted them to leave. The black one made a weird noise to the other, who then jogged off toward the farmhouse.

The remaining wolf sat down and cocked its head to the side. I rose to my knees and wiped my face. This seemed like some cruel game. Its tail started to beat the ground. This was a strange animal.

I glanced over my shoulder to find the fence about a hundred yards away. I slowly stood and watched the wolf for any movement. It just sat there with its tail wagging.

Holding my hands out in front to me, I backed up. “Stay.”

It rose to its feet, and I stopped.

My heart was pounding. “Please, stay,” I said in a shaky voice. “Stay.” I took a step back, and when the dog didn’t move, I ran for it.

Making it to the fence, I skidded to a stop and dropped to my knees. I slammed my fist against the boards, searching for a way to get out of here. Footsteps sounded behind me. Slowly turning around, I saw the black wolf feet away from me.

I scooted up against the fence. “Please, go away.”

It dropped to the ground with its tail still flicking back and forth.

I crawled down the fence line, feeling behind me. My hand slipped through a hole, and I felt along the outline. It was just big enough. I flipped onto my stomach and army crawled through. I yanked my legs out of the way right before the space was filled with the wolves’s muzzle.

Taking a deep breath, I sat up on my knees. I was still alive. Somehow, I was still alive.

Something started to scratch at the ground, and I looked over to see the monster digging. Cursing under my breath, I jumped to my feet and raced down the road. I tore across the lawn and threw open the front door. Slamming it shut, I throw the deadbolt into place and rest my head against the wood. I made it.

“Aden,” snapped my mother, looking over at me from the living room couch. “Was that really necessary?”

Gasping for air, I didn’t move and waited for my heart rate to settle.

“Aden, what’s wrong, and where’s Demon?” She put her book down.

“Aden,” said a deep voice.

Two hands grabbed me, and I bit my lip to stop from screaming.

My father turned me around. “Aden, what happened?”

“There’s this thing in the Anderson’s pasture!” I breathed.

“What do you mean?” asked my father.

“I don’t know.” I gasped for air. “It looked like a wolf, but not.” I clasped my forehead. “They were these giant demon creatures. It was all black, and there was a red one too.”

My mother hurried over and pressed the back of her hand to my face. “I think you’ve had a bit of a traumatic day, and your mind’s playing tricks on you.”

Scratching noises sounded from the other side of the door. My dad went to open it, but I blocked him.

“Don’t open it! Those things could have followed me home.”

“Aden, that’s enough.” He grabbed me and moved me to the side. I hovered around the corner and watched as he unlocked the door.

It swung open, and little Demon trotted into the house.

“Demon!” said my mother relieved. She picked him up and kissed his head. “You naughty boy, did you scare Aden?”

My father looked back at me with a raised eyebrow.

I gave him a repulsed expression. “That thing was a hundred times the size of that stupid dog.”

“It is dark, Aden,” said my mother, bouncing Demon in her arms. “Your imagination could’ve gotten the better of you.” She kissed the dog’s head. He yapped at her and licked her cheek.

“I know what I saw,” I muttered.

“It could have been a cow,” suggested my father, walking back to the living room with my mother.

“It growled,” I retorted. I stood in the entryway and glared at them. “I know what I saw.”

“Aden, I think you’ve had a long day.” My mother set the dog on the ground and took me in her arms. “Maybe you should go to bed. I think it might have been more than just motion sickness.” She brushed my hair off my forehead.

I took a deep breath and slowly released. “I guess.”

She kissed my cheek. “You’ll feel better in the morning. Good night.”

Nodding, I turned to the stairs and dragged my tired body to my room. I went to the window and checked the lock, before placing a chair under the door handle. I’d rather be overly cautious than wake up with a giant wolf in my room. After changing into sweats, I slipped into the bed and tried to forget what I had seen.