Abby and Ed began hanging out all the time, seeing movies, hanging out at bookstores, talking on the phone. More and more, Ed looked healthier and happier. Abby realized that she had a significant crush on Ed, but he didn’t seem to be interested in her more than a friend. She figured that was okay since they both didn’t have a great track record with relationships. Then one night she had the strangest nightmare and Ed was in it.
Abby had her back against a large tree, the air thick with moisture and humidity unlike anything she experienced living in Colorado. She was dressed in a white t-shirt and cotton pajama bottoms and sneakers. It was dimly lit but she could see the moss and lushness of all the plants around her. She shifted her footing and was aware of the mud beneath her. She looked up searching for stars or the moon, but the forest was too dense. Then she saw Ed walk towards her. His hair was mussed, his face pale, his blue eyes almost glowing. She called to him.
“I told you to run,” he said, his voice low and raspy.
“What is going on?” she asked him.
“It’s not safe,” Ed said as he came up close to her. He swept hair from out of her eyes and then ran a finger under her chin, sending an ache of longing through her body. Ed pressed up against her, pushing her against the damp tree trunk. She could feel his chest, his hips pressing against her, which was unexpected, but exciting. Ed seemed to be enjoying the closeness since Abby could feel all of his length against her, too. “I couldn’t bear it if anything happened to you,” he said, “Now Run!”
They both turned as they heard a terrible howl of a beast in the distance. “RUN!” Ed yelled and then vanished. Abby heard the howl again and it was much closer. She began to run, not very successfully as she slipped on the wet ground and avoided fallen branches. The next sound was like a scream, but it was a shrill hungry scream that did not sound human. She turned back quickly and saw piercing red eyes in the distance and fought to muffle her own scream. She kept running and tripped over a large downed log and….
Abby woke up soaked in sweat in her bed at home. She blinked and looked around, terrified of what she might find. But there was no mud, no moss, no red-eyed monster, no Ed. The bedside clock read 4:12 am. She got up, trembling and telling herself over and over that it wasn’t real and it was just a dream. She put on a fleece jacket and decided to do some work on her computer. There was no way she was going to back to sleep now.
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