August 28
I don't use makeup but my reflection in the mirror begged for it. I haven't been sleeping well; I blame the impending return to school in a few days. I used my favorite Korean BB cream it offered minimum coverage and a hint of brightening tint which I desperately needed around my eyes finishing with just a hint of eyeliner to enhance my eyes.
Now, what to do with my hair? I brushed it, it came to my waist. Should I braid it? No I don't really feel like it. I let it cascade down.
The mall was desolate being it was Tuesday. But it was better this way. we stopped in every juvenile store available, I pushed my now half full cart around while my sister carried her one bag. "Jackie want to go back to Hot Topic you liked some of the T-shirts there?"
"Yea," she said not really into the idea.
Some painful shopping minutes later she had three more bags. She smiled more I guess this helped her get a second wind. We saw the cute boots on the window and had to go inside to try and maybe buy them. My sister went for a mid-calf furry kind I went for a ankle chunky heel suede.
Outside it had grown incredibly cold and windy, now I wished I had fixed my hair. "Were did we park?"
"I can't remember but it was near the Macy's entrance." I said trying to keep the cart going.
"That's across the lot," she said her voice a bit dramatic.
Eventually we found the car after a few minutes of aimless wandering and neck craning. Not that id did me any good I'm pint sized while my sister towers over me by nine inches.
"Jacks load the trunk I'll get the car started."
"Aye aye, my short captain," she said smiling impishly.
My truck roared to life, I adjusted my seat, the lights flickered. Not my car's but the lights from the nearby light poles. I shrugged. They flickered some more, I looked up in time to see them shut down. I looked back my sister was no longer getting the bags but was on her phone. She looked up when she realized we were under the cover of darkness. "Today Jacks."
"In a minute EXO has a new song." I looked at the cars in front of me becoming a bit annoyed. One of the cars moved, the driver had its lights off even the headlights, idiot that's how accidents happen.
The more I looked at it the odder it moved; it came between the empty car spaces. It's a dog, a big dog. The hairs in my neck stood. A really big dog, oh gosh it's coming this way. "Jackie there's a dog coming get inside the car now." I heard the thud of the trunk closing took a quick look in the rearview mirror to see my sister in the trunk looking around.
In an instant I pulled out the spot and slightly sped out of there, I saw it stay motionless a few cars away from us. I breathed a sigh of relief and let out a small laugh. A stop sign was a head. A scream from the back made me look in the mirror. "Drrrive," my sister screamed.
I could see it in the mirror. It wasn't a dog it was heavier built. It moved in a strange way, head down. Bull… shit. I pressed the gas paying attention to the road but also at that thing. As we drove it tried to keep up with us, I wanted to see what it was but it kept to the shadows. It can't be a bull, yet… There're farms around here, yes but ways away and there's the interstate. There is no way it maneuvered those. My sister breathed loudly in the back. We merged into Grand Avenue. "It's gone," I heard her say softly.
That was true there was nothing behind us now, even so I drove a few miles above speed limit. I wasn't about to let it catch up. Only after we crossed the bridge did I dare slow. By now my sister was in one of the back seats buckled and squinting though the window. "What the HELL was that?"
"I have no clue," I said trying to keep my voice calm. "Jacks did you get a good look at it?"
"Sorta," she said looking out the door; I made a face at her through the mirror. Finally she understood. "It was big and black or looked black. Really heavy I heard it footsteps as it followed. It had blue eyes."
"Blue eyes?" my eyebrows wrinkled together at that. "It was a trick of the light."
"What was that about too, all the lights going out as it came closer," she still peered out the windows and ever so often looked out the back window. At least the car didn't give out I thought - I stopped mid-thought I didn't want to think about what could have happened.
Thankfully our street was lit and even better our porch light was on as we pulled in the driveway. I glanced quickly around, our neighbors windows were lit and ours too. There was no sign of anything outside. Our puppy Terri looked out the window tail wagging and an excited look on his face. I got out the car and went to get the things from the trunk.
The car was untouched. My sister eventually made her way to help. She looked around every so often. "We can't tell mom and dad," she said softly.
"Ok, but you have to erase that look on your face." She was wide eyed and paler than usual.
"We'll say I got something from the food." I agreed.
Lying in bed I tried to erase that from my mind and couldn't. Instead I'm writing this now. My hand shakes, "Martha," my sister whispers softly from the other side of the room.
"Yea?"
"Why weren't you scared like me?"
"I am… was. But all I could think about was getting us away." I took a small breath. "It wasn't anything Jacks, just a scared animal from one of the farms around. I just hope it gets caught."
