Small Town Hero - #ONC 2024

Chapter 10

I tossed and turned. Drifted off and dreamed so vividly of Layla and Lexa, I could reach out and touch them as they led me into the middle of a forest in the dead of night. A full moon peeked between slithering clouds, its lunar light slicing through the treetops, illuminating a glowing pool around us. Both of them wore long white dresses that trailed behind them as they moved farther away from me, a chilling breeze bringing goosebumps to my forearms and the back of my neck. The farther away they got, the faster they left me behind, until they were gone, leaving me alone in the desolate woods.

I awoke with a start.

A thick layer of pine needles dug into my shoulder blades and poked through my hair into the back of my scalp. Quickly, I realized where I really was, lying on the ground, surrounded by a forest of tall trees, laden with thick bark, not in my bedroom. I jumped to my feet and whirled around, my eyes verifying the truth of my situation, my heart pounding so hard I was breathless.

My gaze shot up to the full moon overhead as everything fell into place.

After I had gotten home from Layla's house, I couldn't forget what happened in her garage. What if I hadn't showed up when I did? Would she have died?! The thought of losing her made me realize how much she meant to me. I considered the incredible strength it took to lift and hold up a car! It wasn't normal for a person to possess that kind of power. All these things, including my interaction with Lexa during and after the game, contributed to my inability to sleep and also to the dream I had. But none of it accounted for sleepwalking and finding myself in the middle of the woods at night. Alone.

I groaned when I realized I was only wearing my boxer shorts.

I swiped at the pricks in my skin where the pine needles had jabbed my back, brushing away bits and pieces of debris. The effort did little to ease the discomfort. To make matters worse, it took me until now to notice my bare feet on the forest floor, needles sticking up between my toes.

The only sense I could make of my dream was that my subconscious mind was trying to tell me I could end up losing Layla and Lexa if I wasn't careful. Other than that, it made little sense. I was probably over stressed and reaping the consequences.

A high-pitched yelp split the night air. An animal of some kind was lurking somewhere on the perimeter of what I could see. A chorus of whines and shaky wails filled the surrounding area, all somewhere in the distance, but closing in fast. To begin with, I didn't know what kind of creature was out there, but as the animals drew near, I remembered what made cries like that. Coyotes. Several of them.

My feet started moving, rising and falling, digging into the damp earth beneath the pine needles. Before long, I was sprinting.

The creatures closed in, and I glimpsed the first one, a pale wraith slashing between the trees, angling toward me. It wasn't big, but I knew it had sharp teeth. Behind it, another coyote emerged from the gray darkness, barreling after me. On my other side, three more joined the chase, all of them narrowing the gap and channeling me deeper into the heart of the tall pines.

Their whines sounded more like cackles, as if they were laughing at me. I knew this was real. I wasn't dreaming.

The nearest coyote leaped at me, and I swatted it away. It yelped when my fist struck it and sent it hurtling into a tree. I had forgotten how strong I was now.

My pulse pounded in my ears as I fled. It felt like my heart was in the bottom of my throat, lurching upward into my neck and face, ready to explode. I remembered the adrenaline that had flooded my body when I stopped the Trans Am from falling on top of me and Layla. That same surge of energy doubled and tripled inside of me like a well of hot lava trying to melt through me and consume my extremities.