Wind

• • S E V E N T E E N • •

IT WAS A mess of teeth and claws.

Jeremey darted ahead, leaping up the stairs two by two. The dogs snarled and snapped at the top. The larger one bounded down the steps, straight for us. Its white teeth shone in the flashlight as it bared them and dove. Jeremey wound back. The bat whizzed through the air, and then with a crack, it collided with the side of the dog's head.

A white strand of foamy saliva flung from its mouth as it let out a yelp. It slipped and tumbled down a few steps, whimpering.

"Come on!" Jeremey yelled, leaping over the dog and up the stairs.

I followed, nearly tripped over the flailing tangle of clawed paws as the dog snarled, recoiling from the hit. My pulse pounded in my wrists and behind my ears as adrenaline rushed through me.

Jeremey wielded the bat out in front of himself as we reached the top. Before he could swing at the smaller dog, it charged at him. Its jaw stretched wide enough to fit a human head, revealing a full set of teeth.

"Shit!" I screamed.

Its jaw snapped shut around the bat. Sharp teeth sunk into hard wood like a knife through butter.

Jeremey shook it, trying to get the dog to release, but it held on like a magnet to metal. With a pained grunt, he thrust the bat to the side, shoving the dog out of the way so we could get out of the cellar.

We made the final step, emerging into the cold night air. A hurricane-strength wind blasted past us, nearly knocking me off my feet.

The smaller dog growled, still unwilling to let the bat go. Jeremey shook it one more time, and then with a kick to the face and a final yank, the dog released. It barked and lunged towards us again. With almost no wind up, Jeremey struck the dog's legs, knocking its feet out from under it. It barrel rolled on the ground, kicking dirt into the wind as it yelped.

"Run!" Jeremey shouted, his eyes wide in panic as he turned back to face me.

"The cellar door!" I yelled. We needed to close it. I glanced over my shoulder. The larger dog was still on the stairs recovering, finding its footing again. Its eyes met mine, flashing in the light of the moon. Its saliva-covered tongue shout out and licked its black jowls.

"Leave it! Lock's broken anyway. Doesn't matter, come on!" Jeremey started to run, still gripping the bat tightly in his right hand.

I followed.

Three steps.

Dogs barking.

Two more steps.

A sudden, shooting pain in my ankle.

Teeth tearing at flesh.

"Fuck!" I screamed. I tumbled to the ground, catching myself on my forearms. The teeth dug into my leg deeper.

A bat cracked down on the dog's head. The dog whimpered, and its teeth immediately released.

Jeremey grabbed me by the arm and pulled me to my feet. "Get up Harper! We have to keep going!"

I stumbled once before finding my footing. I didn't feel anything else as we ran, just adrenaline pumping through my veins and a disturbing numbness that radiated from the bite on my leg. The dogs continued barking, but I didn't look back. I didn't want to see if they were gaining on us.

Our feet kicked dirt into the air as we sprinted to the edge of the field. I blinked my eyes repeatedly, trying to clear them. My lungs burned, but I ignored them and kept running. My steps blurred into one.