Mishipeshu
There's a river that runs nearby my house. Surrounding it on both sides are woods. They're small compared to actual forests; after all, this is, of course, a city. But entering into one, even in winter when the trees are stripped bare, it's almost as though you're entering another world. This feeling varies from spot to spot, but one location where one feels it most strongly happens to be a small creek that runs into the river from a pipe.
It once used to be longer, but when they made the riverside park, they needed flat area for sports. So they cut down most of the trees and covered the creek up, piping it from the source to where the pipe lets out now. Still, this creek, albeit small, is hauntingly enchanting. The edge of the woods is barely 7 steps away from where the pipe lets out, but this somehow doesn't deter from its atmosphere.
My friends and I would sometimes go there and sit. We would read, or talk, or just let the tranquility envelop us. As we grew older, we naturally stayed out later and later. The incident I'm going to recount happened on a warm spring night about 3 years ago. My parents had told me to never speak of it to anyone. But remembering the events that happened here has made me realise that I'm not content with keeping quiet about things like these.
Me and two of my friends, Jack and his sister Harriet, were sitting on stones next to the creek, talking. Well, it was mostly them talking in anticipation of their yearly trip to Florida. Once it became around 9pm, we got up and went home. Across the park, across the parkway and up a set of wooden stairs that led up to our street.
Upon arriving at the top of the steps, Harriet reached for her phone to check the time. Their parents would get quite cross about them being even a single minute late. But she didn't have it. It seems she had left it where we were sitting. She told Jack to run ahead and tell their parents that she'd be a little late. I interceded and volunteered to get it for her so that neither of them would be late. Jack and her ran home while I went back the way we came.
I jogged across the park and in the short time that it took me to reach the edge of the woods where the creek was, it had grown quite dark. Unaided by the streetlights due to distance, I pulled out my iPod and opened the flashlight app. Instead of going around and walking a path that led to the creek like I usually did, I just went to where the creek actually was and took the seven steps through the woods. The moon shone through the trees so I turned the brightness on the app down a bit. I stood above the pipe and peered down at the rocks. Sure enough, there was Harriet's phone. I went around and down to the creek. I reached for the phone but froze as I saw something.
I saw two glowing dots across the creek which I thought were fireflies at first. But then I realised that they were eyes. With the outstretched hand I took ahold of Harriet's phone and with the other, I turned my iPod from facing the creek to facing the eyes. At that exact moment it roared and I was so startled I blinked and didn't catch much of it except for its feline face. It then pounced and landed in the creek.
As the water splashed everywhere I turned around and scrambled up the steep slope of the creekbed. I raced out into the park and dashed across the grass, wet with dew. While I was running I tucked my iPod and Harriet's phone into my pockets as to not drop them. I ran madly, my mind almost singularly focused on getting away from whatever it was. I got to the road and dashed across it. When I got to the curb, I tripped and fell face first into the grass. Then the creature latched onto my ankle with its mouth. I gasped in pain as its teeth gripped my leg. I felt its grip loosen somewhat and a second later I heard a terrific crash and my leg was wrenched from its mouth. Or rather, its mouth was wrenched off of my leg.
I pulled myself out of the street and turned around quickly. Someone had collided with the creature. It was lying in the street, unmoving, and I could see it clearly now because of the headlights. It was clearly feline; except instead of fur it was entirely scaled and it had serrated spikes running its spine. The driver got out of the car quickly. He looked at the creature and let out a string of expletives. He then looked to me and leaned down. "Sorry kid," he said, "I just..." He trailed off.
He looked at my ankle and told me that I had better get home and take care of it. I nodded numbly and stood up. He walked around to the passenger's side of the car and approached the creature from behind. He picked up a stick from the street and poked the creature before opening up the car door and reaching for something. I was staring at the creature throughout all this and when he poked it, it opened its eyes and stared back.
I opened my mouth to warn the guy but before I could get anything out, the creature had gotten on its feet. It swiftly turned towards the guy and leapt. It ripped the car door off and it slammed into the guy, pushing him down. The creature slashed his side with its claws but he was able to drag himself sideways to get under the car. It snarled and tried to get at him. All this took place in the span of perhaps 20 seconds.
Once it started batting under the car, I came to my senses and began walking backwards towards the stairs. It noticed me doing this and ran to me. It roared in my face but then turned, leapt over the car, and ran back to the woods. I turned heel and ran home as fast as I could.
Posted Aug 29, 2016, 10:57 PM UTC · edited