Not Ready to Go...Yet

Dave was my best friend. We've been through thick and thin together. We were inseparable. We were friends at a very young age, when we were in Kindergarten. Ah, those were the days, where we were free of our worries.

Now, let me tell you something. Dave was not always the teacher's pet. He usually gets in trouble with teachers and gets a lot of detentions. Back in Kindergarten, he threw a tantrum when snack time was over and he didn't eat his snack. But hey, who wouldn't be mad?

Dave was someone you could trust though. I told him my secrets, and he never told them to anyone. Unless, I let him. This is why we were best friends. We were loyal to each other. We never betrayed each other and that was what kept our bond.

As we grew older however, we really started to lose touch. Dave went to a different college than I did, and we never sent letters or emails. I changed my address and so we really did forget each other. I was busy with my life, and I think Dave was busy with his too.

It was 5 years since we've seen each other. It seemed like our long friendship was lost in the past. But, that one October day, I got a letter. It was from Dave. He said he finally found me and wanted to hang out like the old days. It was nice hearing from him again, so I replied and scheduled a camping trip with him.

Ah, the smell of fresh air in the dense forest colliding with the smell of roasted marshmallows. We were finally talking to each other again. After so long. It was nice having my best friend back. I felt like this day was one of the most memorable. The day we reunited. But that's when we heard a shriek.

That blood-curdling cry made the trees rustle their colored leaves. The birds flew away, getting away from such a deafening sound. As I regained my bearings, I saw a someone. I shouldn't say someone, it was a girl.

But, she looked....deformed. Her hair was all in knots but her dark bangs covered one of her white eyes. Her neck was contorted into a position that was impossible for her to be alive, if she even is alive. An artery was protruding from her neck. She had pale-bluish skin. Her fingernails were as long was sharp chopsticks.

My first instinct was to run. Dave followed behind. The creature let out a shriek higher than anything I have ever heard before. She then chased at us in her bloodied robes. We just ran and ran. But, I no longer heard shrieks or footsteps.

I turned around. There were no signs of Dave, or that....THING! Where are they?! Where is Dave? I cried out his name numerous times, but to no avail. He's gone. It's gone. My life feels gone. I'm sobbing about what will happen to Dave. It can't be. It can't be....

I managed to make it back to the city. I try to tell people of what happened, but they called me delusional. I called the police, but they said I needed therapy. Everyone thought I was crazy. But I knew it was all too real.

A year and a half later, I'm reading my book in my new home closer to the woods to hunt deer. Even though I hunt now, I will never forget that demon. The creature that took Dave away, to a fate worse than death, if not death itself. I still can't believe it today. But, I heard a voice calling out to me.

"Hey, Ryan! She's coming...the creature who took me, Ryan. It's coming for you. Prepare yourself, for me. Please." I then heard the same shriek I heard a year and a half ago. I locked all my doors, and I bolted my windows. I took my hunting rifle out and loaded it. I looked out, and saw the monster.

I spoke, as if to talk to Dave,"I'll see you again my friend.....but not yet."