Whoosh! by Hannah

I sit on my porch reading and see the beast out in the distance. There's not a doubt in my mind that it isn't there, but its shape is a mystery to me. I've been told that if he gets ahold of me, he'll eat me alive, but I know what I need to do to make sure that doesn't happen. The beast is still so far away. The work can wait.

After finishing my book, Lock and Key, I decide to run some errands. There’s a nice coffee shop, Esspresso's, I stop into when I'm out. I end up wandering around and find a nice hole in the wall place that offers cheap pedicures. I decide to stop in and get one.

Oh look, Carlo's Books is right next door. I pop in and look for a new book to read. While browsing, I occasionally check for the beast. It’s not coming that quickly.

After getting the newest Harry Potter book, I check the beast again. Seeing there is still plenty of time and a nice Kroger's just down the street, I stop there before heading back home to start writing.

I start to wander home and notice the beast sitting far away, along the horizon. There is still plenty of time so I head into a gadget store and play around for awhile.

When I arrive home I see that my house is a terrible mess. It would clutter my creative mind if I did not clean it.

After finishing up, I sit down to work when I realize, I haven't eaten all day. It’s time for a meal. I make myself some Mac and Cheese then grab a Coke for a caffeine fix. I eat my dinner then head back to my desk.

Once again, I sit down and open up my computer, pop in a pair of headphones, turn up the music and... decide to check my social networks. After updating my Facebook, Twitter, and Google Plus status, I notice a new email in my inbox. I check it out then realize I haven’t checked my actual mailbox today.

I step out of the house and see that suddenly the beast traveled twice as far since I’d last checked. There is still time but nevertheless, I needed to start working. Right now, with no distrac... Wait is that the newest copy of People magazine in my mail? Well, I suppose work can wait just a few more minutes.

After finishing my magazine, I check on the beast outside my window. The beast has covered a lot of ground since I last checked. There is no stopping it from reaching me. Wait, now it's slowing down.

It can’t be. It was moving so quickly before.

Are my eyes playing tricks on me?

I am too young for this!

Little by little, it’s getting closer and closer, but it’s slower than you think.

I look away for a few moments as I go to my chair to sit down and write. This time words come onto the page but not enough of them and ever so slowly. It’s as if they want me to fail. Stopping for a second, I check out my window and see the beast has covered much more ground than when I last checked. I can’t make out much but it looks like a human... a guy. It can’t be too harmful, can it?

Wait.

Could it kill me?

It doesn’t look too terrifying, but it’s still pretty far away so there's a chance.

My pulse is racing.

It's like I’m living a really bad horror film, but this time I can't change the channel.

I stand and watch the beast approach. It slows down again as I stand and watch it. There’s still time, there has to be. Time can’t move that fast, can it?

The beast is almost upon me. I hear his long hair swinging back and forth, like nails on a chalkboard, as he looks around for me. I know he has found me. I feel his dark eyes staring me down, burning a hole into the back of my head. He moves like the speed of light toward me and quickly covers the great distance between us in only a few short seconds. I smell his beard, the musky, woodsy smell, like he lives deep in the forest across the road. With quick speed, I look for things to defend myself with.

A trombone slide? No, that’ll slow him down, but it won’t stop him.

A cuckoo clock? No, not that either.

A stereo speaker? That might knock him unconscious, but won’t keep him down long enough.

How about this pillow?

Wait, a pillow?

Really?

I shake my head and suddenly everything I’m supposed to do comes back to me in an overwhelming rush. Knowing my only defense is my words, I turn back to my computer and sit down. The cursor blinks at me, as if to laugh at me. What do I write? The assignment is so vague it should be freeing, shouldn’t it?

In a panic, I just start to write something, anything. Quickly, I decide to write about what is happening around me. About the beast and the words. I get about a hundred of them down on paper before I feel something on my neck. It’s the breath of the beast. It’s hot and angry, but it only makes my shaky fingers move faster.More quickly than I thought possible, I reach the word count that just moments ago seemed so far away. With trembling fingers, I submit the document in. The moment I click the submit button, I hear the beast pass over me with a loud whoosh.

I take a deep breath and relax in my chair. It’s over now. All of it is over now The beast is gone and he’s not coming back until next assignment. I will be ready then. He won’t get to me next time.