5. Monster

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Lilith went to change while I put on a pair of black walking shoes and changed into jean shorts and a white tank top. Texas nights could be as sweltering as Texas days, just not so bright. The white color of the tank top was for visibility, black would have increased my chances of being hit by a car.

Lilith came out wearing a dress made of a gauzy, expensive-looking material similar to the one I’d met her in, but it was cut differently. It went down to her feet and had two slits up the sides, almost all the way to her hips, accentuating her slender figure. It had thin straps and a low v-cut that showed a hint of the small amount of cleavage she possessed. The dress was black like the other one, but her skin was so pale that she was probably reflective in headlights, so she didn’t really have to worry about visibility. Her feet were bare, and she didn’t act like she was going to put on shoes.

We went outside to explore the campus. Lilith’s statement earlier was true; everything I had seen during the day really looked different at night, it didn’t even look like the same campus. I was right about the heat. The temperature had lessened, but it was still warm. Since sundown, the temperature had dropped maybe five degrees.

The playful squirrels and birds were off to sleep, their activity replaced by the nighttime sounds of crickets and cicadas. “Look! Lightning bugs!” Lilith pointed over at the blinking points of light, “I love those things!” She danced around on the grass, causing the bugs to drift away lazily. I wanted to warn her against the fire ants, broken glass, and other possible hazards since she was barefoot, but I decided against it. If she wanted to run around without shoes, it was her choice.

We continued to walk around campus, making fun of the night joggers that were trying to escape a little bit of heat by doing their running after dark. We saw girls wandering around, dressed up and ready to party, and we saw a few guys meandering about, already drunk, heading off to find more booze. We stayed off the paths because they weren’t very well-lit and they bordered the woods, which were dark and ominous at night. The campus I’d seen earlier in the day was encased in shadows, quieter except for the occasional car driving by an drunken shouting, and kind of scary. I was glad I was walking with someone else, and I vowed to myself that I would never walk around the campus alone at night.

As we were walking along the sidewalk that circled around the library, I heard a noise behind us and froze. Lilith must have heard it as well because she turned towards it at the same time I did.

The area we were in was a little cul-de-sac drive that came up to the front doors of the library and looped around. It had some benches and an empty bike rack. The library wasn’t open yet, since school hadn’t started, so there was no one around. The area was partially lit by some streetlamps, but the figure was hiding in the shadows under the large oak in the library’s front lawn. It would have been near impossible for a normal person to see, but I was able to make out most of his features.
The man had a scraggly grey beard and was wearing dirty, mismatched, torn clothing. He was staring at us in a lecherous way and I could smell him from where we were. His posture swayed as if he were drunk.

“I don’t like the way that man looks, or how he’s looking at us,” I whispered to Lilith, my voice shaking with fear. In the back of my mind, I knew that I was more dangerous to him than he was to me, but I still didn’t like the situation. I guess it was the scared little human girl in me.

“What do you think we should do?” The man began walking towards us. He moved slowly and deliberately, staying in the shadows, advancing upon us. If we ran, he might give chase. Maybe he was just faking his clumsiness so that we would think he was weak.

Not knowing what else to do, I took out my cell phone and brandished it at him as if it were something more threatening, like a bottle of mace. I really wished I had brought along the mace my mom bought for me, but instead I’d buried it in my dresser. “If you come any closer, I…I’m gonna call the cops!” My mom had taken the liberty of programming the campus police and other emergency numbers on my cell phone, just in case.

As I suspected, the man was overstating his ineptitude. He suddenly rushed at me, knocking the phone out of my hand. “MONSTERS!” He screamed. I froze and he knocked into me. What does he know? I thought as we fell to the ground. Up close, he smelled even worse, like sweat, grime, and alcohol. His breath was foul and hot on my skin. Lilith pulled him off me and pushed him roughly onto the ground. He yelped as his head knocked against the pavement with a dull thud. He then went still, blood leaking from the wound in his head.

Lilith picked up my phone from the sidewalk and checked to see if it had broken. “Just a few scratches,” She said as she dialed the police. She spoke briefly to someone and hung up.

“They will be here soon,” she told me. She reached down and checked his pulse, “He is still alive, maybe not for long though.”

I couldn’t stop shaking, staring down at the blood. I searched the clear night sky. The moon was only half-full. A shudder ran through my body. No, I couldn’t let it take me over. This was not the time and not the place. I shut my eyes and hugged myself. I could smell the blood on the air, mingled with the other fetid scents. I had to get away from the blood. I blindly stepped away and tripped over the curb, falling to the ground and scratching my palms on the concrete. Closer to the ground was closer to the odor. The smell stuck in my nose and I could taste it. I felt numb; I no longer sensed the sweltering heat. I didn’t notice the darkness, all I could think of was the blood. I pulled myself into a sitting position, pulling my legs up against my chest and wrapping my arms around them, trying to make myself as small as possible.

“Are you okay? Selene? Speak to me. Did he hurt you? Stay put, the ambulance is coming.”

“No,” I whispered as she prodded me. I couldn’t form words or coherent thoughts. “I can’t. Stop. Stop. I am not a monster. I’m…not…” Tears ran down my face in hot lines of wetness.

I heard her kneel down beside me. “The man was delusional, Selene. He was the monster.”

“He was the monster…not me?” I looked up at her.

“Not you. Not me. Him.” She patted me, trying to comfort me. She then pulled away and looked into my eyes. They looked bluer than I’d ever seen them. “Breathe, calm yourself.”

I listened to her and took a deep breath. It helped. I took one after another, breathing in and out, only focusing on the air flowing through my lungs, slowly calming myself again, controlling myself. I still didn’t look at the bloody man. “He was the monster,” I watched a police car pull up, blue and red lights flashing, blinding me, “Not me,” I whispered to myself.

The ambulance came shortly after and took the man away. The police took our statements and Lilith looked worriedly at me. She said nothing about my condition. I didn’t want to get on that ambulance. I didn’t want them looking at me, poking at me, calling my parents. My mom would rush back and try to convince me to come back home. I was bound to have a few bad experiences, right? I’d handle it myself.

We walked back to the dorm in silence. I was suddenly very tired as we trudged up the stairs. Lilith’s feet were dirty, and I felt dirty. We went to our separate bathrooms and took showers, washing away our ordeal. I scrubbed all the cuts and sore spots, the warm water feeling great on my tired body. This was my third shower of the day.

I put Neosporin on my already healing cuts hoped that Lilith hadn’t seen them. I dressed in my pajamas and collapsed on my bed. Lilith appeared at my door, back in her athletic pants and t-shirt, looking worried.

“Are you okay? Tonight seemed pretty traumatizing for you.” Her face was a picture of concern.
“Yeah, he just startled me. I was scared. The blood…and…stuff.” I smiled weakly. I was a bad liar, but I felt I was pretty convincing. It was mostly the truth.

“I was surprised you heard and saw him. He was trying to be sneaky. I have really good hearing and night vision, because I am really used to the dark, but you…you have night vision almost as good as mine if not better.”

“What does that mean? What are you saying?” I sat up quickly, instantly paranoid, wondering what she was accusing.

“Nothing,” She said. “I was just commenting. Maybe we have more in common than I at first thought.” She smiled knowingly, “Why don’t you get some rest now?”

“Yeah,” I said. “Goodnight,” I turned out the light and fell asleep, not even bothering to think anymore. I would worry about that once I slept off the ordeal.

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A/N: ARGH! Having formatting issues! Sorry if it looks funny, I'm working on fixing it!

I meant to post this earlier in the day like I usually do, but it's a little later than usual. Sorry! Hope everyone likes it though. Next week Selene makes some new friends.

I like lightning bugs. :P

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