The door swung open. Clearly, while my mother rested and my father was out getting groceries, someone had forgotten to lock it, though I was holding a set of keys, idly jingling them. What I saw made me stand wide-eyed. It towered over me. Every sense I had told me to run. Still clutching the keys, I stared to the beast.

It had a wild reddish-gold mane that flared around it like fire, eyes that were wide, but seemed sunken into its darkened sockets. Blackened extensions similar to spider legs surrounded the optics that glared to me in utmost rage, or was it hunger? Its cheeks also seemed dark and sunken in, almost as if it had been starved for so long, it had grown gaunt. A mess of red, which I imagined was blood, was sloppy and heavily present around its maw. Its talons were stained a similar color, only what I could imagine was a warning. I didn’t stare for much longer. I turned and started running.

Sure enough, like any beast would pursue its prey, it began chasing me. It chased me and I was horrified. Surely enough, my mother woke up at the sound of me running, and most likely, all of the panicked sounds I was making. Her door opened just a crack as she checked to see what was going on. She didn’t even seem to notice the creature. “Hey! Settle down!” was all she said.

I was on the verge of tears. The beast growled a few words at me.

“Give…me… The keys…” it demanded in a guttural tone, crouching low to look me in the eyes. My bottom lip trembled and I surrendered the keys.

I was only four at the time. I always hated when my older sister would get all “dolled-up” for a date.

Written by Shinigami.Eyes.