The Living Terror

The Living Terror
“I’m halfway there. Only three more hours to go.” Griffin was on his way to Pittsburgh to watch his favorite team, he St. Louis Cardinals, play the Pittsburgh Pirates. When he had bought the tickets, he had not even the slightest idea of how close the two teams were to winning their division championship. That day’s game would decide who would be in first place for the National League Central Division. Griffin’s stomach turned in anticipation.

Griffin was about an hour our of Pittsburgh when he looked at the temperature gauge. It was at its highest point and, as if on cue, something exploded underneath the hood and smoke was pouring out of it. He cursed under his breath and pulled over onto the shoulder. Griffin hit his forehead on the front of the steering wheel and sat there for a while, trying to think of what to do.



He then opened the door and walked up to the smoking hood. Maybe if the repair was easy, like reconnecting a hose, Griffin could fix it and be on his way. He knew that the chances were extremely slim and that he would be extremely lucky, but it was better to look than to pay the potentially expensive tow and repairs. Griffin heaved the hood open and his heart immediately dropped into his stomach. Oil blackened from dirt and grime was everywhere. Some parts were so covered that he could imagine some repairmen having trouble identifying them. He slowly closed the hood and leaned against the car in a way that he was half sitting and half standing.

Griffin took in his surroundings. The road in front of him wound around a large mountain. If he could cut through the forest next to the mountain, it would take off some time to get to the rest stop. He looked at his watch and it read 1:41 p.m. There was still about four more hours of daylight left. Griffin opened the door to his car and grabbed a water bottle for his trip. Before leaving, he took his cell phone out of his pocket to call the towing company to tell them to meet him at the rest stop he was going to.

As he pulled it out, he felt the phone vibrate. It was completely out of battery power and it died. It seemed as if he would have to call from the rest stop. Knowing he wouldn’t need it, Griffin put his phone in the glove compartment and locked the car. He then trekked out to the forest lying in wait for him.

~   ~   ~

Griffin had been wrestling and tripping his way through the brambles, shrubs, and vines for twenty minutes and there was still no sign of the road. He was tempted to go back to his car, but feared leaving in case he was close to getting out.

He constantly had the feeling that he was being watched and was walking at a faster pace than usual. Even though it was a warm September afternoon, the hairs on his neck and arms were rising as if it were a much cooler day than it was. Griffin shivered and armed himself with a branch that was on the ground next to him. He was certain he did not want to turn back now. What if the thing stalking him was back that way? Griffin continued on, constantly looking over his shoulder.

Suddenly, a memory came back to him that he thought and hoped was locked away forever.

''It was a warm and sunny day in early June. Birds were chirping happily and the occasional chatter from squirrels echoed through the forest. Then a loud roar sounded throughout. Griffin, just a six-year-old boy at the time, was in his running father’s arms. The two had been walking through a trail enjoying the time they had been spending together. That is, until they wandered too far from the trail and ended up in front of a bear cave. Now the two were running for their lives, trying to get back to civilization before the bear reached them.''

''Suddenly, his father veered to the right and was on the trail again. He put Griffin down on the ground. “Follow this trail home. I’ll hold off the bear as long as I can.” The bear was standing about five yards behind them, looking to see how it should go about attacking Griffin and his father.''

''Tears were starting to surface in Griffin’s father’s eyes. He had never seen him so upset. Griffin decided not to argue with his father. He knows everything, Griffin thought. He gave his father a quick yet lingering hug and ran down the trail. When his father was no longer in sight a loud roar and scream of both pain and terror ripped through the woods. A dull, yet sharp, pain stabbed through his heart as tears streamed down his face.''

Griffin let out a shaky breath. Although it was twenty years ago, he remembered every detail of that day: the joy, the pain, the regret, and even the look on his mother’s face when Griffin had come home without his father. He tightened his grip on the branch in his hands.

He continued on for another twenty minutes when a growl came from behind him. Griffin’s stomach dropped and his legs went numb. He knew that sound all too well. Almost too well. He turned around to see the bushes separate to reveal a large brown body. Griffin’s eyes stung from the surfacing tears.

<p class="MsoNormal">As the bear took a step forward, Griffin took a step back and tripped on a tree root sticking out of the ground. With Griffin now on the ground, the bear walked up to him and started smelling him. The massive grizzly bear roared and Griffin swung the branch. It connected with its throat and the branch snapped in half as if it were nothing more than a toothpick. The animal made a noise that was almost unearthly. It then fell to the ground, struggling for every breath.

<p class="MsoNormal">Griffin jumped to his feet and ran. Only yards away did the bushes part to show a tiny building off the side of the interstate he had been driving on. He dropped on his knees in relief.