On one beautiful Christmas evening, Mary was ready to fulfill the daydreams she had been having towards that day. It was the thought of having her favorite meal. A meal which had become an unofficial traditional in the family. Fried rice, a chock-load of salad, meat from the best goat from all the lands (don’t analyze) and a nice chilled beverage by her side to flush it down (I hate that phrase).
It wasn’t much, but it was her best, and she would have it no other way on Christmas day. Now the time had finally come, she had relished the fragrance of the aromatic meal, made sure the area was secured from intruders - she loved to eat alone for some reason - and she was about ready to have her feast.
Just then, a shrill scream made it way to her room from the living room. It was her mother’s. Mother’s screams had become increasingly normal of late, seeing as her age had begun to catch up to her. Mary reckoned it was some insignificant problem about, say, she accidentally changed the channel while sitting on the remote, or she left the fire still on after cooking, or a big black dog had been staring at her through the kitchen window again - Mary hardly believed this story.
Through Mary’s thought, a second scream came through to her. OK, maybe this time it was serious, as mother’s screams never comes twice in a row. Mary rushed to the living room to see what was going on. It was not a friendly sight.
Mary met her mother, staring at the ground, her eyes puffy and red, one hand to her face concealing her lips, the other pointing towards something on the ground. Mary’s eyes trailed to the ground. It was her sister, she had been holding her throat, writhing on the carpet with her eyes bulging. She looked as though she was going to pass out.
“What happened?”, Mary asked. Her mother, still unable to speak clearly, stuttered the words. “I t-t-think she’s ch-ch-cho-choking”. Mary’s dad stumbled his way to the living room. His face looking worried. “She’s choking, Dad”. “Do you know that choke-hold-thing?”. “I do but you need to get some water too”. “Ok”.
Mary began to make her way to the fridge, when her dad stopped her. “No Mary. There’s no water there”. “What. How come?”. “We didn’t get it along with the drinks, remember”. Mary tried to remember the day, but it seemed, in all ways she looked at it, that they definitely got water along with the drinks. “I’m not sure dad but if you say so… So what do we do now?” Mary’s sister still on the floor. Looking like she could pass out any moment. “You’ll have to go out to get some water. Please hurry. I’ll use the ‘choke-hold-thing’ but we’ll need some water here afterwards. OK. Go”. “Ok”.
Mary stormed out of the room towards the gate, unlocked it, stepped out, locked it behind her and went out into the night. Mary walked in the dark, still shaken from the whole ordeal in the house. Half-wondering if her food would still be warm when she returned home. “Oh. Christmas night is ruined.” She thought. It was about now she realized that she had no torch. And the street lamps were always out for some reason. Anyway, shouldn’t be far now. I’ll get to the supermarket and be back home in no time.
She had this sense that someone was following her. Well it was a normal feeling and anyone gets it at night, she thought. “There’s no way someone could be following me at a time like th…”. Mary stopped thinking. In fact, she lost the ability to think due to the thing she had just seen.
It was the silhouette of a dog. But not quite. Maybe a lion. No it had to be a dog. Only much like the biggest dog she had seen in her life. It’s head as large as the one-seater sofa in their living room, and there’s no better way to say it, it was ripped. Like the body of an athlete, if they were a dog. And it was black. Much blacker than the night around them. It had red, gleaming eyes, hard to miss, did I mention it was a black night. Anyway….
Mary froze in her steps at the sight of it. The dog did not move, but she was sure it would if she moved. It had a bit of distance with her, but she was certain, if it leapt, it would land on her. Still the dog did not move, it seemed to be cocking it’s head towards something behind her. It’s eyes were reminiscent of the emotion of the eyes of someone she had seen not long ago. It was the eyes of her father. The dog was worried.
It’s head still peering down to look beyond her. Mary could feel her heart meet her lungs. She began to very slowly, turn her head behind her, to see whatever it was the dog had been looking at, had been worried about.
And just then, a very low, very deep sound could be heard in front of her. At first she thought it was a growl but it wasn’t, the sound made the much sense to be a growl. It was words, in her experience, words had never been so cruel, anguished and full of terror. The words were : “don’t look back”. They came from the dog. Mary legs went numb. Her internal world was imploding on itself. What was happening?
But her mania was cut short, as the dog, so still and calm -though worried - all this time now had it’s head looking up. Eyes similar to that of her mother’s earlier but much, much worse. It’s mouth was open, she could see the gap of lighter darkness where it’s mouth should have been. It seemed ready to leap. Mary legs wobbled. Unable to brace for the dog’s carnage, preparing her mind for the worst….
Suddenly, a dark shadow landed upon the dog, rose it the air, and tore it in half. It ripped the bones from its muscles, wore it around itself and consumed it’s innards. Mary’s complex thoughts had been reduced to two simple ones. DIE or RUN. Mary forced herself to regain the feeling in her legs. It seemed impossible before now but who knew…
She ran faster than she ever had in her life. The darkness was no longer a problem, she now knew the streets like the back of her hand. She finally reached the gate of the house. She didn’t need to open the gate. It already was. She reached the door and opened. Her father was standing at the sofa now coming towards her. He seemed to be mouthing something. Her hearing was coming in like someone who had just woken up.
“mary, mary, Mary!!!”. Her father screaming in her ear. Mary couldn’t form words. That skill had long found it’s way out of her mind. “Mary, what are you saying? What’s happened to you?” “Shadow…outside, d-dog… dead. Must s-stay in h-house”. Mary struggled. Her higher brain functions began to set in. It was just then she remembered her sister. She wasn’t on the rug. “Where’s s-sister?” “She’s in her room. She’ll be fine. But did you get the water.” Mary stared at her father, looking confused. “Didn’t he hear anything I just said”. Mary heard a noise at the gate.” Oh no I forgot to lock it”. She thought. She turned her head and surely this time, her heart did touch her lungs.
She was once again staring in those red, gleaming eyes. But this time it wasn’t worried, it was crying. This time should could feel the dog’s words within herself. The words that probably saved her life a few moments ago. Unfortunately this time, it didn’t matter, because it was already too late. Mary looked back. And what she saw, was definitely worth the warning from the dog, scary as it was. A warning to NOT LOOK BACK.