My town has never been dangerous. I think the last reported kidnapping happened long before I was even conceived.
Due to this illusion of safety, I never felt scared walking around after dark.
This one particular time, it was way past midnight while I was walking home from buying a soda at the local vending machine.
I was about a block from my house when something caught my attention up ahead. It appeared to be someone crouching on the ground.
I was not one to judge someone for being out this late, considering I was doing the exact same thing, so I just decided to leave it be.
As I got closer, I noticed the person looked a lot less human. It was definitely Humanoid, I can say that for certain. I apologize for lack of a good description, but it was quite dark and I could only barely make out its shape.
Needless to say, I was getting kind of creeped out.
When I got too close to the creature, it dashed away. Like the sleep deprived idiot I was, I decided to pursue it.
I chased for a good while before I lost sight of it. I looked around for any noticeable tracks, maybe
footprints or something.
Honestly, I don’t know what I was expecting to find, considering I was standing on the basketball court next to the concrete bandstand.
Dejected, I turned for home before hearing something. It kind of sounded like a mix between a baby bird chirping and a cat meowing. It appeared to come from behind the bandstand
I followed the sound to…a nest of sorts?
It was a mass of torn clothes, leaves, grass and sticks, with a darker moving mass in the middle. The mass then separated a bit, revealing a head-like form looking up at me. It made that noise again, louder this time.
Right after the mass made the noise, I immediately heard something quickly approaching.
I very smartly dashed away from the makeshift nest, hiding behind a nearby telephone pole. The creature I saw before hurried over to the nest, appearing to sniff it and around it.
It was now that I realized how hard my heart was beating. A cold sweat drenched my shirt, causing the late night breeze to make me shiver.
Suddenly, the creature turned to look at me. I could make out two piercing eyes in the darkness, making direct eye contact with me. It slowly began to let out a deep, almost primal growl.
I didn’t stick around to find out what it would do to me, quickly running as fast as I could away.
I quickly sprinted home closing and locking the door behind me. I almost immediately passed out after that, from a mix of terror, exhaustion, and general sleep deprivation.
The next morning, I was called by my landlord. He asked if I was chased by a dog, to which I told him no.
He told me he thought I was because of the deep, dog-like scratches on my door.