Chapter 8
Phoebe
It was my turn to shutdown the library this evening, which meant I’d be the last to leave. After redistributing returned books to their proper places and cleaning up trash leftover from dedicated study groups, I sighed with relief, closing the door and turning the lock. Only a few minutes past eleven o’clock, which meant I still had plenty of time to study and relax.
I stepped into the warm night air. With the angry sun below the horizon, the temperature cooled and made the night almost bearable. October in Texas could be hit or miss, but at least the season’s first cold front would roll in tomorrow.
I’m ready for some real autumn weather.
The fresh, clean air contrasted with the stuffy building. Full and yellow, the moon hung in the starry sky. A misty ring coalesced around it, reminding me of a halo.
Crickets chirped from nearby bushes as I strode along the sidewalk. In a day or two, their chirps would disappear with the arrival of fall, sending them to their rocks, logs, and burrows to wait out the winter.
My phone buzzed, and I palmed it from a pocket, checking the screen, knowing it was Mom making sure I was okay.
Mom:Are you headed home yet?
Me:Just locked up. Heading out now.
Mom:Okay, be careful. Pay attention to your surroundings.
Me:I am. No boogeymen so far.
Mom:Not funny. I’m serious. Get your butt home. Love you.
Me:Lol. Ok, love you, too.
With a light chuckle, I replaced the phone in my back pocket.
A prickly feeling itched between my shoulder blades. I wanted to glance behind me, but then again, if a stalker trailed my steps, I didn’t want himknowing I’d caught on.
I scanned the small copse of trees across the road on my left. Dark shadows filtered across their trunks, making it impossible to see anything inside the wooded area. A quick peek to the parking lot fifty feet ahead showed it mostly deserted except for my car parked farther out.
Stepping lightly, I kept my ears tuned for echoing footfalls. Only the chirp of crickets and an occasional hoot of owls disturbed the silence.
I’m imagining things. Probably because I mentioned boogeymen in my text to Mom. That’s all.
An invisible pressure wrapped around my chest, and a tingle crawled from my neck to caress my scalp. The cheerful cricket chorus halted.
A primal urge to tear down the path beat inside my blood. Sweat dripped onto my chest. The air, thick and heavy, felt suffocating instead of fresh.
Just need to make it to the safety of the car.
The crosswalk appeared, and I lunged off the sidewalk and onto the white lines covering the street. A slight breeze stirred the thick air, blowing through the tops of the trees with a creepy sigh.
Only thirty more feet. I can do this.
With the wind rushing through the branches of the oak and pecan trees, the sound of the rubbing limbs became ominous whispers and hair-tingling screeches.
Something firm and warm landed on my shoulder, and I screamed, the echoes bouncing through the night.
Twisting around, heart pounding, I swung my backpack out of reflex.
“Jeez, calm down, Phoebe. It’s me.”
A figure I knew all too well stood inches from me.
