This is a story that was inspired by a dream I had one night.
Nighttime Terror
The night was dark and deadly silent, as two friends of mine and I walked in the night. We joked around, just to make sure that we wouldn’t become afraid of what could be lurking in the shadows. Leaves rustled in the woods and I turned my head towards the woods. Of course I saw absolutely nothing, so I turned back to my group of friends, who were still joking. We came to a bundle of trees where we heard a loud crunching of the leaves.
“What was that?” I said.
“I don’t know, maybe it’s a stray dog or something.” Alex said, shrugging her shoulders.
“I don’t think that’s a stray dog…even a stray dog would know not to be out here. You can’t see a thing.” I said.
Then we heard that horrible crunch of the leaves again, but this time it sounded like maybe one or more people or whatever it was.
“Okay, I think we should run.” Felicia said.
“Maybe we should vote on it.” I said.
“If you agree that we should run….Run!” Felicia yelled and she took off with the rest of us following behind.
Maybe it was me, but I definitely heard plenty of footsteps behind us. I didn’t really want to turn back to see what it was, but I had to. I turned my head slightly and I saw a Civil war soldier running with a gun. He was aiming his gun at me, with a sharp bayonet on the end. I screamed and all of a sudden out of nowhere two more soldiers came running out of the woods. These soldiers however looked like they were from the WWI and WWII era. They carried guns and had metal helmets on the top their heads.
“You guys! I think we need to pick up the pace! We have guests!” I said, running as fast as I could.
This was obviously not cool and just before I thought that it couldn’t get any worse, I hear a roar.
“What was that?” Alex asked me.
“I don’t know and I surely don’t want to find out.” I said.
“You guys my house is just ahead! We need to hurry up!” Felicia said.
We ran all the way up to the front door, only to find that the door was locked.
“I sure hope you have a key Felicia.” I said.
“I have to have a key…or at least I hope this is the right one.” Felicia said, holding up a key frowning.
“Which key is that?” Alex asked.
“The wrong key.” Felicia said.
“We’re so dead.” Alex said.
I looked around and I saw absolutely nothing.
“Um, guys I don’t see anything.” I said.
“What do you mean you don’t see anything? So we were running for nothing? I wasted my breath.” Felicia said.
All of a sudden there was a loud bang; it sounded like a gun. We all turned towards the sound and saw the Civil War soldier standing there with his gun pointed at us.
“What the heck is that?” Felicia asked.
“I don’t know, but that and, and, and those guys there, plus something else was chasing us.” I said, watching the two other soldiers run up to the Civil War soldier and stop.
“What are we going to do? Alex asked.
“Wait, this key is the key to my dad’s old car. If we can get over to the car in time, we can possibly drive out of here.” Felicia said.
“Well, what are we waiting for?” Alex asked and took off running towards the car.
“Wait for me! I’m the one with the key!” Felicia yelled.
I took off running behind my friends and eventually we made it to the car. Felicia fiddled with the key, trying to open the door.
“Hurry up! They’re coming!” Alex shouted with her hand on one of the backseat doors.
“Hold on, I almost got it!” Felicia said, finally getting the door unlocked.
Felicia opened the door and unlocked all the doors. Then Felicia, Alex, and I jumped in the car and locked the doors. Felicia put the key in the ignition and tried to start the engine, the engine sputtered a few times before it finally decided to come on and we all cheered. Soon enough we were driving down the driveway, with the soldiers chasing us. When we got to the end of the driveway the engine completely shut off, leaving us in darkness once more.
“Oh, come on!” Felicia said, beating on the steering wheel.
She tried the key in the ignition again and the engine began to sputter numerous times, but it wouldn’t start. Felicia banged on the steering wheel a few more times and then sighed. She turned towards me and said,
“Our lives are done…we’re dead.”
“We are not going to die; all we have to do is wait and hope that those crazy people don’t get to us. This is like some horror freak show.” I said looking out the back window.
The two WWI and II soldiers ran past us, and stood by the trees on the left side of the car. The Civil War soldier came on the right side of the car stared at us through my window. He raised his bayonet to the window and jabbed it at me; causing me to jump. Then he walked to the end of the driveway and stood there.
Suddenly I heard a loud roar and looked to my left. Out of nowhere a big, black panther comes running towards the car at top speed. It jumps on the hood of the car and begins breaking the front windshield. Glass shatters everywhere, leaving me and Felicia covered in it. The Panther jumps off the car and begins to shatter Felicia’s window. We all scream in terror, hoping that wherever these things came from, will go back where they belonged.
Felicia starts to turn the key in the ignition and right away the car starts. She drives out of the driveway at top speed, leaving those horrible things behind. Eventually we get to a church and the car cuts off again. We get out of the car and run to the nearest house, which had lights on. Alex bangs on the door a couple of times and an old woman answers the door, frowning.
“Yes, how may I help you?” She asks.
“We need help…please.” I said out of breath.
“Well, come on in.” The old woman says and allows us in her house.
“May I use your phone?” I ask her.
“Why yes; the phone’s in the room over there…to your right.” The old woman points. “Why don’t the two of you have a seat and tell me what’s going on?” The old woman says looking confused.
I walk into the next room where I see a phone and pick it up. I begin to dial the numbers and….I wake up in my bed. I look around my dark room and notice that it was just a nightmare. Everything is in its right place, and everything seems right, so I turn over and fall asleep. As I slowly begin to fall asleep, I hear a faint growl and I open my eyes and see the same old Black Panther from my nightmare.
