It didn’t smell; the body of the dead squirrel.

The creature was flat and stiff, cast to the edge of the sidewalk. I waited next to it, hoping I wouldn’t have to stand there too much longer.

Its eye had been pecked out, bright red tissue remained inside the socket. Even though it no longer had an eye—no longer was alive—it seemed to watch me. Unable to blink its gaping hole shut.

A shiver wriggled it’s way down my spine, the hairs on the back of my neck stood on end. I scanned the space around me. To the right, college students ambled their way to their classes, their idle chatter soothing my nerves like a pat on the back from a close friend. Nothing out of the ordinary. To the left, maple leaves rustled in the wind, some fell off, carried by the breeze to the near by cemetery.

The sweet scent of maple clung in the air and I breathed it in. A deep breath of it, and a fawn-like color blossomed in my mind; the same color as her hair. She would be out soon, I told myself. The glass doors would swing open and there she would be, no doubt smiling. I rocked on my heels at the idea.

I clutched her ID card tighter; my ticket to a second chance to see her again. Not planned, of course, but a much appreciated happy accident. I didn’t mind bringing it to her, even at this time of day.

I raised her ID to where my heart galloped in my chest—I hadn’t been able to sleep, anyway. Everything was so fresh, as if I were doing everyday things for the first time, all thanks to our unforgettable night together.

The edges of my lips tingled and my cheeks began to heat. Maybe, just maybe, our lips would touch again.

And then the chatter around me stopped, the world went nauseatingly silent. The wind stopped and the sweet air disappeared.

My heart dropped from my chest, into a void, trying to escape from something. I had the sudden urge to urinate but managed to cling to a sliver of composure.

A scream rang in my ear, but I couldn’t pinpoint where it came from. The sound was gutural. It continued to bellow from an unknown place around me and I found myself standing on the balls of my feet, mouth open, breathing heavier.

The sound was inhuman as it gurgled and howled, as if the thing creating it was trying to vomit and scream at the same time.

I didn’t question my response, didn’t second guess the prickling feeling at the base of my neck. I think it was instinct, instinct telling me that the thing creating that noise wanted to kill. And if it found me…

I darted from the sidewalk, stumbling over the stiff as a board, dead squirrel, as I tried to separate myself from the monster making that noise. I caught myself, making it only a few strides to the nearest caution sign.

I made the mistake of looking over my shoulder. This time, I didn’t stop my bladder from releasing. The warmth down my legs turned icy in the Autumn breeze and I froze.

Her mouth was open and her eyes were wide, that’s how I knew the woman was screaming. My ears heard no noise. They’d tuned out everything but the sound of my heart thrumming in the hollow of my chest. It was still there. It hadn’t disappeared into some unknown place, leaving my vulnerable, mortal husk of a body behind. But it no longer galloped from first love jitters—No, this was my own pure, mortal instinct pleading—and failing me.

I was useless, incapable of saving her or myself. All I could do was watch the neck of that young woman be shredded, the skin, ripped away in long strings, the same way a person pulls the cheese off a pizza.

My stomach churned, rolling up my throat. The creature dribbled yellow liquid from what looked like pus filled boils on its skin and lacerations on its stomach. It tossed her aside, it’s jaw hanging on only one hinge, and I knew I was next.