When the Sea meets the Sun

I sat quietly on the car ride over to Eliza’s friend’s house, fiddling with the open fingered leather gloves I was wearing. A gash ran down my arm, I kept my hand over it as a feeble attempt to stop the bleeding.
“Where are we?” I asked Eliza, staring out the clouded window and down the semi-busy highway and on my side are trees that are thick so I can't see anything past them for a while, “You sure this isn’t a death trap, sweetie?”

Eliza sighed and tapped her fingers on the steering wheel. “I’m positive. I’ve known this guy since I was little.”

I slumped down in my seat, crossing my arms. “I wish I had grabbed my belt from my locker – would have been rather handy to have.”

Eliza turned her head for a second at me and asked, “Why?”

“It’s actually a whip.” I explained.

Eliza smiled, and turned her gaze back to the road, “That’s pretty cool.”

I laughed, staring back out my window. “Yeah, it is.” Silence enveloped us, wind screaming past as we sped down the dark roadway. Something twitched out to my right, and I cocked my head, straining to look out to see what it was when an all too familiar roar hit my ears.

“Stop the car!” I yelled, unbuckling my seatbelt. Eliza turned the wheel hard to the right and braked, bringing us to a halt. I had my door open and was already running out in front of the car before she could ask any questions. I rush to the tree line and I see eyes glowing in the dark in front of me, and my knives were in hand when it leapt at me.

Drool spilled out over its jaw, razor sharp teeth threatening to slice my hands off. I went for its underbelly, looking for the weak spot that I knew it possessed when Eliza shot a non-lethal arrow at it, and it yelping and jumping desperately to the arrow out of it's shoulder.

"Perfect timing!" I say.

Eliza didn't answer and hit the monster with the butt of her bow and it cowered away from her, whining.

“Don’t let it fool you.” I hissed, running a hand through my hair to get it out of my face.

“What is it?” She pointed her now loaded bow menacingly at it.

“It’s a possessed Laelaps.” I answered, circling it. “A cursed dog destined to always catch its prey.”

“Great.” Eliza replied sarcastically. “I assume that’s us?”

I nodded. “If you present yourself as an alpha, it will bend to your power. The minute you turn your back, well...”

“Then let’s not do that.” Eliza said, backing up slowly towards the car, keeping her bow trained on the Laelaps. “Just get in, slowly.”

I followed her lead, easing into the car and slamming the door shut. Eliza strapped in, eyes focused on the dog, and then slammed on the horn as hard as she could. It yelped, running back into the woods.

“Floor it.” I gritted my teeth. “It can’t track cars.”

“You got it.”

Notes