The Fog

Down by the river, it was difficult to see.  The fog had rolled in and I was squeezing Bobby’s hand in fear.  I didn’t know if we should run or stay and see what the fog brought in.  I know it’s silly to think the fog would bring something.  After all, it’s just fog.  Moist air, low clouds or something like that.  I had a bad feeling, though.  I felt the urge to run.  I felt our lives were in danger but I couldn’t explain it.  It was just a feeling.
“Let’s get out of here.” I said to Bobby.
“You okay?” He asked.
“Something doesn’t feel right.  I want to go.  Right now.”  We turned and started towards the car.  I felt that something was watching me, approaching slowly.  I broke out in a run for the car.
“Hey, wait!” cried Bobby.  Once he caught up to me he asked, “What’s the rush?  You’re acting very strange.”
“I want to go, right now.  Open the car, we’re not safe.”
“What are talking about, we’re not.....?”
“Open the damn door!” I screamed.
He unlocked the car and we got in.  I immediately locked the doors.  Bobby was about to say something but something about the look on my face told him to ask questions later.  I told him to go to the diner and we could talk over coffee.

The creature watched them run off through the fog.  He would get her, in time.  He knew he would.  It was destined to be.

“So, you want to tell me what that was all about?” Bobby asked.  We were at the diner and I was calming down.  I still couldn’t explain what I felt or why, I just knew it was real.
“Have you ever had an overwhelming feeling that something bad was about to happen?” I asked.
“Can’t say that I have.”
“Well, that’s the best I can explain it.  I felt like something was watching me, coming after me, and I had to get out of there.  I know it sounds silly and completely irrational, but that’s how I felt.”  I’ve had this feeling before but I didn’t want to tell him that.  “I’m tired, can we go?”  Bobby just nodded.  He didn’t say anything about what I had just said.  He probably thought I was bat shit crazy.  Oh well, I was just being honest.  He dropped me off at home and I passed out almost as soon as my head hit the pillow.

He’d been watching her for most of her life.  Waiting for the perfect opportunity to take her.  He was a creature of the fog, however, and had to be patient.  He was waiting for the opportune moment.  Soon, the entire town would be covered in fog and he could take her while she slept and could not run away.  He didn’t have a physical form, he was one with the fog.  He could not create fog though.  He lived in it, was a part of it, and hung in limbo when there was none.  Luckily, there’s usually always fog around somewhere.

It’s not too often he takes anyone.  It’s a feeling he gets.  He just knows when the right person to feed on comes along.  He doesn’t need to feed often but the person needs to have certain characteristics.  First of all, they need to be able to feel him.  He then feels their fear and it makes him want them.  She’d always been able to feel him when he was around.  She was afraid of the fog but wouldn’t tell anyone that.  The person needs to be of strong character.  The weak and scared taste terrible.  Females with those characteristics mentioned were the best.  They were more rare and tasted so much sweeter.  He’d never come across one as a child though.  She was different and he would wait as long as it took for her.

It was starting to get foggy out and I didn’t like it.  The fog made me feel anxious.  It always had but I couldn’t explain it.  I had never told anyone about it either, because I knew it was silly.  I decided to take some xanax and just sleep through it.  Things would be clear in the morning and I’d be fine.  It’s just fog and fog is harmless, right?

Now was his chance.  The town was getting thick with fog.  He would follow it as it approached and covered the town.  The fog was heavy and thick.  He followed it all the way to her house, and just as he had prophesized, she was asleep in her bed.  This was going to be easy.

“What the...?” I sat up with a start.  I had no idea what woke me up but I felt afraid.  I was shaking and sweaty.  My mind was trying to clear from the sleep and the xanax as I tried to figure out what was making me feel so afraid.  I saw something out of the corner of my eye that made me jump.  When I looked, however, it was just foggy.  I needed some air.  I went to the window and opened it a crack.  The fog poured in suddenly and that’s the last thing I remember.

The next day.
“I dropped her off at home last night.” Bobby said to the police.  “She was acting strange and said she was afraid.”
“Afraid of what?” asked the cop.
“Not sure, she told me just felt scared for some reason.  Now she’s gone.  She never would have gone anywhere without her purse or her car.” Bobby was almost in tears.  He really loved her.
“It’s still early but under the circumstances we’re going to go ahead and open an investigation.”

No one ever saw her again.  Vanished the night of the great fog and the creature was satisfied.