The Greatest Motivator

Amy gave me her quirky busy-body look. I ignored her and averted my face to block her view through my glasses. No luck, "Hey Melissa, what's up with the new glasses?" Her intended question: 'Why are you wearing those dorky red frames with one lens missing.' I stifled a heavy sigh and moan.

"My glasses are in the shop." I ignored her quizzical smirk. I bemoaned the loss of my lunch hour to retrieve them later on. I rustled papers on my desk a signal to leave me alone.

"Soooo, why are they in the shop? You sit on them again?" Contrary to unpopular belief I was not a violent person. So why did I feel the urge to slap that sly grin off her face? "You shouldn't leave important things laying around. Did you lose one lens to those already? You should be more careful with things. The boss might think you're irresponsible with everything..." I usually drowned out her self-righteous ramblings, today was different.

"I almost died." She shut up, and gaped at me, first with surprise then skepticism.

"What do you mean almost died?

"I got away before I was hurt. " She assessed me further, I hadn't expected her to believe me.

"Tell me." Perhaps it would help to talk about it and release the thoughts racing through my mind.

"I was out for a quick run before it got dark."

"But it's dark before seven these days, and you didn't leave here til after 5:30."

"Keep interrupting and I won't get through half the story." She bit her lip. "I didn't plan to stay out long, just jog to the end of the trail and back. It got dark when I was about a quarter mile from Iron Horse Park; you know the one?" She nodded her head but didn't speak. I really had her going, probably because the fear in my voice wasn't faked. "I jogged the rest of the way because the woods at that time of night get really freaky. I mean, we live in a really nice neighborhood but with the track being black and the trees so thick on either side...well, it was pretty creepy. I got all the way to the parking lot when I noticed."

"Noticed what?" Amy blurted, unable to contain herself.

"I'd lost my glasses. They were fogging up so I took them off right before I jogged the last few feet. I hadn't heard them drop over the sound of my breathing and heavy heartbeat. I didn't want to go back but I need my glasses, I get horrible vision headaches without them."

"That why you'd rather be seen in those eyesores than go without?" The smirk was back. I narrowed my eyes.

"If you'd rather make snide comments..."

"No, no sorry! Continue."

"I decided there was nothing for it, I had to try and find them. I turned on my phone's flashlight and retraced my steps. Each step back down that dark trail was torture. I heard the scratch of every leaf blown against the asphalt., felt the eye of every creature on me. It was difficult to focus solely on my mission. The track was too wide for me to cover both sides at once; so I had to start out on the right, focusing the light half off the track in case they had fallen into the edge of the woods."

"Ooo, and your glasses are brown too! I bet it was near impossible to see them amongst all the leaves and twigs."

I eyed her appraisingly. "Exactly! I was starting to get a headache with the effort it took to concentrate. By the time I reached the quarter-mile mark, I was getting antsier about not finding my glasses in the dark than I was being snatched up. I was almost back to the parking lot when I saw it." Amy's eyes widened.

"Saw what?" she whispered.

"A huge spectral dog, standing on the bridge before the ramp to the park."

Amy gasped, then looked quizzical. "Spectral? Like a ghost?"

"Maybe it was the mist gathering around him from his hot breath. I dunno, but it was huge, shaggy, scary, and black!"

"Mhmm, then what?" She was no longer buying that my life had been in danger. I wasn't phased.

"I didn't break eye contact until the baring of teeth; dominance or whatever. I started slowly walking backward, not staring it in the eye but not taking my eyes off it either. It tracked me with a predatory gaze until I was near the ramp. I backpedaled faster until I heard a sickening crunch underneath my foot. I found my glasses. Startled I jumped and looked down, Doggy didn't like that, he came at me. I swooped up my glasses and ran for it. I knew I wouldn't make it completely up the ramp but I wanted some higher ground. I turned halfway to the lot and faced Big Scary, surprisingly he didn't charge. He stalked me again. Assessed me, took slow deliberate strides forward and to my left; backing me into the fence on my right. I thought to shine the light of my phone in the demon dog's face and make another run for it but then my cell decided to die."

"No freakin' way," Amy exclaimed. I had her again.

“He came at me then. Teeth aimed for my throat. I front kicked him in the stomach mid-leap then ball kicked him a few times when he hit the ground before running like the wind."

"Then what?" She breathed. I shrugged.

"Then nothing, I made it home safe and sound."

"Ugh, that's the lamest story ever Three Eyes." Ignoring her barb at my missing lense I chuckled as she stomped away. The smile and the color drained from my face as I saw the first news story online: "Killer dog found dead. Two more believed to be on the loose." I prayed the city would catch them fast, fear was the greatest motivator. I was glad to have walked that trail one more time. It felt like it would be the last time.


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