Within your
short story, create a powerful scene without using any dialogue.”
ONE NIGHT
©2004 by Mae Ondracek
Yes, it sure is a
cold one out tonight. I can’t believe
how much this weather has changed. One
day it is so nice out we do not need jackets, but by
I know I had only
three blocks to go and I’d be home but I’ve already walked three blocks and it
doesn’t look like anything I’ve ever seen before. Where are the trees by my front walk and the
tire swing by the side of the house? How
can this all be so unreal? Where am
I?
As I look around,
I see a car coming and I’d like to stop it to find out where I am but he is
really going so fast, that maybe he doesn’t see me. I wave my arms and holler but still he keeps
coming and now he passes by me without even stopping.
I try to look into
the car, but all the windows are black.
Now, I wonder, how can he see out, with all the windows black. He really just zoomed by me. I know he saw me because he pulled over to
the side a little bit as he zoomed by.
Wait, there is
another car coming. I’ll bet if I just
step off the curb I’ll get his attention.
I step off the curb and wave my hands.
He doesn’t stop but he pulls over to the side of the road and zoom, he is gone.
What can be the matter with these people?
As I stand there
wondering, another car is coming, so again I stand in the road and wave my arms
and call out for him to stop. He just
veers to the side of the road and hurries right by. My gosh, what is the matter with these
people? Can’t they see it’s only me and
I need help?
I start running
down the street, yelling ‘Help. Help,’
but no one stops. ‘Oh, please. Just let somebody help me,’ I keep thinking
this as each car goes by. Where in the
world am I? I should have been home a
long time ago, but here I am out in the open country and don’t know where to go,
except to keep running.
What will I find
out there? It must be late and I don’t
know where I am. There are no stores or
houses, nothing but the cars going by me like someone who has cancer.
I have been
running for quite awhile now and I’m sure I’d catch up with that last car but
he really zoomed by me. What can be the
matter with everyone? Oh, why doesn’t
someone help me out? I can’t keep
running all night and expect to be helped?
Why doesn’t someone help me?
Now, here comes another
car. As he starts to pass, I put out my
hand and grab the door handle. He tries
to shake me off but I hang on. Then he
does a turn-about that sends me flying into the dirt. My back is hurt from that tree I just hit,
but I get back up and start running.
Am I going the
right way? I don’t know. I am getting so tired that maybe it will be
morning soon and I’ll know where I am and why all these ‘fraidy cats aren’t helping me. But I’ll get one of them soon.
Another car, but
he is going the wrong way, or am I going the wrong way? He slows a little as he goes by but doesn’t
stop. What can be the matter with
him? Doesn’t he see that I do need help?
Well, it doesn’t
matter, I’ll just keep running until I find my way home and then I’ll be
happy. Where, oh where, did I go wrong?
It’s a miracle,
there is my house. I amble up the stairs
and in the early morning light, I look at my hand and I couldn’t believe my
eyes. I was looking at a wolf’s
paw. I quickly opened the door and rushed
inside. I quickly went into the bathroom
but I was too terrified to turn on the light.
When I did, I saw my face was still half covered by wolf fuzz. The last thing I remember was screaming.