I Should Never Drive During the Full Moon (Part 2)

A figure. An impossibly tall figure, standing motionless in the middle of the road. Its limbs stretched too long, too thin, as if made of shadows and moonlight. For a moment, I thought it was just a trick, my mind playing with the edges of my sight. But then I saw its eyes. Twin embers of pale light, locked onto mine with a cold, piercing intensity that made my heart stop.

I slammed on the brakes. The car jolted forward, the tires screeching, but the figure didn’t flinch. It didn’t move, didn’t even seem to acknowledge my presence. It just stood there, waiting, as if it knew I would come. My heart pounded in my ears, and for a moment, I thought about turning back.

But I couldn’t, I had somewhere to be, something I desperately had to do. Even if it cost me everything. With trembling hands, I pressed the gas. The car lurched forward, edging past the figure as slowly as I dared. My eyes never left the rearview mirror, too terrified to look ahead. When I finally did, just for a split second, the figure was gone. Vanished. Like a shadow swallowed by the night. The road was empty again, but the unease, the sense that something was wrong, was stronger than ever.

I wasn’t alone.

The growl came again. This time, it was even closer. Even louder. It echoed through the car, deep and primal. A warning too raw to ignore. I didn’t dare slow down.

The darkness was closing in. My eyes raced over the shadows, searching frantically. And then, out of nowhere, it came. A shadow, low and quick, darted across the road, too fast for me to process.

I jerked the wheel. The car swerved, tires screeching as they lost grip on the slick asphalt. My heart skipped. My breath caught in my throat. The world tilted beneath me as the car fought for control. The growl rose to a deafening crescendo, closer than ever before, echoing inside my skull, rattling my thoughts.

I couldn’t hold on.

The car spun out of control, fishtailing on the wet pavement. For a split second, I saw it. It was there. Large, hulking, moving just beyond my vision. I couldn’t think. With a sickening crunch, the world went black.

I woke to the sound of crickets, their soft chirping slicking through the silence. The chill of the night air biting at my skin. My head was throbbing, and all my muscles ached. I opened my eyes and saw the outline of my car resting in a ditch by the side of the road. The moon still hung overhead, as bright and unnerving as it had been before.

For a long while, I just sat there, stunned. The growl had stopped. The night had returned to its quiet, oppressive stillness. The road was empty, nothing had changed. But when I looked up at the moon I understood. I should never drive during the full moon. Next time, I may not be so lucky.