I WRITE FRIDAY#FLASH

As Dark as Night

(Part 4)

By Carolyn Brown

(The final instalment to a Paranormal short tale -750 words approx.) 

“Jason please, settle down.  We are here to help you.”

“I don’t want your help! I don’t want this, any of this! I said let me OUT!”

Dianne placed her hand on Mason’s arm and nodded her head.  He looked across at her with questioning eyes, but pulled the car over to the side of the road as Jason had demanded.

As soon as the car stopped, Jason jumped across Abe’s lap and was out of the car in an instant.  Diane also exited the vehicle and he found himself looking straight at her when he straightened his posture to stand on the footpath.

“Jason please, nothing has changed between us.  I have always been and hope to still be your friend,” she said, placing her hand gently on his forearm in a friendly gesture.

“Just leave me alone Diane.  I need to process this, okay?

“Sure, sure Jason, I will be waiting to hear from you.  Take care of yourself, okay.”  She turned, got back into the car and the group departed, leaving Jason to walk home alone.

As he walked back in the direction of his house, Jason thought about these changes affecting him and what they would mean to his life now and in the future.  He was concerned about the disadvantages his new form would mean to his plans to go the college and make something of himself.  He had already been struggling in his classes and focusing on school work was becoming more difficult.

Jason was so involved with his own thoughts that he did not see Brett standing on the corner, just in front of him.

“It looks like your new buddies soon got sick of you too, hey freak!”

Jason tried to ignore the comment and crossed the road to try to avoid another confrontation, he knew Brett would instigate. But soon enough Brett had caught up with him and was doing his best to antagonise Jason by throwing snide comments at his back.

A few blocks from his home, Jason turned to Brett, “Dude, what is your problem?”

“You.”

Jason knew that unless he stood up to Brett, the bullying would continue.  He had tried to ignore him, hoping that he would give up and leave him alone, it just did not seem to be working.

“Listen Brett, I really have had enough of you.  I’m giving you your last chance to leave me alone!”

“Oh! I’m so scared.” Brett snarled back at Jason. 

Anger mounted inside Jason, he had heard enough.   Good sense reminded him to continue ignoring Brett, but a new animalistic instinct was erupting inside of Jason, one he could not control.  He found himself shrugging off his backpack to the ground and standing in a hunched over position, ready to spring at Brett, like a cat, in an instant.

Brett just laughed at this gesture, not at all concerned about fighting Jason.

Jason waited for Brett to make the first move.  While he waited he noticed how time seemed to stand still and he was able to see Brett’s moves in slow motion.  His senses were all heightened, he could hear, smell, see and anticipate everything. 

Then, just as he was savouring this new experience, Brett threw his first punch which connected with Jason’s face.  Caught off guard, Jason stumbled a couple of paces from the blow.  He soon recovered and sprung at Brett with the full force of his body, knocking him to the ground.  Like a lion, Jason found himself standing over Brett on his hands and feet, looking straight into his eyes.  He felt them change and knew Brett could see they were catlike.  Jason didn’t care, that Brett would see their difference, he wanted to scare Brett, to try to stop him from tormenting others.

Brett struggled to disengage himself from Jason’s body, but found that he was pinned to the ground, unable to move. “Look man, what the hell are you?”

“Someone, you should think twice about, before messing with again.”

The look on Brett’s face said it all. He was shocked and scared. When Jason released him, he brushed the dirt from his cloths, wiped the grime from his hand and held it out to Jason.

Jason considered not shaking it for a moment, but then decided against antagonizing Brett further, he really just wanted to be left alone.

The End