Vengeful Spirit

An icy wind blows tonight

Though I don’t feel it’s chill

For I am but a shadow

The one you wished to kill.

The pain is but a memory

Words fading from a page

My eyes once were so trusting

Now they burn with rage.

You took my heart so easily

Pierced it with your knife

Your eyes were so self-righteous

As you sought to end my life.

You may have killed my body

But my soul is still alive

No longer do I see the light

In the darkness I now reside.

You’ll feel me in the shadows

My face will haunt your dreams

You cannot wash my blood away

You’ll never forget my screams.

I love when your face fills with terror

When my hands curl around your heart

You scream when you finally realize

By your side I will never depart.

The Beast

Anya sat in her closet hugging her knees to her chest, trembling, and praying for help to arrive. She could hear her sister Izabela's cries from the living room, her terrified pleas for mercy, and then the awful screams that rang through the house as the creature tore into her. Biting her lip to stifle her own screams she sat in terror, knowing that the odds of help arriving before dawn were slim. The home she shared with her sister was on the outskirts of town, isolated from neighbors. Her only hope was that the brief 911 call she'd made before the phone went dead somehow got through.

Tears ran down Anya's face as her sister's screams abruptly ended. She knew she'd never see her sister again, and she felt a wave of guilt roll over her. Anya knew it was her fault that the creature had come to their home. She had first felt his presence while jogging in the woods early one morning. That first morning she couldn't see him, but she knew he was there, watching her. At the time she had dismissed her feelings as an over active imagination. Over the weeks that followed, she had caught glimpses of him lurking behind trees as she would pass by, watching her. He was large, with long, dark brown hair and piercing blue eyes that seemed to look into her soul. There was something wild about his nature that frightened her. She was careful not to get too close to him, and had started carrying mace with her on her morning runs for protection. Izabela had thought Anya was being paranoid when she'd told her about the strange man in the woods. She told Anya she was being foolish and mocked her when Anya told her that she had a feeling he was coming for her. Even when strange howls and menacing growls could be heard in the woods at night, her sister still refused to believe they were in danger.

"It's just wild animals, you dork," she'd said when Anya had pleaded with her to make sure all the windows and doors were locked tight. However, Anya knew something wasn't right, she could feel it in her bones. Those noises were not being made by some wild animal; they were being made by something strange, dangerous and deadly. If only Izabela had listened to her, she might still be alive. Unfortunately, she'd opened all the windows in the front room to make a point to Anya that there was nothing to fear, giving the beast access to their home. Anya had been in her room reading when she heard the crash in the living room. Instinctively she'd opened her door to find out what the commotion was, freezing at the sight before her. The man she'd seen in the woods was in the room, standing over her sister who was cowering in fear. Then she saw him change, his face elongating oddly, his body contorting wildly until a strange wolf like creature stood where the man had been.
"Hide!" Izabela screamed, attempting to get to her feet, only to be knocked down by the beast.  Anya came back to her senses, stepping quickly inside her room and shutting the door, then placing a chair under the door knob. She knew it didn't buy her much time, but hopefully enough to call for help. She grabbed her cell, then realized she had let it die earlier in the day. Tossing it aside she picked up the land line, relieved to hear the dial tone, then punched in 911. It felt like an eternity had passed before someone picked up, and she was only able to get out the words "We need help" before the line went dead. It had been then that she had sought refuge in the closet, hoping against hope that the monster had not seen her. She knew there was nothing she could do for her sister, and she felt a wave of remorse that made her heart sick.

Anya sat inside the closet, trying to think of a way out. She knew she should try to run, but where? Even if she did manage to get out of her window before the beast got into her room, she knew he'd follow. They had no neighbors close by to run too, only the woods. However, if she stayed where she was, she would surely die. Gathering all the courage she could, Anya opened the closet door. She could hear growling and muffled snorts from the front room. She could only imagine what had become of her sister. Pushing the images of death aside, Anya went to her window, sliding it open as quietly as she could manage. The noises stopped in the front room, and Anya knew she needed to act quickly. With strength that she didn't think she possessed she kicked out the screen. The beast collided with her door as she scrambled through the window and out into the night, running as soon as her feet hit the ground. She knew she needed to get to safety, and the only place she could think of was the main road a quarter of a mile away. She could hear the snarls of the beast behind her, and she picked up speed. Running had always been something she was good at, but usually she had the benefit of her running shoes to help her move forward. Tonight she was barefoot, wearing only a small tee shirt and sleep shorts. Perhaps it was due to the adrenaline in her system, but she couldn't feel the rocks and gravel as they sliced into her feet, causing her to leave behind a trail of bloody footprints behind. The beast seemed to gain momentum from the blood, she could feel his hot breath on the back of her legs. Running as fast as humanly possible she could see the main road not far away. Pushing herself forward, she ran on, hoping that if she got to the main road someone would see her and help. As she approached the main road she could see the tail lights of a car not far ahead of her. She ran after the car, waving her arms frantically, screaming for help. She could no longer feel the beast's breath on her legs, and she hoped that he had turned away when she reached the road. That hope was short lived, as the beast's body collided with hers, picking her up as though she were a rag doll and carrying her off into the woods.

****
Michaela and Seth were driving on a remote stretch of Route 55 that night. They had heard stories about this part of Minnesota, tales of ghosts and werewolves that lurked in this part of the woods.  Michaela looked expectantly out the window, hoping to see some sort of evidence that the stories were true. So far, the night had been uneventful, outside of a near run in with a deer.

"There's nothing to see here," sighed Michaela.

"I agree...Wait!" Seth said, looking intently in the rear view mirror. He could see what looked like a woman running frantically behind the car. Slamming on his breaks he turned to look behind him.  The road was empty, no sign of a woman or anyone either on the road or anywhere near it.

Michaela turned around excitedly. "What is it?!"

"I…I don’t know. I could have sworn I saw a woman running after us," he said.

Michaela looked again, then turned to face her cousin, a smirk on her face."A woman, huh? Wishful thinking?"


Seth turned back to face the road, avoiding his cousin’s eyes. He felt a strange uneasiness that he couldn’t explain.

“I don’t know…Maybe I’m just tired. There’s nothing out here. Let’s call it a night,” Seth said, gunning the engine and speeding off into the night.

****
A few days later, the news reported on the brutal killing of Izabela Chistiakov who was found dead in her home when she hadn't reported to work for two days. The whereabouts of her sister, Anya, were unknown, but evidence at the home indicated that she was also a victim.
It remains a mystery to this day what happened to Anya. Numerous claims of sightings of Anya have been documented. Travelers on highway 55 have reported seeing what appears to be a wild woman who resembles Anya running through the woods accompanied by what appears to be a wolf like man.  Hunters have reported seeing glimpses of a woman matching Anya's description in the woods, watching them, only to take off running if they try to approach her. Many other claims have been made regarding sightings of Anya or of her strange companion, but nothing has ever been proven. The only thing known for certain is that Anya Chistiakov’s body was never found.