Excerpt: The Beast

Calla soon realized how peaceful the forest was. The darkness and atmosphere made her feel freer, calmer. If there was one thing that was positive about this trip it was a night like this. The feel of the grass and the dew that clung to her skin everything reminded her of the beauty that was this world. The city was loud and the people were cynical. Anywhere there were people she realized she felt the most out of sorts. She didn’t know nor understand how she was supposed to act towards other people. She didn’t love to be around them. She loved the quiet which before she could only find with ear buds and loud music flowing from them.
On this particular night the air was crisp and cold. The birds around the cabin had all long before fallen asleep. The few creatures that were awake were quiet and only communicated when necessary. The only constant sound was the chirping of the crickets in the grass conducting their own symphony of music. Inside the cabin the others were watching a horror movie on the forty-five inch television. They’d already gone through two of the four six packs they’d brought with them, and Calla had felt the need to get away.