Look

I glanced at my rapidly digging phone, groaning for the fifth time that night. I already knew what it would be. Another Snapchat from the fiftieth person telling me to look up at the sky. The alert had come just an hour earlier, and ever since then, everyone was telling me to look. I, however, had too much homework to think about looking outside that night. Every cell in my body was exhausted, but because of the incessant digging of my phone, sleep was avoiding me again and again.

I was tempted to just look, or to just write down the thoughts I was having about all the idiots who didn’t heed the warning and looked at the first chance that they got. The wind was blowing hard against my house, from what I could hear outside. I groaned again as I sat up, rubbing my eyes.

“Why would anyone be up at twelve on a school night?” I grumbled as I sat up in bed. My curtains were shut, as they always were to keep any prying eyes from looking in as well as to keep the moonlight out. I had always preferred complete and total darkness while I slept. Light had always hurt my eyes. As I walked to the window, I started to hesitate. I couldn’t think of the worst that could happen, other than the government not wanting us to see an alien.

I snorted at the thought as I opened my window to look. Where the moon was normally so bright and visible, I saw nothing. At all. I glanced around the neighborhood and saw everyone standing outside staring at the spot the moon would be, transfixed. Even the boys in my neighborhood were staring at the spot, smiling and laughing. 

My confusion grew even more when I saw people taking pictures without looking at their phones. Then I glanced in the tree beside my bedroom window. There sat a thing, with skin the color of ashes and eyes that were solid white. His teeth were like human teeth and his eyes were red rimmed. He was muscled and veiny, and watching every transfixed on the moon with hungry eyes. His pink tongue went over his teeth as he smiled.

My breath caught as I watched him, holding onto the tree with both his long toes and fingers, fighting against the October wind. I slowly started moving back towards my door, careful not to make any noise. He looked anyway.

I meant his stare with fear and he meant mine with confusion and bewilderment. He perked up slightly, cocking his head to the side. I ran outside to the hall, my heart pounding in my ear. He moved, I heard it, but I didn’t turn around. I ran into my mother’s room.

“Mom–” But her bed was empty. She was already gone. My breath only caught faster as I ran to the front door as far away from the window as possible. I jerked the door open and stumbled back. The creature stood in front of me, breathing heavily and smiling.

Then it started changing. The skin turned dark brown and the thing’s hair grew. It’s grotesque face morphed into kind, male features. A man now stood in front of me, smiling at me warmly.

“Hello, Katie,” he said. “Welcome to the pack.”