Animal in the Alley

I was in the car with my family when we picked up my old friend sherry. She was just the same as she’s always been one of the nicest people I’ve ever met.
I’m not sure why but My brother and I couldn’t stop fighting like children. He was poking me in the eye and I was screaming at him and biting his finger the entire time. Sherry was obviously made uncomfortable by this but she kept a smile on the whole time and tried to keep up pleasant conversation with us and our parents who were deeply disappointed in our behavior. We got out of the car at a Mexican restaurant and we all went in one at a time through the door as my dad held it. I was the last one but I told my dad to go ahead. Something had caught my eye, a dim grey shape a small distance away behind the building. I went to go see what it was and each slow step made the image a bit clearer. I started to see it was some sort of animal. It had a large grey body bigger than a dog, larger than even a bear now that I think back on it, and it had sunken black eyes. Another step and I realized it was missing large patches of fur and skin as if it had mange. I came closer and I saw its long thin yellow teeth and its lips curled up, pulled tightly back into an unnatural threatening grin. I still saw something else in it thought it wasn’t wild, and it wasn’t trying to threaten me it was genuinely smiling. There was no fear apparent in its expression only crazed sadistic joy as I came closer.

I tried to stop and turn back but I couldn’t move any way but forward. There was space all around me but my muscles wouldn’t respond. I took another step. I tried desperately to scream and beg for my family to help me but all that came out was a low rasping wheezing sound, the sound you make when you run out of breath as you’re trying to sing and your throat begins tightening up as the last breath of air is pushed out. I could barely speak even at a whisper and I knew my family couldn’t hear me. I heard their conversations I could hear them laughing inside completely unaware, and I began to cry as I realized I was going to die here. The monsters smile grew as I cried and got closer I could smell the rot and decay on its breath as it seemed to grow larger and more foul with each fresh step. I saw my father come outside and he casually called out to me. I wished so much that I could say I’m sorry to him, to my brother, to my family and friends for all the stupid petty arguments I had started. I tried to turn away again and managed to at least make my body turn around and wave to him. I still couldn’t scream nothing above a whisper. I realized the animal hadn’t moved, I thought maybe I could muster up the strength to run but as I lifted my foot to take a step away the beast took a much larger step toward me. It was giving me a message, one I clearly understood. ‘I can and will come after you’

I screamed and cried but my father couldn’t see or hear me as he went back inside.
I forced my eyes closed and I at least hoped that I would die quickly.

I felt its hot breath an inch from my face, the fetid smell of bile and rot forcing into my nose making me sick. It could’ve attacked at any second why did it wait? Why would it not just get it over with.
then my blood froze as I realized, it could attack at any moment but it was choosing to wait

It was waiting for me to open my eyes