There were a multitude of scents and sounds drifting through the campus. People danced in groups or alone to the music blasting out of two very large speakers. But none of that mattered to 16 year old Justin Lynch, as she scanned the crowds eagerly. Ariela had to be in there somewhere. Finally, she saw her friends frizzy curls bouncing around near the DJ. Hurrying over, Justin had to push her way into the crowd and over to Ariela. “Ariela, we need to talk,” she said loudly, trying to be heard over the music, and grabbed her wrist.
“What?” Ariela said, pointing to her ears. Justin indicated the loud music and dragged her friend away. “Justin, what’s wrong?” she said after they were far enough away to hear each other.
“Just come with me.” Justin led her over to a tall clump of bushes, far away from the party. She took a deep breath and looked Ariela in the eye. “Ariela, I… I... “ She shook her head frustratedly. “Ari, I was adopted. She- Annie- lied to me. For 16 years!" Her eyes shone with tears.
"Justin, that's...that's terrible! How could she do that to you?" Justin just shrugged. "Aww, sweetie." Ariela put her arm around her friend's shoulders.
"This doesn't change anything between us, then?" Justin's voice was soft.
"Excuse me? Did I hear you right?!" was Ariela's indignant reply. "Of course not! You're still my BFF, best friend forever." Justin smiled.
"Thanks, Ari-" She frowned.
"What?" Justin raised her hand for silence. People were screaming. A deep, guttural throaty sound was mixing in with the cries. "What the-" The bushes rustled as a figure struggled through.
"It's Cerberus! He's come to take us all to Hell! Save me! I don't want to die!" He clutched desperately at Justin's dress. She shoved him away, and he stumbled off.
"Drunk," she muttered, wrinkling her nose at the intoxicated odor. "Come, let's go see what this is really about." Together she and Ariela made their way over the bushes again. Her dress snagged, and Justin winced a the tearing sound that followed as she struggled through the bushes. The sight was even more crazy than when the party was actually going on. People were running and screaming. Somebody had knocked over the boom box, and the DJ was frantically trying to call order while keeping the rest of his stuff together. A deep bark brought Justin's attention over to a jumbled throng of stumbling people. They were throwing empty cans at something dark. It seemed angry, but most of the cans missed their mark. Seriously, what is it with drunks? She thought, realizing the empty bottles used to hold beer. She caught a glimpse of a large head with short, rounded ears and flashings fangs.
"Get away from it!" she cried, shoving at the crowd. They tumbled over each other, disoriented, and more or less made it away from the dog. She kicked at a few stragglers, and they followed their friends. "Ariela, come-" She broke off. Her friend's face a was deathly white, a stark contrast from her African-American features. Her finger was shaking in a wobbly point at something behind Justin. Justin turned, and screamed.
The dog was snarling quietly, staring intently at Justin. Her chest heaved as she gazed at the...thing. That was the only word she could come up with. She stumbled back, gasping, and it took another step forward. It's growling intensified, and it glared threateningly at Justin.
"Ari..." she murmured quietly, gripping her friend's wrist. The dog leapt, and both girls ducked and let out a terrified scream. It sailed over them, and Justin heard a thump, followed by a terrible cracking sound. Turning fearfully, she saw the dog on top of one of the guys Justin recognized from the drunken circle. A broken bottle rolled out of his hand, sharp edges glinting menacingly.
"He was trying to kill us!" Ariela cried, clutching Justin's wrist in a vice-like grip. Twisting away, Justin crept slowly toward the dog. The left and right heads were holding on to the drunk man's arms, and the third was snarling menacingly in his face.
"It's okay, Cerberus," she whispered soothingly. "You got the bad man. We won't try to hurt you." He must have recognized his name, because Cerberus gave a soft woof and hesitantly wagged his tail.
Justin had experience with frightened or aggressive animals before. Her adoptive mother worked at a vet clinic and dealt with lots of different personalities. Justin had a faint scar on the underside of her wrist from when a large lab had bit her. He was unneutered and half wild by the time somebody had brought him in. He was put down later that day.
Letting go of the man’s arms, Cerberus advanced cautiously, growling softly, as if warning Justin she better not try anything. She crouched slowly and gently held out her hand. All three heads were gazing at her intently.
“Justin, be careful…” she heard Ariela say. He gently sniffed her hand, then licked it. Cerberus’s tail wagged as he looked at her trustfully. With the three-headed threat out of the way, Justin got a good look at all the damage the panicked crowd had caused.
“What?” Ariela said, pointing to her ears. Justin indicated the loud music and dragged her friend away. “Justin, what’s wrong?” she said after they were far enough away to hear each other.
“Just come with me.” Justin led her over to a tall clump of bushes, far away from the party. She took a deep breath and looked Ariela in the eye. “Ariela, I… I... “ She shook her head frustratedly. “Ari, I was adopted. She- Annie- lied to me. For 16 years!" Her eyes shone with tears.
"Justin, that's...that's terrible! How could she do that to you?" Justin just shrugged. "Aww, sweetie." Ariela put her arm around her friend's shoulders.
"This doesn't change anything between us, then?" Justin's voice was soft.
"Excuse me? Did I hear you right?!" was Ariela's indignant reply. "Of course not! You're still my BFF, best friend forever." Justin smiled.
"Thanks, Ari-" She frowned.
"What?" Justin raised her hand for silence. People were screaming. A deep, guttural throaty sound was mixing in with the cries. "What the-" The bushes rustled as a figure struggled through.
"It's Cerberus! He's come to take us all to Hell! Save me! I don't want to die!" He clutched desperately at Justin's dress. She shoved him away, and he stumbled off.
"Drunk," she muttered, wrinkling her nose at the intoxicated odor. "Come, let's go see what this is really about." Together she and Ariela made their way over the bushes again. Her dress snagged, and Justin winced a the tearing sound that followed as she struggled through the bushes. The sight was even more crazy than when the party was actually going on. People were running and screaming. Somebody had knocked over the boom box, and the DJ was frantically trying to call order while keeping the rest of his stuff together. A deep bark brought Justin's attention over to a jumbled throng of stumbling people. They were throwing empty cans at something dark. It seemed angry, but most of the cans missed their mark. Seriously, what is it with drunks? She thought, realizing the empty bottles used to hold beer. She caught a glimpse of a large head with short, rounded ears and flashings fangs.
"Get away from it!" she cried, shoving at the crowd. They tumbled over each other, disoriented, and more or less made it away from the dog. She kicked at a few stragglers, and they followed their friends. "Ariela, come-" She broke off. Her friend's face a was deathly white, a stark contrast from her African-American features. Her finger was shaking in a wobbly point at something behind Justin. Justin turned, and screamed.
The dog was snarling quietly, staring intently at Justin. Her chest heaved as she gazed at the...thing. That was the only word she could come up with. She stumbled back, gasping, and it took another step forward. It's growling intensified, and it glared threateningly at Justin.
"Ari..." she murmured quietly, gripping her friend's wrist. The dog leapt, and both girls ducked and let out a terrified scream. It sailed over them, and Justin heard a thump, followed by a terrible cracking sound. Turning fearfully, she saw the dog on top of one of the guys Justin recognized from the drunken circle. A broken bottle rolled out of his hand, sharp edges glinting menacingly.
"He was trying to kill us!" Ariela cried, clutching Justin's wrist in a vice-like grip. Twisting away, Justin crept slowly toward the dog. The left and right heads were holding on to the drunk man's arms, and the third was snarling menacingly in his face.
"It's okay, Cerberus," she whispered soothingly. "You got the bad man. We won't try to hurt you." He must have recognized his name, because Cerberus gave a soft woof and hesitantly wagged his tail.
Justin had experience with frightened or aggressive animals before. Her adoptive mother worked at a vet clinic and dealt with lots of different personalities. Justin had a faint scar on the underside of her wrist from when a large lab had bit her. He was unneutered and half wild by the time somebody had brought him in. He was put down later that day.
Letting go of the man’s arms, Cerberus advanced cautiously, growling softly, as if warning Justin she better not try anything. She crouched slowly and gently held out her hand. All three heads were gazing at her intently.
“Justin, be careful…” she heard Ariela say. He gently sniffed her hand, then licked it. Cerberus’s tail wagged as he looked at her trustfully. With the three-headed threat out of the way, Justin got a good look at all the damage the panicked crowd had caused.