OUT OF THE DARKNESS

“Where did this late August thunderstorm come from, Rudy?” Mike King asked, looking down at his dog. They found refuge under the Meadowport Bridge near the western entrance of Brooklyn’s Prospect Park.

The Pitbull looked up as if to say, “I don’t know. I just needed to go for a walk.”

“C’mon, Rudy. You had to go on one of your late walks, huh? You couldn’t wait until morning, man?”

Rudy whimpered and lowered his head. Mike kneeled and patted his dog.

“That’s okay, big fella. When ya gotta go, ya gotta go, right?” 

A clash of thunder, followed by a crackle of lightning, shook the bridge and lit up the night sky.

Mike hugged Rudy. “Don’t worry, buddy, we’ll stay under this park bridge until this storm passes.” 

He said that more to comfort himself than Rudy.

The wind picked up. Trees rustled, leaves swirled around, and trash blew along the walkway. The lamp posts began to shake and rattle. One of the wired trash bins broke loose and tumbled down the walk. 

“Look out!” Mike cried out as the bin crashed into the side of the bridge, narrowly missing them. Mike sighed.

“Phew. That was a close one, fella.”

Mike peeped up at the sky. He wiped his face with the back of his hand. Shaking his head, Mike realized the storm showed no sign of letting up. What could he do? The thunder and lightning were intensifying. 

“Rudy, is it my imagination, or are the lamp posts lights getting brighter?”

As he looked out, a shadow appeared on the cobble-stoned walkway walking towards them. Mike hid himself as he peered down the walk. Whatever was walking towards them, footsteps made a loud clicking sound.

Mike stepped back into the darkness of the bridge’s overhang. He held his breath. Rudy growled and pulled on his harness. The shape of something Mike had never seen stood at the bridge’s opening.

Swallowing deeply, Mike stuttered. “W-What the Hell is that?” He eased his phone out of his pants pocket, but before he could take a picture, the creature darted off into the park’s darkness.

“Hello? Hello?”

It took Mike a few seconds to realize the voice was coming from his phone.

“Oh, hello. Who is this?”

“This is Doctor Terrel. Is this you, Mike.?”

“Yes, but why are you calling me?”

“I didn’t call you. You called me. At, uh, midnight. What’s wrong?”

“No. I didn’t. You…”

“Mike. Mike. Never mind who called who. Are you okay? Do you need my help?”

“Well, I was walking Rudy in the park when I saw this…I don’t know what I saw.”

“Okay. Can you describe it?”

“Kinda. I know this will sound crazy, but it had a bird’s head and wings and the body of a lion. You know, like two animals in one. And it was three feet tall.”

“A bird’s head and wings and a lion’s body? Are you kidding me?”

“No, that’s what I saw. Why?”

“Mike, you’re describing the mythical creature called a Griffin. You’re saying that a Griffin is roaming around in Brooklyn’s Prospect Park, and only you have seen it?”

“I’m only telling you what I saw.”

“Did anyone else see it?”

“Seriously, Mike, are you okay?”

“No, doctor, I haven’t started drugging or drinking again. I saw this creature.”

“Okay, Mike. I want you to come to my office at 9 a.m. Do you understand?” 

“Look, doctor, I haven’t suffered an episode. I’m okay.”

“Will I see you tomorrow, Mike?”

“I’m not gonna let you institutionalize me. I ain’t crazy.” 

“Will I see you tomorrow, Mike?”

“Yes, and I’ll be there with proof of what I saw.” 

Mike set his cell phone on camera.

“Let’s go find this Creature, Rudy.” 

Mike and Rudy walked carefully down the dimly lit West Drive. Although the rain had stopped, the sky was still cloudy. Moonlight or starlight did little to light Mike’s way. But the rain left behind puddles of water and the smell of newly cut grass. Large tree trunks and thick bushes were perfect spots for an ambush. A creature like the Griffin could easily hide. The beast could be ten feet on either side of them, and they wouldn’t know it.

They took measured steps along the drive, using his phone as a flashlight. They checked every bush and dark corner along the way. Mike heard a faint, whooshing sound.

“Hey, Rudy, what’s that?” 

Before he knew it, the Griffin swooped down on him and knocked him over. He felt a sharp pain in his right shoulder as he tumbled into the grass.

Rudy barked and jumped, trying to bite the beast.

Mike yanked Rudy’s harness. “No, Rudy! That thing will kill you!”

As Mike lay there, watching the Griffin hover, he searched the grass for his phone. Brown and gold feathers flew everywhere. Rudy would jump, bark, and bite whenever the Griffin swooped toward Mike. Mike groped the grass, and he found his phone. A yowl echoed through the park.

“Rudy! Rudy!”” 

  Mike’s hands shook as he tried to steady the camera to take a picture. His hands trembled as he tried to take the beast’s picture. Through the camera, he saw the curved beak and outstretched talons come closer and closer.”

The following day, an early morning jogger found Mike lying face down in the grass with a pit bull beside him. It growled at anyone who came close. The police and Emergency Medical Services called the ASCPA. They removed Rudy without incident.

As the EMS team removed the unconscious man from the scene, one police officer asked,” Is he going to be okay?”

“Yeah. We checked his vitals. They were okay. I think he’s in shock, but we’ll care for him.”

“Okay. Duly noted. What are all these gold and brown leaves from? There are no trees near here with those color leaves.” The officer handed the EMS person the leaf.

“This is not a leaf. It’s a feather.” 

Doctor Terrell sat in her office and glanced up at the clock.

“It’s nine-thirty. Mike is thirty minutes late,” she thought to herself.

She shook her head. “I’m afraid I’ll have to order a pickup for Mr. King.”

The doctor sipped her tea as she read her text messages.

“What a surprise, a text from Mike,” she sighed, “I wonder what excuse he has this time?”

Mike sent her a string of blurry images. She smiled as she examined each photo with a magnified glass. Gasping, she dropped her cup of tea all over her desk. 

“My God! He saw a Griffin!”