Mason

I wanted to throw the phone.

Instead, I hit call again and again while trying to watch the road and the thing beside me at the same time.

The coyote dropped back for a few seconds, and I thought maybe I had finally outrun it.

Then it reappeared in my rearview mirror, in the middle of the road, running behind my car.

That view still messes me up worse than seeing it beside me.

In the mirror, it looked almost normal at first, just an animal chasing headlights.

But then it rose higher.

Its front paws lifted off the pavement for maybe two or three strides.

not fully standing like a person in a movie.

Not that clean.

It was more like it was trying to run upright and could not quite make the shape work.

Its head bobbed, its spine bent, and then it dropped back to all fours and gained on me.

My phone finally started ringing.

My mom's contact picture popped up.

I almost cried from relief.

She answered with,

Where are you?

I shouted, something's chasing me.

She didn't do the normal parent thing where they ask what or tell you to calm down.

She went quiet for a second, then said, keep driving.