Alice froze with her cold, bare feet planted firmly on the ground. The beast before her rattled out another low growl. Its sharp white teeth could be seen clearly in the dark, giving the illusion of a sinister Cheshire cat grin that Alice could only hope would vanish into the darkness. It seemed far bigger on this side of the fence. It was waist high, with a thick stout body with muscles that rippled in the light under its dark fur. The creature’s ears were pinned back as it snarled with a lowered head. It seemed ready to pounce at any moment.

She glanced towards the door but couldn’t see either of her parents. She didn’t dare turn her back on the large dog in case it dared to attack her. The street was silent, and no footsteps or voices could be heard.

Alice could see her breath forming mist as she exhaled, catching the light from the open door of the house. She knew she wouldn’t be able to reach the open door, so a new plan formed in her mind.

She took a hesitant step back, slowly raising her foot from the floor, as she watched the dog carefully. It growled once more, a deep rumble that spilled from its glistening jaws. It lowered its head, the outlines of its wide shoulders moved a fraction, but it did not approach her at all.

Sensing that there might be a glimmer of hope, Alice took this to be a good sign and took another step back. This time, she wasn’t so lucky. The creature let out a terrifying bark that seemed to reverberate through her core, shaking her bones. Like a young filly frightened by fireworks, she lost her nerve and fled towards the street in terror. Young legs kicked in an ungainly fashion, propelling her without grace. The garden gate had been left open and she dashed towards it, desperately seeking an escape, uncaring of what might lay beyond and too afraid to look back at the beast and whether it had given chase.

A heavy hit on the backs of Alice’s legs was the first indication that her escape had failed. The added force knocked her forward and she was unable to regain her balance. Her arms reached out automatically, her body on autopilot as it protected her from the fall. A heavy weight pressed down suddenly on her lower back but was removed quickly when she squirmed in panic, rolling onto her side. Blood-curdling screams echoed through the night as Alice kicked relentlessly at the darkness, straining to defend herself. Her palms slapped painfully on the garden path as she sought out stability, her young mind dismissing the hope of escape but fraught as it clung to the chance of survival.

Teeth snapped at Alice’s thigh, grazing her skin and her defensive kicking renewed in intensity. Her foot connected painfully with fur and underlying bone. An angry yelp erupted from the beast and Alice panted heavily, relieved to have even this little space between her and it. It wheeled away from her, head down and snarling before slinking back towards Alice. To her horror, she saw the creature pause and now, with her back towards the lights of the house, she watched the beast roll its shoulders, preparing to strike.

Alice scrambled once more to her feet. She twisted away from the dog once more to flee towards the safety of the house. No longer seen as a reckless move, she knew that the dog’s aggression could not be avoided, and it would hunt her no matter how she chose to react.

Sharp teeth sank deep into her calf as she ran. She screamed again, both in terror and pain, as she faltered. Her leg was pulled out from under her, and she hit the ground hard. Her scream cut off abruptly as the air whooshed from her lungs on impact. Blood and tears flowed freely as Alice fought for breath. The dog refused to let go of her leg and clamped down harder. Fresh agony coursed through her as she sobbed and whimpered, too afraid to kick at the dog lest it roughly thrash her like a chew toy from side to side.

A large shadow loomed over her and the pressure on her leg suddenly dwindled. Tears blurred Alice’s vision, but the angry shouting of her father was piercing. She was far too upset to heed the words but his fury rang clear. Vicious snarling turned quickly to yelping howls.

Her mother reached her side as the conflict between her father and the dog intensified. She felt herself being scooped up awkwardly in her mother’s arms and dragged towards the house. They landed heavily on the carpet. Her mother’s panic had caused her to trip and fall as she scrabbled to put more space between the creature and her injured daughter.

The world was spinning now. Alice felt her leg glowing hot but the rest of her felt ice cold. Though her mother was shouting and calling out her name, the world slowly faded to darkness.

When Alice awoke, it was to the noise of her mother sobbing and car horns blaring.

“She’s waking up. She’s waking up!” her mother’s relieved voice proclaimed. “Oh Sweetheart, can you hear me?”

“Where are –“ Alice began to ask before the world suddenly jolted to the side. Her head hit firm cushion roughly.

“Out of the fucking way!” her father cursed from nearby. His voice sounded hoarse and strained. More car horns blared.

“It’s OK, Sweetheart,” her mother comforted with shaky words. “It’s OK.”

Alice felt her mother’s hand softly stroking her cheek, but the feeling was almost completely drowned out by the pain in her leg and arm. She cried pitifully, unable to find the words to describe her feelings. Everything felt like it hurt. Lights were streaking over them, misleading her thoughts. She was twisted uncomfortably. The world made no sense.

“We’re nearly there, Pumpkin. You hold on,” her father reassured her haltingly.

Fear flared in Alice’s stomach. “Where?” she asked tearfully.

“It’s alright, Sweetheart. You’re going to be just fine,” her mother’s voice soothed.

“I want to go home,” cried Alice through heartfelt sobs.

“Oh, Sweetheart. My poor, brave girl. It’s alright. It’s alright,” her mother wept, clutching her firmly.

Their vehicle continued to rush headlong through the night towards the hospital. The fears of the attack were left behind, but this reassured Alice little.