The Guardian of Justice Woods

Written for the Weekly Flash Fiction Contest.
Prompt: "It's out there! It's coming for me!"

              The sky was dark, the moon suffocated by clouds.  Electricity filled the air, along with the sounds of something stumbling through the underbrush.  Little Sara Pickens, clothed only in a nightgown, glanced around nervously, her teddy bear clutched tightly to her chest.  Her face was streaked with tears and filled with fear because it was dark, cold, and she was lost.  She had no idea how she had gotten here, or how to return to her warm safe bed.

         Suddenly, the bushes in front of her erupted in a shower of twigs, giving way as a large shape pounded its way through.  Sara leapt backwards, a shrill scream on her lips, until she saw that the demonic shadow was really just an ordinary man.  The bearded stranger didn't seem to think that it was at all strange that they were both here in the forest in the middle of the night, in fact, his face showed nothing at all except desperation.

         "Please," he croaked out, a wild look in his bloodshot eyes, "Help me!  It's out there!  It's coming for me!"  Sara backed away, confused, but before the man could say anything else, the harsh cry of a bird filled the air.  The madman jerked as if electrified, and his breath came in short wheezes.  Without another word, he broke into a run, and Sara caught a flash of dark wings and cold eyes as something flew past.

         The next day, Sara was found, asleep by a log in the middle of the forest.  Also discovered that day, was a mortally injured stranger who was identified as a well-known murderer.  He was out of his mind with fear, ranting and raving and begging for help.  The villagers smiled grimly, knowing that, once again, the guardian of Justice Woods had done its work.   

Word Count: 309