The Shortcut

I was driving up to the lake on Friday night. As soon as I get off the highway the fog sets in heavy. One of those misty nights where the frogs come out to the road.

There is a shortcut up to the lake road that isn't on any maps yet, my GPS is useless there- confused and lost. On the left there is this odd little farm called "Sanity Acres".

I'm cruising up the road, it's dark and empty so I'm going right along at a good clip. All of a sudden I hear something crashing through the bush on the far side of the road. I don't slow down, I think I can slip past it before it gets to the road. Just as I'm passing it breaks through. In my peripheral I catch a pale shape in the side mirror and I hear now, all claws scraping against the road trying to catch me. Then it gives something between a growl and a bark. My window is open and it's right there. I wonder what kind of animal can catch up to a car like that but I'm putting distance between us now. The road was curvy so I never got a good look at it in the rearview and I sure didn't slow down to see what it was.

I told my grandparents about it and they said they go through there all the time and had never seen or heard of a dog chasing cars there.