Chapter 2

What the hell was that hulking monster? My mind screamed at me for an answer, while I hid behind one of those enormous trees. My body was shaking like a leaf, my heartbeat skyrocketing and sweat made my eyes burn.

My hands trembled when I brought it above my mouth to stop a sob from breaking out, I need to be silent. A twig to my right broke, and I flinched. It has found me.

Oh god, I’m going to die. But the silence that followed was killing my nerves, it wasn’t expected at all.

I took a few stuttering breaths and willed my body to move; I need to see if it was still there or not. At least I should try to make a run for it again before it got me.

I need to fight for my life. My mind made, I peeked to my right and found nothing. I sighed in relief, maybe it got bored and left, right? Yes, it must be.

It couldn’t wait for me forever; I have been running for what? Ten minutes by now, maybe?! I will try to retract my path and find my way back to the castle, as silent as possible.

I breathed deeply and moved to the other side and smacked into something hard and warm. I gasped from the impact. My breath evaded me and small hairs or something similar clung to my open mouth and tongue.

Something snarled and the hard object I hit moved with the sound. I raised my head with wide eyes and trembling lips to see what made that horrendous noise, but a loud scream was all I could get out of me in return.

I fell to the ground and crab crawled backward. The beast’s body tensed and his eyes fixated on me. I only took two steps before it snarled in a warning. So I stopped and held my breath.

That thing was huge. Standing on two feet, it was taller than any human could ever be. But that is the only similarity I could find. It was hairy, his arms long and fingers tipped with sharp glinting claws.

Its huge thighs were curved awkwardly as if he wasn’t standing to its full height. But the most terrifying thing about it was its face.

It was shaped like….it looked deformed to me. The long muzzle and sharp teeth didn’t proportion with its small ears and eyes. And that nightmarish face was gazing intently at me.

It raised its snout and breathed the air, then those golden eyes glowed with interest. The monster crouched, and he crept on all four. Eyes still glowing and now Saliva was dripping from its mouth.

Just when he reached my dirty bare feet, his eyes turned down. I flinched when those clawed fingers touched my toes. Is he going to start with my feet? Or do monsters have fetishes too? I almost cackled like a maniac, I tend to be sarcastic when I’m distressed or scared.

But I returned my attention back to that thing and swallowed hard when it raised my left foot to its mouth.

“You know, I’m a skinny bitch. Just skin and bones. All ballerinas are really, not only me. I won’t be a satisfying, fulfilling meal, trust me.”

The beast turned its head to the side like a dog, his tongue hanging out there. He looked confused for a second before shaking its huge head and licked my little toe.

The frozen state of my body evaporated and I kicked his mouth, or tried to, with the foot he was holding. But all I managed to do was nicking my toes with one of those sharp canines.

The beast growled at me flashing his sharp teeth and snatched my leg again, but this time his grip was bruising. I whimpered. It felt like my foot was going to break at any moment.

It sniffed my foot again and licked it with enthusiasm this time. The moans he made after tasting my blood were more terrifying than his growls or snarls.

I whined again and tried to back away, but he shifted with me and in one swift move, my body was under him. He looked me in the eye, his tongue licking his thin lips as if savoring the remaining taste of my blood.

“Please, don’t eat me. Or at least make it quick.” I whispered, don’t even know why bother. It can’t understand me.

I gave up and went limp beneath it and moved my head to the other way. Offering it my neck. Make it quick, I prayed to god for the first time in my life.

The monster on top of me took that as an invitation. And buried its muzzle into the crook of my neck, and whimpered, pushing its body into mine. I stopped breathing when I felt something hard and hot poking my thigh.

I bucked and flailed, I need to get away right now. I had made my peace with being eating and killed gruesomely, but this is a no. I won’t stay still for it to violate me like this, NO.

I opened my mouth and screamed, and something howled in the distance. The oblivious beast tensed and his ears twitched, and then crouched above my shaking body.

His eyes scanned the forest or the garden. Or whatever the hell it was. And for a moment I was free, so I crept slowly first then ran screeching on top of my lung.

“Help somebody help me. HELP.” I heard some voices ahead and the beasts’ angry growls and snarls followed me.

I ran as fast as I could, but the monster was gaining on me. I took a deep breath and screamed higher this time. “Help.”

Someone called my name, and I tried to run in his direction, but the beast jumped on top of me.

Then his mouth circled my neck. He growled constantly in warning, his body crouched, covering me entirely. I sniffled. I was so close to escaping.

“Let her go now.” A feminine voice said softly and then added.

“Please.” I heard several footsteps, so I tried to move my head to take a good look. But the beast bit my neck harder.

“I don’t want to hurt you. Let go of Sarah, please. You are not yourself right now. And you are hurting her.” He snarled in response to my friend’s words and crouched further down, his weight suffocating me.

“Mine.” I heard the guttural word and froze. Did it just speak right now? Or my mind was playing tricks on me. Am I going crazy?

“Then, as you wish. Dylan, you know what to do?” Growls and snarls filled the air a second later, and I was rushed between Lina’s arms. I buried myself in her soft body, shaking and crying.

Even though her scent was familiar and comforting. My mind couldn’t comprehend what just happened. I looked behind me and saw five enormous dogs, as big as a horse, fight the beast.

But they weren’t its match. After a tiresome tussle, it looked at me and whined before it ran away. In the distance, we heard a pained howl followed by so many. I shuddered. What the hell is this place?

I pushed my friend away and glared at her and the few people that remained. “What the fuck just happened? And what the hell was that thing Lina?”

She looked down nervously. “What were you doing outside your room, Sarah? I asked you so many times not to go out at night, especially on full moon nights such as this one?”

“Are you fucking kidding me? Don’t answer my question with another one. And the moon isn’t full tonight.” It was, but fuck it. I can go out whenever the hell I want; I’m not a prisoner here. I huffed.

“Just let’s get back to the castle and I will tell you everything.” She reached for my arm tentatively and I walked with her, the men following silently behind at a distance, respectfully.

The moment I entered my suit, I rushed to the bathroom and threw my guts up. And even though my stomach was empty, I kept heaving. It might be adrenaline withdrawal or something, but after this little walk back.

My body felt drained and heavy. It kept on convulsing, and I held the toilet for support. I rested my head on the cold toilet bowl, not caring if I got dirty or not.

My head was spinning and another rush of nausea was attacking me.

I felt awful and drained. Who would have thought something like this would happen to me? When Lina invited me to her birthday, and also to spend some time together. I was excited to see her home and finally meet her family.

I never have thought in a million years, that I would be attacked by ugly monsters. I gagged and threw up again, but nothing came out. Lina came to the bathroom and helped me to my bed.

I collapsed exhausted and fell asleep immediately. My mind went back to two weeks ago before any of this had ever happened, and my dreams were full of monsters and pained howls.