The Beast Lurking In The Shadows

Karen looked around her, heart racing wildly against her chest. She wasn’t alone. Something was out there in the dark, watching her closely.  She wiped away her tears, rose from the fallen log where she had been sitting on.

"Hello, is anyone out there?" she voiced out, trembling slightly as she ventured deeper into the gloomy parts of the woods.

The only response, however, was the eerie echo of her own voice bouncing off the trees, which was met with a dead silence that sent cold shivers down her spine. The wind rustled gently, seemingly carrying a message of foreboding danger. It felt as though it was trying to warn her of the elusive figure, lurking in the shadows.

At every snap of a twig and rustle of leaves, Karen whipped her head sharply, scanning her surroundings with keen eyes. Her heart pounded violently in her chest as she grappled with the unsettling feeling of being watched.

Karen was desperate to discover the source of the noise, knowing deep down that she was alone in this treacherous forest.

"Who's there? Show yourself!" she demanded, her eyes searching the darkness for the slightest movement.

As if materializing out of thin air, a noxious odor assailed her senses, causing her to recoil in disgust. She quickly recognized the stench, belonged to a rogue werewolf. Turning sharply, she met face-to-face with an ugly-looking beast. It had glowing red eyes that were utterly terrifying.

Growling, it swiped its overly long tongue across its dry lips.

Adrenaline surged through Karen's veins. A primal force compelled her body to partially shift and contort into her werewolf form. The once gentle green of her eyes shifted to a brilliant golden color, her teeth sharpening into long deadly canines. 

Facing off against the rogue, Karen sensed its aggression. Its low growl rumbled ominously in the air. With a sudden burst of speed, the beast lunged toward her, aiming to slit her throat.

Reacting swiftly, Karen leaped to the side, narrowly evading the attack. In a split second, she spun around and launched herself at the rogue, delivering a powerful kick at its furry chest.

The impact sent the rogue hurtling into the nearby tree stands, the force of the collision shaking the ground beneath them. Undeterred, Karen pursued her enemy, closing the distance with lightning speed. She snarled and pounced on the rogue, sinking her razor-sharp fangs deeply into the beast's hairy neck.

A pained howl escaped the rogue's lips as it thrashed and writhed, attempting to break free from her bite. In a desperate bid to survive, it lashed out wildly, swiping its massive claw-embedded paw toward the blonde for a brutal assault.

But then, Karen sensed it immediately.

Drawing on her agility, she lifted her left hand and thwarted the rogue's deadly strike. Then, she grabbed its jaw with both hands and snagged it open with a savage snarl. 

Blood sprayed in a crimson arc as the rogue went silent almost immediately, falling to the floor with a sickening thud. Karen shifted back human form, watching the growing dark puddle of blood around her attacker.

Without sparing a second glance at the lifeless body, she sprinted back to her enchanted cabin, the moonlight casting a haunting glow over her figure. Since she didn't want to see the face the backstabber, Charlotte, she chose to spend the night at her lonely cabin.

From afar, she spotted the cabin silhouetted by the moonlight. When she finally reached, she slowly pushed the door aside and entered, looking tired and exhausted. The room was still as she left it–cold and empty, devoid of furniture, except for three storey bunk tucked away in the dark corner.

Letting out a deep sigh, she climbed up the bunk and lay on the flat foam. There, she pondered on her encounter a few minutes ago. The rogue had probably being some berserker, seeking to quench it's thirst with the blood of a lone wolf. Karen was still thinking about the whole fight scene, when yawns of dizziness escaped her lips.

With the call of nature tugging at her, she pushed the thoughts aside, opting to bury herself under the comfort of her wornout blanket. Darkness slowly claimed her vision as her eyes closed, seeking refuge from the haunting memories.

Little did she know that the repercussions of her actions would haunt her in the nights to come, turning her peaceful slumber and dreams into nightmares. The darkness wasn't merely a temporary freedom from reality. It was a foreshadowing of the horrors that awaited her in the nearest future.

*****

Squeaks!

Karen's eyelids peeled open when she heard a loud, violent noise banging against the door. Growing tense, she quickly sat up on the bed as her eyes narrowed toward the direction of the doorpost.

A feeling of insecurity haunted her mind when all she saw were strange shadows, looming over the entrance. The heat of their body scents, further revealed to Karen that there were more of these unknown Lycans outside the cabin.

Stealthily, she climbed down her bunk and tip-toed towards the door. Her heart was thudding against her chest like a wild beast.

When Karen reached, the first thing she did was to place her right ear on the door, hoping to eavesdrop on their conversation since there were no peepholes. However, the deafening sounds caused by the thunderous knocks made her regret her decision.

"Bad idea", she hissed spitefully, covering the affected ear. 

With the increasingly loud knocks, Karen was forced to open the door. As soon as it gave way, the unfamiliar faces of dreadful-looking men greeted her. They were all dressed in sophisticated black suits, dark shades, and polished black shoes. 

Everything would have looked perfect with their gentlemanly outfit except that there was no atom of a smile on their mean faces. 

Karen got alerted immediately. 

Although she couldn't tell whether they were from their pack, she was sure that their intention of paying her an early morning visit wasn't a good one.

One of the men stepped forward.

"The Alpha has ordered us to bring you to him. You have an interrogation waiting for you, so I urge you to remain silent and follow us now", he sneered, keeping a straight face that made him look quite dangerous.