Werewolf Chapter 3

Hey all! Here is the third chapter of the werewolf story I've been working on. I'll take any feedback since I'm still hammering out the details, structure, and flow of this story

Chapter 3

My dad always used to tell me that the only real monster in the world was our own mind. That all the mythological and made up creatures had nothing on our brains when it came to fear or terror. I guess in a way this sort of makes sense; creatures can only do so much, but our minds are always running, filling us with hundreds of different scenarios that may or may not ever actually happen. Despite the mild logic in his claim, I never really believed it. Until now.

As Jayden and I crash through the brush, I start to feel like something else is out here. I stop suddenly and turn to survey my surroundings. There’s nothing but darkness all around me; the pale moonlight casts crooked, creepy shadows through the trees and small animal’s eyes glow bright yellow from their hiding places for the night. The moon isn’t shining very bright and with the trees extending far over head, not much of the light makes it down to where we are on the ground.

“Is everything okay?” Jayden walks back toward me. “I was just running and realized you weren’t with me anymore. Did something happen?”

“I’m okay. Something just feels off, like there’s something out there.” I turn and point toward the thicket of trees in front of us.

“Charlie, we’re way scarier than anything you’ll find in these woods. When it comes to the food chain, we top out even above regular humans. Trust me, whatever’s over there is more afraid of us than we need to be of it. Come on, let’s get at least one more deer before we have to go back.”

Jayden starts jogging in the same direction we were heading on moments before, but I stay where I am, eyeing that thicket of trees.

I squint in the darkness and try to make out any figures that might be hiding there. Just as I’m turning to follow Jayden, I hear a voice so soft, I question whether it was even a voice at all. I take a few steps closer and c**k my head to one side, trying to listen closer.

I hear a small whisper. “Help me.”

I look around in alarm. We’re in the middle of the woods, with no people or towns or roads for at least 45 minutes in any direction. How could someone be out here this late at night?

I take a few more steps forward and scan all around the thicket of trees. The trees and brambles are so close together, I can’t even find an entrance point. I walk over the far right and see an open space in the side that leads into it. I glance over my shoulder and don’t see Jayden anywhere.

“Please help.”

I hear the voice whisper again, but this time it sounds closer. I cautiously walk over to the entrance and smell around the area. It definitely smells human, so whoever is in there wouldn’t be a threat to me. They’re probably hurt or lost.

“Help.”

I step inside and lightly walk between the tangled, clustered tree branches. The inside looks like a tunnel, with a long walkway extending from where I am all the way through the trees to the other side where I can see a swath of moonlight. Off to the right, another walkway extends off the main one. I slowly walk forward and see that both sides have separate open spaces that lead into little cavern looking areas that are almost like rooms.

I get about halfway through when I hear someone breathing. Alarmed, I glance behind me to be sure no one followed me in here. Seeing no one standing in the walkway behind me, I turn around and glance into one of the caverns on my left. I see a shadowy outline of someone lying on the ground. Their chest rises and falls slowly and I can hear their ragged breathing.

The person opens their mouth and lets out a breathy, “help.”

I crouch down next to them. “Are you okay?”

Startled, the person pulls away from me and sits huddle in the center of the cavern.

“It’s okay. I’m here to help. I won’t hurt you.” I reach out one of my hands. “I’ll get you out of here.”

The person scoots a little closer to me and small rays of moonlight reflect off their wild amber eyes. “It’s not safe. You have to go.”

“What?” I move closer to them and offer my hand again. “I’ll help you.”

“No. Leave. It’s not safe for you.” The person glances wildly around the cavern and sits up taller to see over me. “She’ll be back soon. You have to go.”

“Who will be back? Is someone making you stay here?”

“Go. She’s looking for you. Go.” The person gets up and pushes me back into the main walkway. “I’m sorry. You’re not safe here.”

I stand slowly and glance up and down the walkway. “Who’s looking for me?”

“I can’t say. Just trust me.” The person’s amber eyes light up in alarm and a couple twigs snap off to our right. “She’s back. You have to go right now.”

More twigs snap and I hear a low growling coming from the entrance I came in. I turn my head, but don’t see anything. The person gives me a hard shove to the left and pushes me toward the other opening.

“Run, Charlie.”

I take off running through the thicket and duck my head so as not to get tangled in the low hanging branches. I make it out of the trees and into open area of the forest. I head in the direction Jayden was going and don’t stop running no matter how tired my legs start to feel.

I hear screams behind me and someone yelling for help, and the sound fills me with so much terror, I run even faster away from the thicket. My feet pound into the Earth with each step I take, sending mud and dead leaves flying up behind me.

I push my legs to go faster and faster until I reach the clearing where our trucks are parked. I look around wildly, hoping at least one of my pack members is here already. I don’t see anyone and suddenly feel completely alone and vulnerable.

Behind me, I hear howling that sends a chill down my spine. Kris.

I instantly recognize the voice and all the blood drains from my face as I realize what I’ve just stumbled into.

The realization makes me sick and suddenly my legs feel so much like jelly that I collapse on the muddy ground behind Jonathan’s truck.

The howl reverberates through the air, bouncing from tree to tree.

And she’s my only thought as terror fills my mind and body.

Reviews

[M. A.]

You have a very good story here, I was kept engaged during my reading with good characterization in the first chapter, an increase in conflict in the second, and finally with some very vivid descriptions and emotions in this chapter. Keep it up.

[wordman]

loved it,getting very good