Wolf

Part 40: Russell & Troy

As Russell's boat glided through the still waters of the swamp, his mind wandered through the tangled maze of his thoughts. Lost in contemplation, he scarcely noticed the silhouette of a figure perched on the edge of a small fishing boat ahead.

Drawing nearer, Russell recognized the familiar form of Troy Baker, a face from his past that he had hoped to leave behind. There had always been tension between them, a simmering rivalry that had festered beneath the surface since their school days. As Russell approached, he could feel the weight of their shared history hanging heavy in the air.

"Russell Hood," Troy called out, his voice cutting through the night air like a knife. "Fancy seein' you out here."

Russell offered a terse nod in response, his gaze fixed on the other man's handsome face with a mixture of wariness and apprehension. There was something about Troy's presence that set him on edge, a sense of unease that prickled at the back of his neck.

"What brings you out here, Troy?" Russell asked, his tone guarded.

Troy shrugged nonchalantly, a sly grin playing at the corners of his lips. "Just thought I'd try my luck at night fishing. What about you?"

Russell hesitated, unsure how much to reveal to his former classmate. "Sketchin' the full moon," he admitted, his voice barely above a whisper.

Troy's grin widened, a glint of mischief dancing in his eyes. "Alone, huh? That's not like you, Russ. You always struck me as the sociable type."

Russell felt a surge of irritation rising within him, the familiar sting of Troy's taunts cutting deep. "I've changed," he replied curtly, his jaw clenched with barely suppressed anger.

Troy's laughter echoed through the stillness of the swamp, a harsh sound that grated on Russell's nerves. "Changed? More like hidin', if you ask me. Running away from who you really are."

The words struck a nerve, igniting a firestorm of emotions within Russell's chest. Without warning, a low growl rumbled through the darkness, drawing their attention to the shadows that lurked at the water's edge.

Troy's laughter faltered, replaced by a look of genuine fear in his eyes that widened into terror. "What the hell is that?"

Before Russell could respond, a massive shape lunged from the darkness, a snarling beast with fangs bared and eyes ablaze with feral hunger. With a savage roar, the creature descended upon Troy, its claws tearing through flesh and bone with brutal efficiency.

Russell watched in horror as his former rival was dragged through the murky waters, the sounds of his screams fading into the night. Frozen in place, Russell could only stare as the creature disappeared into the darkness, leaving behind a trail of blood and carnage in its wake.

In the aftermath of the attack, Russell was left alone in the darkness, his heart pounding in his chest as he grappled with the horror of what he had witnessed. And as he stared out into the empty expanse of the swamp, he knew that he could never escape the nightmares that lurked in its depths, haunting him with the specter of death and the knowledge that he had come face to face with a terror beyond imagining.