I lay in wait as the forest shook with the noises of a wolf pack. My bow notched with an arrow fully intending to take out one of these obnoxious beasts if only to show the others that I could. Hidden in the delightful crevice the branches of a fallen tree made I held my breath listening. They might scent me but I had been very careful, covering the tracks I'd made from the village here and using my small frame to my advantage by climbing the trees like Tarzan. Except I wasn't swinging from vines I was jumping from limb to limb. But no time to think of that now. I couldn't afford the distraction, there were people in the village that I needed to protect from these monstrous beasts. They came like they always did flitting through the dense undergrowth of the forest like wraiths. But they weren't silent. No, in fact at this very moment their howls sent chills down my spine as I waited for them. They were haunting and yet almost lyrical enough to soothe, but I knew better. I knew what came after the howls. The beasts that followed were large with massive jaws that could grip and hold tender human flesh long enough to drag away their sacrifice. Before they tore into their prize the beasts liked to taunt the rest of the village with what could be, who could be next. They showed their faces once a month always on a different night so that we were caught off guard. They only ever took one, sometimes male. However, it seemed that these beasts had a taste for female meat. They generally took a young female, they seemed to like the ones between the ages of 12 and 21. But tonight, oh tonight I was biting back. My parents would kill me if they knew I was here and not in the village safe with the other girls. Every month they tried to hide the girls from the beasts, sometimes they caught us by surprise managing to catch their unwitting victim before they made it to the guarded town hall.
"Not tonight beasts. It's your turn to be picked off one by one." I whispered keeping my bow raised to my cheek as the chilling lyrical howls neared. They were close, so close. The ground beneath me shook and I knew that they were almost in position. I stopped breathing as the first wolf, white and ghostly, ran by. I let him go knowing that wasn't the wolf I wanted and the rest were close. I waited while the rest of the pack moved over the uneven ground with practiced ease. They were steady for they knew their path well, having trekked the same journey for a long time. The last wolf, midnight black with dark grey speckling in spots and massive, was moving slower than the rest scenting the air and I instinctively knew that he was the one I wanted. I drew back the arrow and watched not breathing, except to take one deep breath in. Then I marked my target and let it go just as he was slipping between the two trees in front of me. My arrow hit a little higher than I wanted sinking into his shoulder instead of his heart, and the growl that tore from his throat made me pause. He stopped moving and I swore that he looked straight at me even though I knew that was impossible given that I had sufficiently hidden downwind of the wolves. I shrunk back in the shadows of the tree not making any noise and held my breath praying I wouldn't have to run. Instead of coming towards me the wolf loosed another rumble and turned his massive jaws ripping out and breaking the arrow in his shoulder with ease. He dropped it on the ground and speared me with a look before joining the rest of his pack. I breathed easy once he was gone lifting the hood of my cloak over my head and climbing out of my hiding spot. I easily climbed the nearest tree after looping my bow over my shoulder. Once high enough I sat waiting, listening for the wolves. Instead, I heard pleas and screams of a young girl. My heart clenched as I waited trying to see where they would go. The wolves came back and in a better vantage point, I could see that they were dragging a girl with light brown hair and a familiar cornflower blue cloak. Trina. The girl was only 14 barely a woman. I thought about notching another arrow but then the black wolf showed behind the pack trailing them again. Making sure that no one came for Trina. He was limping lightly, his left shoulder injured from the arrow. I smirked at the sight despite the heart-wrenching cries from Trina's lips. Hopping into the next tree I let them move away wanting to follow and save Trina but knowing that there were probably more waiting for them at their lair. I continued to jump from tree to tree like a flying squirrel until I was nearer the village. Then I climbed down and went to join the chaos that was the town. Families were trying to find their girls hoping and praying that their's was not the one who's screaming they'd heard. I slipped into the fray looking for my own family.
"Cheyenne!" I turned my head towards my sister stumbling through the crowd towards me.
"Jo..." I breathed moving towards her and grasping her hand so that she wouldn't be swallowed in the crowd. Once closer I hugged her small frame close to me. "Where's mother and papa?" I asked her searching for them around people's heads.
"I don't know, they just let us out of the town hall and it's been chaos. I don't even know who the beasts took yet." She admitted her tight squeeze around my waist letting me know she was glad it wasn't me. My own chest tightened as I remembered that she'd just turned 12 last month and this was the first time she'd needed to be protected from the beasts. I was about to tell her it was Trina that they'd taken but then the sound of a mother's anguished cry rang out. I just hugged my sister tighter thankful it wasn't her. It hurt me to choose between my friends and my sister but I would always protect her first. She couldn't be the wolves' next victim. Out of the crowd, mother and Papa came rushing forwards
"Oh thank God!" My mother cried taking in the site of us together and safe. I let go of Josephine letting my mother grip her in a tight hug. I gripped my Papa in a quick hug letting him go with a small nod that I was okay. My mother scanned Jo and then I taking in my hunting bow. "Please tell me you stayed in the town hall during this." She moaned eyeing my bow and quiver. I shot Jo a look saying with my eyes what I couldn't communicate out loud to my parents.
"Yes, mother I was there. I went for target practice before but upon hearing the wolves I ran as quickly as I could to the hall." I lied knowing the truth would only hurt her more.
"I don't think that you should go out anymore into the woods for target practice." She shot a worried glance at Papa, who touched her arm in comfort.
"Mother, I think it's better if I know how to defend myself just in case..." I trailed off not finishing my thought. She knew what I meant and looked away at Josephine, her lips thinning into a stern line. I knew she wouldn't argue the point any further though because we'd had this argument and I won. I would fight if the wolves tried to take me.
"Let's go home." She said instead and we did passing the mourning mother of Trina. I stopped watching her with sad eyes. Taking a deep breath I went up to the grieving mother and crouched beside where she was kneeling on the pavement, broken and hurting.
"She's a fighter. She'll come out on top or go down taking wolves with her." I soothed knowing that nothing I said in condolence would help. She nodded at me a hope shining in her teary eyes. Smiling softly I stood up and rejoined my family walking to our small home. At the front door, mother gasped looking at the stoop. I looked down seeing my broken arrow pieces neatly laid there. A gift from the wolf I'd shot. He was trying to communicate something but I had no idea what yet. I swiftly bent and picked up the arrow pieces.
"I lost this a week ago." I smoothly lied. "Someone must've picked it up just before the wolf attack." I gazed between my parents seeing the concern glazing their eyes. However, they didn't question my answer and we went into the house. Josephine on the other hand, gave me a questionable look and I ushered her into our shared room so that she didn't say anything to our parents.
"You weren't there with the other girls and me." she whispered from her position on the bed as soon as I shut the door.
"I know. I was in the forest for target practice and couldn't make it back in time. I managed to find a hiding spot in the woods as the wolves ran by." I told her a half-truth, because she could only know so much.
"what about the arrow?"
"It broke and someone brought it to me, probably knowing it was mine." I maintained that lie despite knowing she probably didn't believe me. I had to protect her from the truth. The truth was that the wolf brought it to me which meant that he was showing me that I was next. I would be the next girl to go to the wolves. And I needed to be ready for that moment. "It's late now let's get some sleep, morning will be here before you know it." I cajoled starting to ready myself for bed and sighing in relief when she followed suit.
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Hey, Y'all I had a new idea and needed to see if there was any interest in a new (old) take on werewolf style stories. So please let me know if you like it and as always please comment!
ESTÁS LEYENDO
Beast
Hombres Lobo"Who are you?" I asked seated in my defensive position. "Nathaniel Livingston at your service m'lady." He sketched a bow almost mockingly. "Well I suppose I should thank you for saving me from the wolves, though I haven't the faintest idea how y...
