Halloween Vault Contest 2018

The Walk Home

 The frigid wind brought goosebumps to Elena's skin, her ladybug costume had no protection from the cold for her legs except black nylons.

She shivered, "Rose?"

"Yeah?"

"Let's go home. I'm freezing. Besides, you know the next few houses won't give candy to sixteen year olds."

"I suppose you're right." Rose shrugged, and they headed home as the moon rose looking like a celestial fruit with a nibble out of it, hanging in the branches of the diamond foliaged night sky.

She texted Seth. He hadn't texted her all day.

Hey handsome, whatcha doing?

He didn't reply.

She sighed and smiled shaking her head. He went to bed so early it was kind of adorable. Elena said goodbye to Rose before walking down the street slowly. The trees chattered softly, their leaves whispering in the wind.

A low growl.

She jerked her head around and her chocolate colored hair fell in her eyes. By the time she pulled it back...

Nothing.

She frowned worriedly and hesitantly kept walking, picking up her pace.

Paws on the ground.

She turned -- her cloud gray eyes went wide.

She screamed and began to run.

The creature howled and snatched her by the back of her dress with it's lethal jaws. It was as human as it was wolf.

Werewolf.

But it wasn't a full moon! Yesterday was the full moon! She squirmed trying to escape his grip still screaming. A paw-like hand clasped over her mouth silencing her cries.

All she could hear was her frantic heart, her frantic breaths.

He released her dress from his jaws, still pressing her close to its mutant body. She writhed, trying to escape, but his grip was firm...somehow familiar...

"Elena...It's...me..."

Her breath caught in her chest as the hand moved from her mouth.

"Seth?"