TT: Hoof it 4

From Create Your Own Story

No time to lose! Gotta get back to town before dark!

Your oil's getting low, so you put out your lamp, making sure you have matches to light it again should you need. Taking a deep breath, you exit the castle. You start down the path at a steady jog. You're racing the sun, and you know it. The downhill nature of your journey helps, too. Unfortunately, you can't keep that pace up the whole way. You're starting to gasp for breath, and you slow to a walk. It's getting dark, and the forest seems somehow wilder. You can't tell how far you've gone.

When you've caught your breath, you run again, but soon it's gotten too dark for that. Fortunately, the full moon gives enough light to make out the trail. That doesn't reassure you at all. Neither does that howl. You try to tell yourself that it's just a wild animal, but you're a little worried. What if it's not just an animal? You finger your weapons, hoping you don't have to use them. Another howl, and this one's closer.

You stop and load your revolver by the light of the full moon. You're shaking a bit, so it takes longer than you had hoped. When nothing untoward happens, you light your lamp, too. What it reveals is not encouraging. Two huge, yellow eyes stare at you from a dark patch in the forest. You put down your lamp. The eyes step out from the brush, and you get a full view of the creature. It stands on two furry legs, and has a snout baring the sharpest teeth you've ever seen. Werewolf you think.

It crouches to spring. You fire one shot. The bullet hits, and the creature flinches. It growls, crouches, and goes blurry for a moment. When it come into focus again, it's changed shape. The werewolf is quadrupedal now, and resembles a giant wolf.

You chamber another shot and take aim. The werewolf begins to circle around you. You fire again, hitting the wolf in the side. It springs at you, but its leap falls short. The werewolf struggles to its feet again and limps toward you. You fire again into its head, and the creature falls over, dead.

Its outline shimmers, and the giant wolf turns into a man. Holding your gun in front of you, you walk over to the body. He's definitely dead, and you don't recognize him.

Another howl sounds in the woods. You have only two shots left. It may not be enough to deal with another werewolf. You pick up your light and leave the scene.

To be continued.