#just coyotes and leaves in the wind and small creatures walking the woods at night

[ulquiorrapleasecallmetrash]

In the woods ( Werewolf! Coyote Starrk x little Red! Reader)

I have never watched that movie before. Is it really that good? I might just have to watch it if it is.Thank You for the compliment! Warms my heart when people say that! 💖💖💖  This one is gonna be a looong one I got carried away..oops. 

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In the woods (Coyote Starrk x Reader)

You were different from everyone else, you had friends but no one really understood you. Or at least, not like your Grandma. You parents loved you of course,  but they thought you  were  a little bit too eccentric and you could tell  that they were bothered by it. It frustrated you beyond belief, all you wanted was some one else to  empathise with you. 

You felt lonely. And to be friends with one person who understands you inside and out would mean the world to you. "(y/n),  are you still planning on going to Grandma's house?" Your mother asked you once you entered the kitchen. " Yes I am. " You said, about to leave the house. "Take this to your Grandma and wear a jacket it is cold outside." Your mom persisted, handing you a basket and your red jacket with the red hood. "Thanks, Mom." You took your jacket, putting it on and sliding the red hood on your head, grabbing  the basket from her hands. "Be careful and stay safe! Tell Grandma I said Hello!" You simply waved at her, leaving your house at once. The woods in your backyard eventually led to a huge field where your Grandma lived. You always loved going there when you were feeling down, It was peaceful and it was mainly isolated from everyone else which you enjoyed. Still in your thoughts, you noticed something from the corner of your eye, it looked to be a small, blonde wolf, whimpering in pain. Your mom had warned you about the wolves that lived back here and to be very careful not to confront them. You sensed something was  wrong, like she was injured and it worried you.  Besides, she was  just a pup, what could go wrong? "Hello, are you okay? " You asked in the kindest way. The little pup still whined, louder now that you were closer to her. You crouched down, taking  your hand out. You could tell that one of her legs was wrapped around thick thorns, causing it to  tear into her flesh. The wolf carefully sniffed your hand, she didn't look aggressive so you took it as an invitation to help her. Gently, you unraveled the thorns around her, throwing them to the side and away from the both of you. The wolf still whined from the gashes and the blood profusely bleeding from them, it was a tragic sight to see. You panicked but remembered that your mom gave you a portable first aid kit, you swiftly took  out the peroxide, gauze and cotton balls. You dipped the cotton into the  peroxide and dabbed it on the wounds which  gently removed and lessoned the bleeding. Finally, you wrapped the gauze around the small wolf's leg. The pup's whimpers slowly died but her tail wagging grew, she was now feeling better. "I hope that helped. You be careful now." You smiled at her, putting your stuff back. You stood up, placing your first aid kit back into your pocket, but before you left, you took out two of the sandwiches from your basket, " You want some? My grandma wont mind she is the nicest lady. " You unwrapped two ham sandwiches, slowly placing them on the ground for her to take if need. "Goodbye. " You waved at her, taking your leave. 

Unbeknown to you, just several feet away, someone else was watching.

  Your Grandma had smiled at you,  happy that you travel safe and sound. "(y/n) dear it has been a while. Come sit by the fire." She cheerfully greeted you, leading you into the living room.  " Thanks, Grandma. Here is your basket, I hope you don't mind it I got a little hungry and ate some sandwiches on the way here. "   Your grandmother shook her head, chuckling at you, "It is never a bother." Your grandma sat across from you. You both began to talk about everything, about your life, school and friends. You often told her about how different and lonely it was to live on the other side of the woods and how you wished to be here instead. Your Grandma gave you a sympathetic look, placing your hand into hers. "I know it is difficult but you will always have me even after I'm gone." You knew she cared about you so much and she always knew how to comfort you in the best way possible. "Grandma, may we call Mom and ask her if I can stay over for the weekend? I still have some overnight clothes from the last time I stayed here." " Of course, I will give her a call right away. "  She stood, walking into the kitchen. You stared out of the window right next to you, watching the sun set over the horizon. Your eyes flickered to the edge of the woods, you turned your head to notice two blue eyes staring at you.  It was another wolf, except it was brown and bigger than the small blonde one  you helped earlier today.  He was  mesmerizing, and you wondered if he was with the blonde one. He looked liked he wanted to speak to you, his eyes looked almost human. "(y/n)." You heard your Grandma, interrupting the starring contest you and the brown wolf had. You looked back at her.  "(y/n),  What are  you looking at?" She looked out the window, generally curious. "I  seen a wolf." You replied,  still  captivated by the magnificent animal. "What wonderful creatures, wolves are." You looked up at her in interest, "Have you seen them before?" Suddenly you wanted to know every detail about these mysterious wolves. " Of course, when I was a little girl, they were every where but due to fear, people gathered and purged most of the wolves that lived here. It is a shame really. Now, I never see them but knowing that you have seen them gives me hope. I long to see one again. "  Something in your heart ached, the thought of the two wolves being the only ones alive and living in the woods must be lonesome. You then admitted to Grandma about the wolf pup you saved earlier today and that you gave two of the sandwiches to her. She was accepting and delighted that you did.

Later that night, you watched the full moon glow in the night, still thinking about the wolves and both your encounters with them.  You wondered, were they really  the only two in these woods? If so, the thought had crushed you. You knew exactly what it was like to feel lonely. You wanted to go back and look for them,  but you knew that it wouldn't be safe, they were capable of killing you.  You sighed, getting up from your bed, there was no way you  could sleep after the events of today. If you couldn't go into the woods then  you could  at least stare at the moon in its most beautiful state. You got out of bed, quietly moving through the house and onto the front porch, sitting on the  front step, listening to the frogs croak and crickets chirp in harmony.  You sighed with pure content, closing your eyes to take it all in.   Crack. Your eyes opened instantly,  looking around the front yard. You got up from the front step of the porch step. Crack. It sounded like a snap of a twig. Your eyes moved  over to the edge of the woods then, seconds later you two sets of eyes glowed in the dark woods. Your eyes widened, it was the wolves from ealier. Your guess was proven true when both of the  wolves stepped out from  the edge of the forest, their eyes shined in the moon light. The blond wolf wagged her tail, happily walking up to you. You noticed that the gauze was still on her foot but that didn't stop her from greeting you. The smaller wolf licked your hand, her tail never stopped wagging with delight.   You looked over at the brown one, he looked guarded, but you understood why. He slowly growled, which caused the smaller one to look up, staring at him. You heard a few more whimpers and growls from both of the wolves.

The little one slumped, whimpering as they both headed back into the woods. Something in you snapped, remembering what your Grandma had said to you. "Wait! Please don't leave.... I'm sorry...about your family and friends  that lived in these woods..." You tried not to cry, you were heart broken and guilt ridden.y

  How could humans do such a horrible thing? 

" I know it must be lonely.... Having no one else there beside you."   You could see the brown wolf's ears perk at that word.  It was like he understood you. "I promise I won't let anyone harm you both." You insisted, taking a few steps towards the brown wolf.  He tilted his head, confused by your movements. Now, you were less than a foot away from him. "May I pet you?" You stuck your hand out, offering him to sniff you. He hesitantly leaned in, sniffing your hand, after a few moments he leaned into your touch. You gently stroked his cheek, you could have sworn you seen him closed his eyes enjoying your gentle touch. Suddenly, a gush of wind blew around you both, causing your eyes to closed, then once you opened them again, you spotted the same blue eyes from before except human. He was tall, long brown hair and skinny, he wore a brown shirt and black pants,  he  stared at you, it  was rather intense but in a different way. You still had you hand on his cheek, he looked content and comfortable.  "Thank you, that would appreciate me and Lilynette greatly."  Then like a ghost in the night they both dissapeared. You were frozen, you couldn't believe  what had just happen. "(y/n)? Are you okay? What's wrong?" You heard your Grandma from the porch,  she was concerned. You finally snapped out of it,  " Y-yeah... I thought I seen the wolves again... " "Even so, you can't go out her  all on your own so irrationally. Just be careful next time." She scolded you but was relieved that you were okay.  You nodded, "I understand." She nodded, " Good, now how about some hot tea then back to bed? " She went back into the house with you following behind. Before you entered, you have one last glance at the entry of the woods, still astonished about what had happened. Months had passed since you met the wolves for the first time, you had often wondered about them especially since they can actually change into humans. What were they?  If they weren't entirely  wolves then they had to be something else.  You remembered that one of visits your Grandma told you legends and folklore of werewolves. People that can turn into wolves. If that is the truth  like that mean that they were both werewolves?  You wanted to know more about them and you were determined to. You spent more of your time in the woods from then on hoping you come across them.   "Starrk there she is! The nice lady that healed me!" You turned, noticing the blonde hair from before. She stood right in front of you, smiling. "Hello it's nice to meet you again! I am Lilynette! " "It's nice to meet you. My name is (y/n)." You gave her a genuine smile. Moments later a figure stood from behind the tree. "Lilynette, I told you not to go looking for trouble. " He slowly made his way towards you too. The girl rolled her eyes, "Shut up! You never let me have fun! She is the nicest human." The man didn't seemed too phased by th girl's yelling. He simply stared at you, now he was only a few feet away. He look like he was contemplating on something, but what exactly?   " It's you... From before. " You stated, astonished that he was actually real. He nodded, his hands in his pockets, "What's your name?" You blushed but you couldn't help it. He was very attractive. "I'm (y/n)." His eyes never left yours, a hint of interested showed in his handsome features. "I see." He simply said. " His name is Starrk. " The girl said for him. "He isn't much of a talker but he is a nice guy." Starrk ignored his friend, still giving you a questioning glare. "You're the girl with the  red hood, always walking around here. What are you doing out here, alone?" You blushed deeper, how exactly were you supposed to tell him?  "I wanted to know more about you." You admitted to him.  It was silent for a bit but you could tell that he had some interest in you as well. "Funny, I can say the same to you too." You begin to tell him about your Grandma and how you would often visit her her to escape the lonliness from the other side of the woods. After hearing your story, his eyes showed a look of sympathy. He understood what it was like to be isolated and to not belong somewhere.  He was aware that there were many humans just like her but what made her so different? "That's unfortunate, I always thought humans were such social creatures. Being able to live together, must feel horrible to feel like this, even when living together with other humans. "  You looked down, you felt horrible about everything but you answered him. "Yes.. But there's Grandma. She helps with it all." He nodded, taking a step a closer to you. "Yes, it must be nice to find someone that can help ease  the loneliness. "  You smiled at him, "Yes and if you don't mind, I would like to help." You seen a hint of something in his eyes, hope? Or was it happiness? Starrk looked over at Lilynette who visibly pleaded him to say yes. Then, he  nodded, you could see a curve of a smile form on his face.  "Yes, you may." He  now stood right in front of you.  You gently took his hand, grinning at him. For once you didn't feel so lonely after all. And neither did he.

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Requests are Open!

[it-never-lasts]

Able X Reader: It Never Lasts

Chapter 2

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The wind blew over the green pasture; ruffling the blades of grass as a flock of sheep continues to eat them. A little lamb swallows the grass he had in his mouth and walks over to the waters of the river. Once he arrived, he was met with a man sitting on a log. The man turned to the lamb and proceeded to stroke his soft head. He smiled and turned back towards the lake.

The sun was beginning to set. Able couldn't help but watch the colors of the sky reflect off the frigid waters. For the past three centuries, Able has been living here in Texas, taking care of the flock of sheep he found. When he found them, they were being attacked by two hungry coyotes. He managed to save those who were left and keep them protected from anyone who wishes to cause them harm again.

The lamb snuggled up next to him but was soon pushed away by a pig's snout. On Able's other side, there was a pig who was already snuggled up next to him and became angry as he sees a sheep trying to take away his napping spot.

The Sumerian chuckled and pet the pig. "Stop being so jealous, Pig. He just wishes to be next to me as well." Pig oinked at the lamb aggressively and proceeded to lay his head on his Master's lap. The lamb became startled and ran back to his mother. Able frowned and looked back at Pig. "Look what you did, Pig. You scared him. You have to stop being so aggressive to the young ones or else the father will come back for you again. And this time I will not be there to protect you." Pig ignored him and continued to lay his head on his lap, oinking happily. Able sighed and shook his head. He picked him up until they were eye to eye level. "When will you learn to behave?" Pig oinked once again and licked his master's nose. Able laughed and put him down.

The sun has set completely, causing Able to stand up and walk back towards his flock. Pig hurried behind him.

"Another day, another night." He said to himself as he headed towards the entrance of his cave.

Once there, he grabbed a few sticks and twigs that were collected earlier and threw them in the fire pit. He took out a dagger and grabbed a rock to begin the fire. After it was made, Able sat down and stared at the fire dancing around the burning ember. As he stared he couldn't help but think back on his past. He couldn't help but think about everything that happened to him.

Everyone he knew was gone. His only brother betrayed him. He was cursed and forced to live for eternity. For days on end, he felt nothing but loneliness. He had no one to talk to- well sort of. If you would count having self conversations with a pig and act like they were talking to you directly, then he did have someone to talk to. But other than that, he sort of wished he had someone to directly talk with. But there was no one who could. There was no one like him (Except for one but, he prefers to stay away from him).

Able knew for a fact that no one knew how to talk like him, so communication was futile. People can only be alone for so long. This just wasn't right.

His thoughts were interrupted by the lick on his right cheek made by his small, pink, companion. "Pig!" He tried to push him off but he continued to lick him. "Come on! That is enough!" he began to laugh. After struggling for a while, Able managed to lift Pig up into the air, watching as Pig's little legs swing and pattle. He smiled upon this and set him on his lap. Immediately, Pig tried to jump on him but he calmed him down by patting his head. Pig let out a snort and finally lay down to rest.

Able smiled again and began to stroke his head. "Thank you for cheering me up, dear friend." Pig snorted once again and continued to make himself comfortable.

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It was late. The stars shined brightly in the clear sky. Able stared at the bright moon in the sky. So many times he has seen it. So many times he has gotten sick of it. It's always the same thing. The moon is full, it shrinks to nothing, and then it fills to make the moon full again. The cycle will just always repeat itself. Everything just repeats itself. Morning comes, he puts the fire out, checks on the sheep, go out to get wood for a while, comes back, check the sheep again, wait till night, start the fire, keep watch for any danger, and so on and so on. The only excitement he ever gets is when a wild animal comes and he gets to chase it off. Or when he spots a human getting too close and goes out to murder them; but that's rare. Hardly any humans come this way.

Able frowned at the thought. When he first came to this land and saw the humans living here, he was excited to see other people who sort of looked like him. With their black hair and skin color, he thought that maybe they spoke his language. He confronted them to see if they did but..... Well, after figuring out that they didn't, he wasted no time in ending their lives.

Able smiled at that. Seeing others die and suffer gives him this joy that's almost unspeakable. Listening to their screams was like listening to a wonderful melody. It always brought a smile to his face.

Speaking of humans. It was strange to him that humans with white skin have begun to appear. Not as much as the other humans with darker skin, but still. His favorite part about killing the white humans, though, was the stuff they carried with them. He mostly becomes interested in the shiny, yellow rocks they carried with them. Able never saw a yellow rock before, so naturally, he became interested in them. Another thing that interested him was a contraption that carries water. It was a bit bigger than his hands and round. All he had to do was pop off the lid and fill it with water. He found it to look very useful and took it with him along with the yellow rocks; carrying them all in a well made bag that he also liked.

Though finding objects the humans carried were always very interesting, he never liked those small metal things that shoot other things at him. He was also disturbed by the loud noise it would always make. It was annoying and he hated it. Every white human he found always carried one. Besides, he almost lost an eye from finding out how it works. Luckily he dropped it on time and it shot at the sky. He didn't dare touch one of those again.

He didn't really worry about them, though. Like said before, hardly any humans come here.

Able sighs and brings his knees up to his chest. He rests his head on them and stares at the ground. He was tired. He didn't know why he was tired, he just was. Maybe it was the repeating cycle. Maby it's the constant thought of never fully dying. Or maybe it's the fact that he's hasn't fully slept since coming here. He found out that he didn't need sleep and used it as an advantage for protecting the sheep, but it still feels good and relaxing to sleep. He'll take a small nap occasionally in the mornings, but nothing more.

After a while of looking at the ground, he heard walking. He lifts his head to inspect the sleeping sheep to see if any of them woke up. He sprang up to his feet once he spotted a coyote in the distance. He took out a dagger and slowly crept up to the animal.

The coyote took small steps towards the Sumerian while emerging a deep growl from its throat. This confused Able since they usually pounce at the sight of him. Then it howled, and soon, more of them came out. Able frantically looked around him to count how many there were.

How could this be? Coyotes never travel in packs. They either come alone or with one other. This was the first time he has ever seen so many at once. Soon they all began to surround Able to prevent him from escaping. He put away his dagger and took out a bigger sword instead.

"So, you have gotten smart, have you not?" He pointed his sword at the one he presumed was the leader of this whole operation. "Well, I refuse to let such filthy creatures win this fight."

Without another moment to waste, they pounced.

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It was a long and hard battle. Only a few of the coyotes died while the others escaped injured. The cowards managed to escape uninjured and leave before Able could chase them out himself. there was a lot more of them than expected. It turned out that there were more of them hiding in the shadows, waiting until Able was distracted enough to go after the sheep. It worked and it was unfortunate to see that he lost a few of his sheep.

After the battle, able ended with a scarred body full of bites and claw scratches, but it was nothing. He could hardly fell the pain. He looked up to see dawn breaking and sighed. The sheep all scattered to avoid the danger but those unfortunate were left on the ground dead or suffering from their injuries. Able realized that he would have to put them down himself and frowned.

"I suppose this is what I deserve for complaining about not having enough excitement around here." He made his sword disappear and began to make his way towards his cave. "Pig. Are you there?" He called out but heard no response. This caused him to panic. "Pig!" Just then, a snort was heard from the collection of piled up yellow rocks he had on the far end of the cave. Able sighed in relief and walked towards the yellow rocks. He peered over to see his little, pink friend sleeping. "PIG!" The boom of Able's voice startled the pig from his slumber. He looked up to his master with drowsy eyes only to see a confused face. "Have... Have you been asleep this whole time?" Pig snorted, got up, and stretch his legs before going to Able. Able sighed before kneeling and pet Pig's head; smearing the blood of his hands on his head. "I am happy you are safe, my friend." A smile tugged at his lips. "Come now. We have work to do."

Able rose from the ground and made his way towards the entrance; Pig following beside him.

Prologue | Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4

[davidedwardking]

My dog was lost for three days. What came back wasn't my dog.

As a kid, I was raised in a small fishing community on the Eastern side of Canada, surrounded by the gulf of Saint Lawrence and the Boreal Forest. The entirety of the land was close to 4000 foot square with an even smaller number of residents sprawled out over "main street", the main road running straight through our little town, and farming houses spread widely between areas of trees that were changed to domestic residential homes when agriculture stopped being profitable. In total, our community is surrounded by a vast expanse of ocean, and a seemingly endless barrage of trees that's spread over 55% of Canada's entire country. I spent most of my life hunting in those woods, so you can imagine my joy when my parents got me a "hunting dog".

Sandy was a Shetland Sheepdog, and while they were more fit to be herding and tracking sheep over grassy plains rather than rabbits and deer through dense forest, it didn't stop me from taking him with me on every excursion I possibly could. Sandy had been by my side for enough hunting trips that he'd grown accustomed to waking up just before breaking daylight, and on a few occasions helped track down small game like squirrels and rabbits through considerably large areas of forest.

Sandy wasn't my property, and wasn't treated like he "belonged" to me. Sandy was a member of the family, my best companion, and my truest friend. I think fondly back on all the times he'd sit in the front seat of the truck without being told, ready to go for a walk in whatever part of the forest I took him to. I can honestly say that there will never be a dog that will fill the void Sandy left in my life. I find that dog lovers relate to that sentiment more than others.

It was October 30th, the first day of deer hunting season. I had been talking with my family about taking Sandy, my hunting gear, and some essentials to one of the cabins my Grandfather owned in his heyday off an unmarked road a few hundred miles into the wilderness for a few days. This was met with a lot of protesting, but nothing could stop me from getting in some time looking for wild game in an area that wasn't already picked clean by illegal hunters earlier on in the month. Everything was packed into the old blue ford, Sandy included, and a few hours of driving later we were setting up camp in one of my Grandfather's secluded old cabins.

Here's where things got fucked up. Sandy, I'm so, so sorry.

I had spent most of the time of my life being in the wilderness. There were only a handful of times that things had gotten weird for me, but usually everything can be explained with scientific reason. That's why I brushed off Sandy's weirdness on the first few nights, chalking it up to the nervousness of a dog that's capable of hearing the far off noises of various coyotes, wolves, bears, and moose. This was untouched territory, of course. There had been plenty of time for wildlife to set up camp here, too.

The first night was fairly normal. I had set up Sandy's bed in the corner of the living room, next to the T.V. that looked like it came out of the early 90's. I figured I'd give Sandy the option to have someplace to lay down for a while, despite the fact that he slept curled up with me nine times out of ten. Close to 10 at night, Sandy looked straight at the wooden door and whined. I figured he needed to piss, and opened the door to let him out, not worried about having my best friend stray too far from me. Instead he sat just inside the door, looking out at the forests edge beyond the path. I too stood and looked for a few minutes before deciding he had just heard an errant critter close to the cabin. The rest of the night was fairly normal, and Sandy slept with me fine.

The second night, I chalked the weirdness up to Sandy's stress. Earlier in the day, we had been walking a few miles through the woods beyond the house, and I thought I heard the sound of twigs cracking under something heavy. I hoped it wasn't a moose, because my shotgun wouldn't have stood a chance, but something changed in Sandy that I didn't pay close attention to at the time. He hunched himself on his hind legs, his front pressed close to the ground. His mouth pulled up over his teeth, and he growled towards nothingness. I figured we'd try hunting again later, if whatever it was had left and should he be feeling up to it, but once we were inside he didn't want to move. Even when I tried to get him to go outside and do his business, he sat at the door and cried, wailing at me to let me know he didn't want to go out there. I didn't pressure him. If he pissed on the floor, so be it. Sandy never acted up before. I could excuse an accident or two, if he really didn't want to be out there. It must've been a bear, I thought, before locking the door and calling it a night.

The third night is where things went to hell, /nosleep/, and I still don't fully understand what happened.

Sandy didn't eat all day. I managed to shoot a rabbit in the early morning, when Sandy decided he didn't want to be outside any longer than he had to, and retired inside for the day. I cooked it up, threw a little gravy on it, and gave it to my dog. I didn't do this all the time, but I figured now was a special occasion, and maybe a treat would put him in a better mood for another walk the next day.

Sandy didn't touch it. He didn't so much as sniff it. Instead, he sat at my side on the couch, watching the doorway intently. I tucked him under one of my arms, and he laid his head on my lap, eyes still locked on that door. Close to three hours of watching grainy VHS tapes on an outdated television set, Sandy started crying, hugging himself close to my body. This is where my judgement took me down the wrong path for the first time of many.

It must sound silly, being my dogs protector rather than my dog being mine, but this was my family. I figured if there was something out there that was scaring Sandy so bad, then it was my job to do something about it. I loaded my 4.10, opened the door, stood in the doorway and waited.

I must've waited at least a half hour, staring into nothing. There was barely any sound, save for the faint buzz of insects and leaves rustling in the cold autumn wind. Moose aren't elegant creatures, and if it were a moose, I would've heard it coming. Around the 40 minute mark, Sandy took off like a shot, into the darkness of the trees beyond the path, barking wildly. I started to get worried, despite my knowledge that my dog isn't entirely helpless in the wilderness. There were still bigger animals that would've liked to take a bite out of him if there wasn't a lot of food for the winter.

I heard Sandy's bark fade away in the distance, and then stop altogether.

I waited hours standing in the doorway with my shotgun cocked and ready to put down whatever it was that was waiting in the woods. I waited hours for Sandy to come back to the house. I waited until the sun was cracking through the trees, and then I waited until that night, sitting on my porch step, feigning off sleep deprivation to see my dog come back.

Sandy did come back, but not for another three days.

Fog had rolled in at that point, and it was getting darker, the night painting the sky a navy blue. Tracking over the last few days proved futile, and I started to get worried that I'd need to leave and find more provisions to last me the next few nights. I couldn't leave Sandy up there, lost in the woods, cold and probably hungry. The thought that he might be waiting out there for me to find him and bring him back home was distressing enough. I was packing the bag that hung on the coat rack next to the door with what I'd need for the next day's trip. I figured tomorrow would be the last day before I'd go into town and see if my Father would help me find Sandy. He was a retired, graying man, but I was sure if I brought up Sandy's name he'd be more than willing to help me search for him. Thankfully, Sandy came back before I'd even finished that train of thought.

I saw him from the window, on the path that lead down to the main road, a few dozen feet away from the house. Normally I'd hear him scamper to the doorway and paw at the door a few times, eager to come in, but this was different. I could see the reflection of his eyes as green pearls in the murky fog that had swamped the house. For a moment I thought it might be an animal, but the outline of his body in the wisps of thick low-lying clouds was unmistakable. Still, despite myself, I hesitated. There was something different about his body language. I stared out the window for a few more moments before reason overcame my gut instinct. Sandy could be hurt, I thought. Or worse.

I flung the doorway open, but he didn't come right away. Instead he stood there, watching me intently, and when he didn't move I whistled to him. "Here, Sandy," I coaxed him towards the house. "here, boy".

The way he moved was... different. It was as though his hips had been dislocated, and the angle of his paws changed direction with every step, as though he'd forgotten how to walk properly. His head was bowed to the ground, but his teeth weren't bared. He didn't seem aggressive. The only way I could describe the look he gave me was "sheepish", like he'd just gotten into something he wasn't supposed to and I yelled at him for it.

I thought he might hurt himself hopping up onto the elevated step if he'd dislocated his hips, but he did just fine. His back half swung a little, oddly enough, and his paws almost folded underneath himself, but he didn't go sprawling. He sat on the step and didn't take his look off me. It wasn't until I had moved from the doorway completely, opened the door wide and waited for him to walk in that he moved.

Straight to his bed. He didn't stop at my hand and sniff at me. He didn't wait for pets or jump up on me like used to. It was straight to his bed, where he sat and watched me for quite some time afterwards.

I returned to the movie at hand. I called to him a few times, but he didn't respond. His ears didn't so much as raise to the sound of his voice, or the pat of my hand on the worn out couch beside me. I had missed my buddy, but I wasn't about to move him physically towards me. There was something about him that said I shouldn't have let him in, but I chalked it up to silliness, and a few hours later I went to bed. The more I think back on it, I don't recall him blinking once. He sat there like a statue, and when I turned off the light, I could still see the reflection of jade green following me as I went into my room and shut the door.

I could have sworn I heard him walk in the night, the sound of nails clicking against the wooden floor coming up to the door of my room, but they were slow and deliberate. They weren't like the quickness of Sandy realizing I'd gone to bed and coming to curl up. I heard the noises stop outside of my bedroom, but I didn't hear his whine. I thought nothing of it and fell into a deep sleep.

When I woke in the morning, I figured it must've been a dream. Sandy was still sitting in the upright position I left him in when I went to bed. It was as though he didn't move a muscle the entire night, and when I said good morning, he didn't so much as wag his tail.

He did follow me into the kitchen, but he paused at the doorway when I put his bowl down on the floor and filled it up with supermarket dog food. Once again, his back half moved weirdly as he slowly made his way towards me. There was a nagging feeling that something was off putting about the way he looked that day. It was like he had gotten a little longer overnight.

Sandy hunched down again, like when he was walking to the door the night before. He didn't come into the kitchen. I figured he must've been hungry being out in the wild for so long, but he eyed me like he was waiting for me to come a little closer rather than touch the food. It goes without saying, but after a few moments of a staring contest between me and my unblinking dog, I called off that foolishness and called his name out loudly. Not even a flinch. I didn't want to move closer to my dog to leave the kitchen door, but this was my Sandy, and the most damage he'd ever done was eat flies. Sure enough, as I passed him, he turned and his body swayed unnaturally, but he didn't move towards me.

When I left that day, I couldn't find anything. The deer tracks in the mud were made a few days prior and went cold off naturally made trails through the woods. I couldn't hear bugs, or birds, or even the howl of a nearby coyote. The only sounds for miles away from the campsite were my own breathing, and the sound of crunching leaves underneath my feet. When the sun started to set, I started making my way back, but I should've just packed my shit and left.

Just behind a cluster of trees, with the house just visible beyond the rise, I figured I found out the reason why the animals had abandoned this place.

Generally, when there are mass animal deaths, that usually means that something is wrong in the area of the slaughter, and wildlife are usually smart enough to get the hell out of dodge. Even cats are bred instinctively not to like drinking from water that is close to where their food is, because if you saw a dead animal close to a stream, you'd figure the stream was tainted and find another source of water.

Hundreds of squirrels were disemboweled and strewn across the grass in an almost perfect circle. Most of them were skinned alive, but when I turned to heave up all the contents in my stomach, there were a few dozen that were inside out. I couldn't help but vomit repeatedly as I tried my best to walk around the circle of tiny organs and mashed up bodies, not just over the sight, but because the smell was ungodly. I don't know how long they'd been out there, but if I'd stumbled across this sooner, I'd have left with Sandy in tow immediately after. Gradually, the bodies stopped, and delved off into a random dead squirrel here and there. The biggest thing I managed to find, just a few feet off the unholy feeding ground, was a deer.

It looked as though something had decided to skin it alive from hide to neck, and draped some of the skin over a branch like someone was tanning the hide. I don't know how long it had been there, but it smelled like it had been dead for quite some time, despite the fact that there wasn't a single fucking fly. The head had been cut off clean just above the shoulders, and when I realized the organs had been removed, I moved from a walking pace through the forest to a jog. Thankfully the cabin wasn't too far off. I heaved one final time, wiped my mouth off on the back of my sleeve, and looked up to the house to see Sandy watching me from the window.

I tried to reason with myself, and tell myself Sandy's odd behavior could've been trauma. I know it's stupid to think of it now, but at the time, it was the only reasonable explanation I had to keep myself from going insane. The elongating body could've just been the loneliness getting to me. Sandy had realized there was something up with this place, and the second he noticed it I should've taken this warning and taken off back into town.

Once the door was shut behind me, I started packing the food and essentials back into boxes, moving quickly to try and get my things into the truck before night came. It'd be dangerous to try and maneuver my way through the trails at night, as the hills off Kelly's Mountain were steep, and in pitch darkness with my only companion being my headlights, it would've been easy to slide off a ravine and never be heard from again. I didn't want to stay one more night, but I had no choice. I had gotten back to the house just moments before the sun finally receded past the horizon, and we were bathed in a navy blue sky once again. I didn't pay attention to Sandy. He just sat at his bed and watched me pack. I figured no harm no foul, I'd throw his stuff in the truck in the morning and we'd be back in town before night the next day. Glancing at him for just a moment, it was a passing thought that he was looking a little longer today, and when I went to bed, it was a hard time getting to sleep for the next few hours.

It must've been close to 4 or 5 in the morning when I heard it.

The sound of whistling. The same whistle I used to call my dog. I broke out into a cold sweat when I realized that whoever slaughtered those squirrels, hung the skin up, left what he didn't need, could've very well broken into my house.

The door to my room didn't make a sound as I opened it slowly, thankfully. I waited a moment, listening to someone call my dog for a few more seconds before I dared poke my head out from the door frame to get a good look and whoever it was that could've hurt Sandy.

The outside door was open. All I saw was the back half of Sandy, too long and lanky, almost coiled around the back of the door. His front half was outside. Whatever it was that had impersonated my dog, it was whistling slowly, calling for Sandy.

When I could've sworn that it had hunched down to the ground again, and said "Saaaannn-deeee" in the most ungodly voice I'd ever fucking heard, I closed the door just as softly as I'd opened it.

I don't know how long I waited with my back pressed up against the door. I knew I left my gun in the bag on the coat rack. I know I didn't sleep. I waited until I saw the sun break over the horizon, and then I waited some more, until it must've been mid-day and I finally got the balls to open the door again and make a break for the truck. I wouldn't die in that place.

"Sandy" was gone, and the door was open. His food was untouched, but the fridge was open, and all the meat was gone. I didn't bother packing his stuff. I just threw my bag over my shoulder, made my way to the ford as fast as I could, and turned on the ignition. I can't describe the feeling that overcame me as I realized that I'd have to leave Sandy in this place. The thought that he could be dead was never a thought in my mind. I don't think I could cope with the knowledge that whatever I allowed in my house, whatever disemboweled those animals, could've done the same with him.

I made my way down the winding paths and roads as fast as I possibly could without veering off the cliffs. I felt like I was turning in circles down this labyrinth that would take me back to that house, but when I reached the pavement on the stretch of road back to town, I felt relief wash over me, thinking I was safe.

Just as I was pulling off onto the cement, I felt something hard hit the back windshield, sending broken glass into the passengers seat. I only got a glimpse of the deer's decapitated head catching on unbroken glass and tumbling into the back seat. I cried for most of the way home, hands clenching the steering wheel so hard my knuckles were white.

I wish I could leave this off with a positive note, /nosleep/. I wish I could tell you that I found Sandy at home, waiting for me. I wish I could tell you that was the end of it, a traumatizing experience in the woods that I'll get over with time.

Last night, I found it hard to sleep. I kept replaying the entirety of my trip to Kelly's Mountain in my head. I figured I wouldn't be sleeping for a while, and laid there, listening to the wind through my open window.

I could've sworn I heard the whistle I used to call my dog with, coming from the forests edge.

[mx-bebe31-blog]

Shunka Warakin!Shownu

Have you ever heard of a Shunka Warakin AU? I loved writing this tbh A Shunka Warakin is considered to be a mix of a coyote/hyena/wolf  but not quite either or! Those who have claimed to see it say it has a fur coat unlike any other animal they’ve seen before! It has a distinct snout and bodily structure. Enjoy!

You’re heartbroken when you go out to the field at four am to feed your beloved herd of sheep and goats. You were carrying a large bucket of water and tripped, screaming in peril at the sight laid out before you

The water splashed and soaked your cotton dress, leaving you to kneel in front of one of your sheep torn to literal,,, shreds

You’re horrified and scramble to get up and sprint back into the house. You let out the herding dog and wake up your papa to tell him what happened

You can’t look as you make your way back out to the field with another bucket of water. You continue your duties as a farm girl as the day breaks

Your papa says it’s just a coyote,,,, and you can believe that

But as the summer starts to grow into fall, more sheep start turning up dead

You’re heartbroken when you go out to the field at four am to feed your beloved herd of sheep and goats. You were carrying a large bucket of water and tripped, screaming in peril at the sight laid out before you

The water splashed and soaked your cotton dress, leaving you to kneel in front of one of your sheep torn to literal,,, shreds

You’re horrified and scramble to get up and sprint back into the house. You let out the herding dog and wake up your papa to tell him what happened

You can’t look as you make your way back out to the field with another bucket of water. You continue your duties as a farm girl as the day breaks

Your papa says it’s just a coyote,,,, and you can believe that

But as the summer starts to grow into fall, more sheep start turning up dead

You love your sheep, and beg your papa to do something

You clean out the barn and try your best to herd in every last sheep before you go to bed

But once the snow falls there seems to be at least one animal dead every other day. If you’re lucky you can find all your sheep and goats accounted for for at most, a week.

You’re sad and worn out, especially as the cold sets in

Blood is a lot more red when it’s on snow. You stare at the head of your sheep, into it’s dead eyes. You want it to stop.

You become something you never wanted to be. You had the desire to kill whatever beast was taking your sheep and your goats one by one

You were getting chickens in the spring and you wouldn’t let one of them die by the teeth of some other animal out there

It’s sprinkling outside with snow, but you march out into the few inches that have already accumulated, and sit right in front of the barn with a long gun. You have your wool sweater and your coat on, your knitted hat, gloves, and scarf. You wait.

You think you see those horrid creatures by the treeline, and they start to come closer until the wind shifts and they definitely smell your scent. Your sweat.

They retreat and you glare as you stand, readying your gun as you peer through the scope.

“Damn bastards.” You whisper in a cloud of breath as you realize they won’t come near the barn as long as they know you’re there

So you go out every night into the bitter cold, all gussied up with blankets, too, for when you finally fall asleep at around two am. The chair has frozen to the ground by now but you don’t see any blood in the snow when you wake up, so you’re fine with it

Winter is the season of the coyotes, so you press on

You press on until the night they can’t stay back anymore. They’re starving, and you know it.

You’re shivering, trying to see through the start of the blizzard that night. It’s coal black skies and the moon is high

“Come on you bastards! I’ll kill you!” You shout as you bring your gun to your shoulder. Through the cross hatch you can see the burly figure of something...but it doesn’t look like a scrawny coyote

You gasp as you take your eye off the scope and look into the distance with both eyes

It’s definitely not a coyote - and it doesn’t look like a wolf either

You’re scared as it only closes the distance between you two, suddenly deciding to run towards you in an act of desperation

Your gun jostled around as you quickly bring it back into position, trying to find it’s aim

The first bullet you shoot sounds like a bomb, but it does nothing to deter the creature as you miss

You crank the fore-end and another bullet is in place. You find your target and you know you at least hit the thing when you fire. You hear a loud squeal of pain in the frigid air as you look to see that the creature has fallen.

Did you kill it?

You’re panting from the sudden adrenaline, and you can hear the sheep startle in the barn behind you. Papa probably woke up too, but you cock the fore-end again, slowly walking forwards to see the damage you did

You know it couldn’t be dead. It looked too big to drop like that

You’re careful, ever so careful as you approach the creature lying in the snow. You hold your gun, always ready to fire as tears burn your cheeks.

You can understand the death of a handful of sheep from this thing, but you can’t forgive it if takes anymore than necessary. What you have seen was a slaughter of at least over a dozen animals

You think it’s a wolf at first. The coat it has is thicker than a coyote’s, and it’s shades of grey with blonde and brunette undertones

You can see that you definitely wounded it. It’s laying on it’s side, huffing and trying not to whine in pain

You can’t see much blood because of the thick coat, but blood does dribble down it’s snout from the nostrils

When you finally look in it’s eyes, you don’t know why, but you feel like it’s sorry. The cornea’s shine with what you can only describe as tears before it makes eye contact with you.

Your eyebrows soften as its eyes shut in pain. You wonder if you should put it out of it’s misery. You bring your gun up and aim, but as you look through the scope, its eyes open again, and you can’t do it.

“I’m sorry but that’s what you get for killing my animals. They’re more than that. I love them, and you hurt me, you...you bastard.” You mutter just as you hear the front door of your cottage squeal open.

It’s your papa,,,

“(Y/n), come on, give this up! It’s much too cold, you’ll catch your death!”

You sling your gun over your shoulder and leave in favor for your bed for one night

You sleep with a sound mind knowing that your animals won’t be hurt,,,

But the creature isn’t dead

There’s an imprint that’s lightly snowed over in the morning. There’s small droplets of blood, but it’s nothing that would suggest a kill.

“I didn’t kill it, Papa...Do you think it’s still out there?” You ask as you feed your animals

He grunts and mulls it over, sighing, “I’m sure it’s healing somewhere. Probably got a den in those woods there. Though I’ve only ever seen one. Must be a lone wolf - that’s why it’s gettin’ easy picken’s.”

“What do you mean?”

“An outcast. Can’t eat the meat that others get. Can’t go into other territory, either.”

“Should I just kill it then? Next time?”

“If you don’t, I will. Damn thing’s been giving me a run for my money.”

That creature, unbeknownst to you or anyone else,,, is actually a man named Shownu

He’s not a werewolf of any kind, nor a coyote

He knows himself to be a Shunka Warakin - something of a werewolf, that could maybe be called a cryptid

He’s something crossed...some people say it’s a cross of a wolf and a hyena, or both. Maybe a coyote and a hyena - but it isn’t one or the other.

It has a coat like no hunter’s ever seen, and his proves it. His coat is darker than most Shunka’s, and with copper undertones. He also has a distinct snout and facial structure in his Shunka form.

He can’t help his change every night. When the moon rises he barrels over into an animal world where his only instinct is to survive off of meat

He knows who you are, and he knows exactly why you sit out every night by that barn

He wishes he could meet you in person,, but there’s no one around here except you, your father, and the person that delivers feed and straw every month.

When you shot him, it hurt like hell, but he still looks upon you in good light. He understands why you would chase him off with a gun, and is grateful that you didn’t end his life while he couldn’t even beg for mercy

He was going to shift that night too,,,,, to show you that he’s human,,

But his change isn’t voluntary. He changes back into human form when the moon becomes weak, at around three thirty am.

By day he sits in his den with his only friend - a forest nymph who embodies the sun. He calls himself Minhyuk, and has a multitude of friends in this seemingly enchanted forest

Minhyuk tells him stories about you - he’s seen you many, many times

You do frequent the forest to pick plants, berries, and gather wood. Your father chops down rotting trees for firewood, too, so Shownu doesn’t know why he has yet to meet you

But the day he does,,, it’s eventful

Ever since that night you just keep watch from inside. You don’t hear any howling and you don’t see anything come from that forest edge.

You wonder in guilt if you really had killed that creature...That it just had enough energy to go back and die in the comfort of it’s own den

You feel like a killer when you think of it that way. Poor thing was probably all alone and didn’t have so much as a pack of his own to cope with

But your father is proud that you would take such an initiative to sit out in the snow just to protect your income

When the spring comes, you go to the farmer’s market about an hour out. You’re excited to pick out some new animals, especially since your father has made new coops for the chickens.

While you’re back, your father sets up the new animals while he tells you to go restock on the ingredients for the kitchen

You grab your trusty basket and mason jars and head out with a new spring in your step

It’s a field day for you in the forest. You’re picking berries, petals off of edible flowers, and certain stems of plants

You also remember your garden at home that you can’t wait to tend to

But as you head back, you suddenly realize that this is the very place where that creature once resided.

You stop and look around you, seeing the sun high in the sky and the blooming forest all around. In winter, it looked dead and bleak, but now it looks quite serene

You remember your father’s words and remember that it was probably alone in a den of it’s own somewhere

For some reason you wonder if you could find it - the den

You figure the thing abandoned it long ago, and deem it safe enough to try and find.

It takes you a while, you head deeper but it’s surprisingly well in sight when you do find something you would consider a den

It’s in the edge of a cliff you’ve seen a dozen times before, and it looks more like a bear cave than anything, but you know there’s no bears around this part of the countryside

You peek in, but it’s far too deep to see anything.

You desperately want to go inside. It looks huge! But...you’re also scared.

Scared that if you go in, you might never come out

After all,,, even if that thing did abandon it, no doubt something took it’s place

You creep away, satisfied that you found it, and start to head back the way you came.

“Waitwaitwait!” You hear a quiet, small, and human like voice

You turn your head waiting to see nothing, that it was just a squirrel or something -

But no

You squint and try to figure out if you’re hallucinating because you swear this thing in front of your face looks like a human mosquito or,,, or fairy -

You look like you’re about to scream when you finally pinpoint a face

“No! Don’t run - You’re (Y/n), right?”

You clutch your basket to your chest, “Y-Yeah! How the hell do you know?!”

Even if he is a fairy, you can still see his eyes just light up as he flutters in the air

“I’m Minhyuk” He greets, sticking out a hand.

You almost mutter under your breath “And I’m going insane”

You stick out a finger and he’s giddy as he shakes it up and down before grabbing ahold of it with both of his hands, surprisingly able to tug you a step forward with his puny body

“Come on! I’ve been wanting to introduce you to someone”

“E-Eh... ,,,, ????” You don’t know what you can do. At this point, you think you must have suffered heat stroke and went into dreamland

This…’Minhyuk’ fairy pulled you toward the cave you just had a bad feeling about

“There’s a person out here, you know. His name’s Shownu, and he’s really shy - he doesn’t have anyone but me”

You’re trying to balance your basket and keep up with Minhyuk’s surprisingly strong and fast pace

You are lead into the cave and you’re frozen, on autopilot

But you suddenly feel warmth and see fire lighting up the cave walls as you get closer

When you get into the main area, it completely blows you away

You really feel like this is something out of a storybook

An open den in a cave, a fire in the middle burning perfectly, and furniture and decor strung around

There was,,, a human - or what looked like one - sitting on a wood bench by the fire

He seemed totally caught off guard that you were here, but he only looks to the fairy who dropped your finger. Great - so he can see him too?

“Minhyuk,,,,” He mumbles, bowing his head and wrapping a hand around the nape of his neck

The man,,, Shownu? He was,,, well, he was the first man you’ve actually seen that you could consider handsome

You grew up with Papa, being homeschooled by a maiden until you were fourteen until your father could take over. The only men you see are at the market - and they’re usually Papa’s age, and very round with big hearty voices

Shownu,,, is none of that

He wears what you can assume to be a shirt made of some sort of skin and thick cloth material, with actual fabricated shorts, presumably from the market. His skin is set off by the fire and it looks beautiful. His hair is short, black, but it really suits him

“Don’t worry, Shownu! This is (Y/n), the girl from the farmhouse over yonder. The moment has finally come where you can get another friend!”

“I-I have friends. I have you and you’re other fairy friends.” He shyly tries to protest but Minhyuk twirls in a tight circle upwards while pointing a finger

“Hey, me and Wonho are nymphs! It’s Kyunnie whose a fairy!”

There’s an awkward pause as you look around the den, the question itching the back of your mind

But formalities first

“Um..Yes, I’m (Y/n). You’re..Shownu? Nice to meet you.”

You hold your basket with both hands and bow. He nods to you, unsure of what steps to take next.

“You too,,,, would you like to sit?” He offers, moving over a bit and you shyly take it, basket in lap as you stare at the goodies inside

“Want some berries?” You offer suddenly, looking at him expectantly

He’s hesitant, but takes a couple, popping them in his mouth

After introductory conversation, you stare into the fire as you think

“So..why do you live in the wild? If you need shelter, you can always come to my door. There’s not a lot of people or travelers around here, but my Papa would have to let you stay. Ahjummas in the town are really nice and could give you a room.”

You have concern and hope in your eyes, wanting to coax this man into a better living space

“Um...well...I think I’m just alright living here. I’m okay, trust me.”

“Yeah...I’m not doubting you, but it’s much more comfortable living in an actual house. A-And anyone here would be happy to help you, you could get sick out here, or be attacked by -”

Your hands coil and tighten around your baskets handle as you remember the winter. There must be coyotes, wolves, a bear or two, that thing

But Shownu’s expression doesn’t change. He only rolls his palms together as he hums

“I’m okay..” He assures

“Well...if you’ll let me I can come visit some more. I can bring you medicine if you fall ill, some real blankets, some more clothes if you like. Really, if you need anything, just come by my door. I won’t report you as long as you promise you’ll be alright here.”

Shownu looks over stoically, but his eyes tell a different story

He’s really grateful, and he realizes how angelic you really could be. Not only merciful,,, but humane and full of amity

“Okay. I promise. But be careful out here. Minhyuk is the guardian of this place, so he will always find you and bring you here safely. And...don’t come at night. It’s dangerous. Promise?”

You nod with enough force to shake your hair, “Promise, Shownu.”

You stand and bow again, “I’ve been out here long enough picking these for dinner, but market day is tomorrow. I’ll try to be home by three so I can give you some gifts. Expect me, alright?”

From then on you know Shownu as the nomad who lives in the woods

On one hand you’re blown away that such a thing as Minhyuk exists, but you become great friends with him after a while. While walking to Shownu’s hut he giddily twirls in the air as he spouts how much Shownu loves his gifts from you

Blankets, shoes, large flannel’s and shirts, and everything inbetween. Even weaponry or traps that would help him catch small game to eat. You couldn’t have him starving on you. You even started bringing well water by the pitcher (because creek water is hard to get and not as nice)

In return he gives you the perfectly cut fur from his game to trade and sell. Since Papa would question where you got the money, you put it all towards Shownu

By the time winter approaches again, Shownu’s hut is almost as cozy as your own home. You can comfortably walk in even without Minhyuk by your side. Sometimes you surprise Shownu, but he only smiles and brushes it off as he offers you a snack or a cup of water

But as winter does approach again,,, you wonder if there will be any danger like last season. You can’t believe it’s been a year since then.

“Have you ever seen anything weird in these woods, Shownu?” This must be your third time asking

“Hm...Not with my own eyes. Minhyuk likes to say there’s a werewolf, but that’s silly. I’ve seen coyotes but no wolves around here. Not even cougars or bears. Odd, isn’t it?”

You agree,,, but figure that what you saw that night must have died or ran off, with you being the only witness to it’s slightly strange anatomy and size

You visit Shownu a lot less in the winter. Especially when the snow sticks to the ground you can’t have any reason to go into the woods, or your father would know. You would leave footprints and you can’t risk Shownu’s life like that.

So you just settle for blissfully looking into the distance, hoping Minhyuk is keeping Shownu company. You hope they’re both warm out there

You worry when there’s a particularly horrible blizzard, but you have to go to sleep nevertheless

But something greets you that morning that nearly makes you upchunk your dinner from last night

“Papa, it’s not dead.” You say when he comes out to your frantic calls. He has a gun in his hand but he only sighs down at the blood

“Honey you need to let that go. They’re animals. Coyotes are mangey scavengers that only want meat. I’ll clean this up, you finish working.”

You’re frustrated all over again, but you can’t sit out there with a gun again. Pops wouldn’t let it happen.

So that night, you don’t care what the hell happens, you put on your boots and your coat and you take off into the woods with a gun for protection

You want to see Shownu and ask if he heard any coyotes or saw something at the treeline. You also,,, just want to sit in Shownu’s den and have him comfort you while you’re dealing with this frustration

The wind howls as it’s snowing - you forgot your hat and your mittens, and you don’t have anything under your coat but flimsy sleepwear

Underneath the snow are branches and dead thickets - you trip over one trying to get through the inches and inches of snow

You scream when your gun goes off, your body shaken as the noise vibrates through your bones

You whimper and cry out as the gun recoils out of your hand, landing near your head as your face is in the snow

It’s so cold it burns but you can’t move because you’re in shock. Did you shoot yourself anywhere?! You’re freezing and you can’t tell anymore, so you lay there until you can hear again

You feel like your name is called amongst the ringing in your ear, and you’re afraid it’s your father, but it’s much too close for that

You sigh as you try to move, but you indeed feel something holding you back

Lifting your top half you keep yourself steady on your heads despite how they burn being buried in the snow. You see that there’s blood seeping into the landscape, and you know you’ve been shot somewhere in your leg. Your pants cover the bullet wound and you can’t tell where it comes from but you sure as hell can’t walk anywhere like this

Tears sting your eyes as you become scared. You can’t even see Shownu’s den from here - you’re stuck in the middle of your house and Shownu

“Shownu!” You scream into the howling wind. It’s practically useless as you feel your voice being swallowed up by the snow fall. You call five more times for help, each time becoming more desperate and filled with fear

You might,,, die like this. You’ll freeze as you have no choice but to lay in the snow. You dig your hands into the snow, trying to pull yourself forward, but it’s hardly any use. The ground is too uneven and filled with debris - it only hurts as you dig your fingers into dead thorns and try to drag your freezing body

You suddenly hear something that you can compare to a dog panting

You scream and try to reach for your gun when you see something you never thought you’d see again,,,

The creature. It towers over you as your frozen fingers can’t reach the gun half lost in snow

You see the clouds of breath that comes from it’s nostrils but it’s only standing over you and you can’t predict what it will do next

You can’t predict what it will do next,,, but you certainly don’t expect it to nuzzle your cheek like a pet

And you don’t expect it to circle around you to sniff at your leg before whining in pain

It lays by you, as if it were a big spoon. The fur is more than enough to start warming you up, it’s chin resting over the top of your head, and it’s paw drapes over your stomach

When you breathe you know it sounds like you’re in pain - and you are, but you don’t know what to do

But whether it’s from the cold, the fear, or the pain you can’t help but close your eyes and trust that you won’t be an appetizer

You wake up in Shownu’s den. It’s like you can tell it’s early morning, and you can tell that a lot has happened

“Shownu?” You murmur as you sit up on his makeshift cot he uses as a bed. The fire is already roaring, and he sits on the bench where you two first met

He’s quiet, probably upset at you for being in danger.

“(Y/n) I told you never to come at night. It’s dangerous and you could have died.”

You blink “I...know. I’m sorry.”

It’s quiet as you remember the creature who must have not eaten you. You wonder why - to an animal, meat is meat. Humans get attacked all the time.

“You know how I always ask if you’ve seen something strange in these woods?” You ask tentatively as you stare at him through the licks of the flames in the air. Shownu meets your gaze and nods

“Well -”

You’re cut off by Shownu sighing, his shoulders drooping as he talks before you can continue

“(Y/n) I lied. I’m...the thing. T-The hybrid that isn’t quite a wolf or a coyote or a hyena. I’m not a werewolf nor a skinwalker - it’s called a Warakin. My name...Even my mother gave me my name from it. Shunka Warakin, (Y/n). I’m sorry.”

You’re stunned,,, You’re not quite sure how to take it in, and you want to accuse him of joking or pulling your leg but;;;; Shownu isn’t like that.

“W-What?” You ask, mind confused and in a haze. You’re not sure if the bullet caused an infection and you’re really just going into a comatose world made up of fairies, nymphs, and,,,, these Warakin’s.

“I didn’t want you to hate me. I know taking animals from your farm is wrong...but there’s only small game around here, and..I feel guilty. I only let you see me in my human form, because I knew you’d kill me for doing this to you.”

And that’s,,, when you realize Shownu has been the one causing so much frustration, heartbreak, and pain.

You don’t want to be mad at him now,,, but you can’t help but feel a sudden lump in your throat

“So...Y-You…”

“I’m grateful you didn’t kill me that night. Though, I wanted to leave this place, the bullet took a really long time to heal.”

“Sorry….I didn’t know. I don’t like killing.. I was just scared you would hurt me. Well - and - I didn’t know it was you. I would never do that.”

He nods before taking the pot off the fire and bringing out plates for breakfast

“You have a bullet in your shin. Do you know how that happened?” He asks calmly as he gives you a plate with a small portion of fish and raspberries. He then leans down to inspect the bandaged wound

“Yeah..it was an accident. I tripped over the dead thickets, and the gun recoiled.”

Shownu doesn’t say anything else as he leaves it to heal

“It’s nearly seven thirty, and you can’t get back to your father on your own. What should we do? I want to take you back…”

“I know you would carry me, but yeah, father would be worried and angry. There’s no explanation..”

“There’s a nymph around here that’s strong. With the help with Minhyuk, Kyun, and Ki...they might be able to help you make it back without being visible.”

You nod and finish your breakfast. “I’ll tell father that I just went into the village...maybe he will believe me.”

The plan is set in action, but before Minhyuk comes with his friends, Shownu grabs your hand with a worried look

“Do you hate me..?”

You shake your head, “No. Really, Shownu, I could never hate you. You need to live..and at that time I thought it was just another animal. You’re not that.”

“Then will you still visit me after your leg heals?”

You smile and nod, “Of course.”

Over the last year you had come to know Shownu really well. He felt like a friend, a best friend alongside  Minhyuk. But while you could always be best friends with Minhyuk, you couldn’t with Shownu

He was too perfect sometimes,,, in personality, looks, and just who he was

While you heal you think of lots of things about the people you’ve met. You work on the farm trying to hide the injury from your father or feign sick on the days you can’t find the strength to carry on walking

Minhyuk visits your window at night, and this is how you and Shownu communicate as it takes a hair over two months for your leg to heal. There’s a scar, but you’re grateful Shownu still did everything he did. You felt guilty you couldn’t help him with his bullet wound

But you know once you’re ready to make the trek back to Shownu’s den, things might be different

Even if they’re different, you know he and Minhyuk will always be by your side

_______

This was long. 4.8k! I think I’m in love with this AU though, it’s just strange enough to be unique. And I can’t help it I’m a sucker for Shownu uwu. 

-S

[wolfeyeslonelynights]

Oz  One

It was said that the Wizard of Oz could grant you any wish. Any wish as long as you survived the journey. They said that only the the stupid and desperate were willing to take the risk. And there were a lot of risks. They would whisper tales of horrible creatures, forests that were alive, and those that come back never came back happy. They said that at night after a poor soul left the castle with their wish granted that you could hear the wizard laugh, dark and bitter, because; wishes were granted but never for free.

As you traveled farther away from the castle. As the crumbling points and desolation faded from view. All the tales of what happened to those who had seen the Wizard seemed as tangible and real as the wisp of words whispered through the smoke of a campfire. Tales. Stories told to frighten. Except, for Mason, he was enthralled by the idea. That a person was out there that had the capability to grant any wish with just a small requirement blew his mind.

How did the Wizard do it? How did he get such strong magic? Was it teachable? Could anyone be taught to grant powerful wishes? He had to know. It burned through his mind when he was ten. Grew to an obsession when he was twelve. Days not in school were spent in the small library, pouring over anything that might give him the answer he wanted, the answers he needed. Nothing ever did. He would lay awake at night; staring up at the ceiling and asked and asked and asked, slowly feeling as if each unanswered question was  carving a piece of him out - left empty and hollow.

Until the night of his sixteenth birthday when he snapped. A night where Mason was surrounded by the family he loved, newly unwrapped ruby red sneakers on his feet and a cake glowing with candles that he had blown out to the ironic chorus of ‘make a wish!’ that Mason knew what he had to do.

Slipping out had been easy, too easy, lifting the latch on his window. Tossing the small pack out first before softly falling after it. Mason paused to check the money - years saved up for what he now knew was for this very moment. Dark had fully fallen but he wasn’t particularly afraid. The woods around his house were quiet, rare to have anything more frightening in them than the occasional deer and lone yearly bear.

Body humming with excitement, he slipped his pack over his shoulders and started off down the road.

He was going to see the Wizard.

…

It was evening the next day when Mason finally paused at a tavern. Slipping in through the door he felt the pause more than heard it as all eyes fell on him. Keeping his chin up and his shoulders relaxed as possible, he walked up to the bar and sat down on a stool in hopes that he looked like he had done this kind of thing before. Nerves had his hands shaking in his lap. The older woman behind the counter, kind brown eyes glancing him over before going back to the glasses she was methodically wiping out.

“What can I get you kid?”

Mason tried not to glance around as he mumbled “A beer and dinner would be nice thanks.” She raised a brow at him before setting a large glass of water down. He sighed in a mixture of relief and disappointment as she ducked a head around to shout for a dinner order before coming back to resume working in front of him. Sipping the water for a while, content to rest his feet as the noise slowly rose up behind him again. Hoping he wasn’t different enough to warrant too long of anyone’s attention.

“You don’t look like you’re from around here.”

Looking up he saw a small smile curling the corner of her lips. He wiped his hands on his pants, palms sweaty as he paused before charging ahead.

“No, I’m going to the Wizard.”

There was an immediate hush in the air around them before the lady was glaring up over his head in warning for the other occupants to mind their own business before she was looking back at him - hands setting down the glass and looking serious. When she spoke it was almost a whisper.

“Why would a happy looking kid like you need to go see that horrible thing?”

Mason’s heart started to race, his red shoes beating an almost frantic tempo against the stool’s legs. Maybe this was it, maybe he was going to start getting answers to the questions burning through his mind at hundreds a miles. Leaning forward, elbow knocking the his water enough to slosh water over the rim and soaking his sleeve, he stared up at her in excitement.

“What do you know about the Wizard?”

She opened her mouth but the voice wasn’t hers that spoke; instead coming from the man next to him. Who had ignored his entrance, silently nursing a beer that looked like it was one of many. Mason turned to look at stranger; taking in the tired dull blue eyes and day old scruff. The muscle he could see through the jacket and v-neck looked very toned belying the otherwise weary appearance.

“That nothing good comes out of a visit.” Mason watched the eyes scour over his face before turning back to his drink, “Go home kid, nothing in life is worth a wish.”

Mason, for some reason, felt offended at that. Turning to face the stranger he glared. “What would you know about it?”

When the stranger fully turned towards him Mason instinctively leaned back. The faded blues eyes were glowing now, as if a bright light had been lit behind them. When the man leaned towards Mason he felt the first real skittering of fear run down his spine. Where he was from there wasn’t any of the supernatural creatures that were rumored to roam around closer to the castle.

“I know that a wish is nothing but a curse in disguise kid.” Then his eyes were faded back to how they were before, the man quickly downing the rest of his drink before leaving, a trail of strained silence left behind. Mason watched him exit before turning around to see the barmaid looking at the door with an expression he could only describe of regretful. He chewed the inside of his cheek, burning with curiosity but not wanting to be rude until he couldn’t hold it anymore.

“He asked for a wish?”

Her eyes flicked to his before resuming her work, knuckles white around the stein, “Do you plan on asking for a wish?” Mason shook his head speaking fast, “No, I don’t want a wish at all, I just want to know how it works, why he does it, is it teachable?” He took a deep breathe, causing the woman to laugh softly before setting her towel and glass down to focus on him.

“Look, you seem nice and I hate to see nice people get ruined so I’ll tell you a story. A story about a werewolf named Peter, who found out he had a daughter who was half coyote. He spent years trying to find her, not knowing how she was doing, where she was, until one day he grew desperate enough to head to the castle. He had heard that the power of an alpha can bring any nearby animal to them - the call of power. He ran that damned gauntlet of mazes, finally reaching the Wizard to grant his wish of power so that he could call his daughter to him.” She stopped, throat working.

Mason watched rapt, mouth opened a little as he waited on the edge. After a moment she gently picks up the rag, twisting it around in her hands, “And he can call her to him. Every night, he ranges the woods, every night he calls as an alpha. Every night a coyote with blue eyes comes to him; terrified, angry, and alone. The power brought his daughter alright, but it will not let him help her return to a human. And every night she runs away. So Peter is cursed with a wish of power that calls his feral child to him but not the power to help her.”

As if planned, the old clock in the corner of the room clang loudly, marking the midnight hour just as a howl vibrated the walls around them. Turning to look around with wide eyes, Mason was surprised to see that besides a slight tensing in shoulders, every one carried on as if the sound of pain and sorrow was nothing more than a harsh gust of wind. Turning back he stared at the woman as she steadily stared back.

“Remember, wishes always come cursed.” Then she straightened up and asked in a more normal tone “I think it’d be smart of you to use your last coins for a room.” The last part was spoken a little louder. Taking a moment to work past the story he had just told him, Mason eventually caught on as he nodded slowly, grateful for the advice. He wasn’t stupid by any means, he knew he looked like a target but hopefully if they thought he was spending the last of his money on a room then maybe no one will think to jump him when he leaves tomorrow.

When she gestured with a head tilt, he got up and quickly followed her up the stairs. When they paused at a door, she reached into her apron and pulled up a key to unlock it - speaking as she swung it open.

“It’s not much but it will be warm, and no one gets away with attacking people who sleep here so you’ll be safe for the night. I’ll set aside a basket for you to take with you tomorrow okay?”  He nodded with a quiet thanks before she was closing the door as she left. Mason counted to ten before going to the door and sliding the lock into place as quietly as possible.

Setting his pack on the small bed he moved to the window. Staring out at the forest he thought on glowing blue eyes. Of how maybe having something precious so close but so far away would eventually break a man.

…

“Okay, theres some apples, bread, and cheese with a small, small mind you! bottle of wine. Keep to the right side of the road and do not go into the forest once you head north.” Mason nodded like an obedient child, feeling a pang of homesickness as the barmaid fussed over him.

“Why not walk near the forest?” He hooked the basket over an arm as she led him out the front door with a kind arm around his shoulders.

“You don’t know the story about the Hungry Forest?” She sighed with a furrow between her brows, and he felt a flush heat up his cheeks as he waited for her continue. “A beast lives in there and will attack anything that enters past the tree line. Just stay on the right side of the road okay?”

He nodded and after a few more warnings of strange men and weird houses that were isolated, Mason was heading down the road. It was an easy first couple miles - he took in the sun and admired the way his new shoes clashed cutely with the faded yellow bricks of the road, but he soon realized that the farther he got away from the establishment the more people sped past on the road - almost taking him out a few times. Pausing after the last close call, Mason eyed the trees across from him.

Really, it was a huge forest, hundreds of miles of just trees and shrubs. Did he really think a monstrous beast was just waiting for him to get close enough to snatch him up. No, but the lady had seemed so concerned. Then he was wondering if there was even a beast, stories were after all, generally just stories. Mostly built out of fear of some small noise. Except he was almost positive that the story from last night had been about the strange man that had been sitting next to him.

A sudden “Get out of the damn way!” yell that had him stumbling back into the field behind him as a older man raced past him on a horse had Mason making up his mind. Taking double looks both ways, he ran across the road. Stopping once he was safely in the middle ground between the tree line and the road, he sighed and relaxed as he continued onward.

Now that he was closer it was easier to look between the trees. Really, he was expecting a sudden chill take him or goosebumps to pop up over his arms. But all Mason was feeling was relief as another buggy sped recklessly past on the other side of the road. Maniacs.

After a couple hours he had plopped down on a old tree stump that was a few feet from he forest, slowly eating the food that was in the basket. He left the wine inside though, thinking it would be smarter to save that for dinner than walking in the middle of the day with wine sloshing around inside. He was concentrating on peeling a apple, slowly cutting in a circle trying to keep it as one long piece when a noise had him looking up.

Four men were slowing down farther along the road, two slipping off their horses as they walked down the middle. He wasn’t sure what but his gut was clenching and it was suddenly time to go. Moving as quick as possible not seeming to rush he slipping everything into the basket when a voice called out.

“Hello! You pretty far out to be by yourself little man.” It was the mocking bite at the end, the tilt of dark humor at ‘little man’ that broke Mason’s reserve. Scrambling up he clutched the basket in front of him and took a few steps backwards as the two walking stepped off the road towards him.

“L-look I don’t want any trouble.”

They laughed at that, one casually slipping his hands into filthy pockets as he leered at him. “Neither do we so why don’t we make this go smooth yeah? I hear ya got some money.” Mason’s felt the little bread and cheese he had eaten trying to fight its way up his throat. When he didn’t answer, the other guy walking slipped out a knife. A dirty looking one. Heart pounding hard enough in his chest that it felt like it was cutting off his breath, Mason took in the blank almost hungry faces before turning to bolt into the trees.

“Get ‘im!”

Holding the basket high, he leapt over fallen logs and stumbled over roots as he ran. Loud harsh sounds behind him meant that they weren’t giving up. Frantically looking around he took a sharp right. Now that he was fully enclosed in the trees, it was frighteningly dark, making it harder to keep his footing as he panted in fear.

“Over there!”

Footsteps thundered closer. Mason sobbed aloud as he slipped down a short decline, the basket slipping off his arm as he scrambled up the other side. This wasn’t how it was suppose to go. Tears blurred his vision as a rock sliced his palm as he pulled himself up. Risking a glance he could make out two of the four closing in. Turning around in blind panic he froze as a creature stood up in front of him.

Stumbling back onto his butt, he stared “oh m-my god.”

It was human. He almost positive it was human. Shorter than him but broader, the first thing he saw was a flash of very, very sharp looking canine teeth and the burning sheen of gold eyes. It was heaving its bare chest, as if it had been sprinting as long as Mason had been. He realized his chest was taking shallow pants, freezing when a low rumbling growl vibrated the air around him.

He was going to die. Words of warning about the Hungry Forest beast floating in his head, the kind barmaid’s arm around his shoulder and Mason squeezed his eyes shut. He didn’t want to see the killing strike.

“There he is! Got you, you stupid son a…” The voice was abruptly cut off with a gurgled. Mason shot his eyes open, frantically spinning on his knees just in time to see the beast slam the second guy into a tree. The first was on the ground motionless while the remaining two were already running away; abandoning their comrades.

The creature roared before taking a clawed fist into the nearest tree. Mason felt it in the ground underneath his hands, rattling his bones as he stayed low. Wanting to run far away, he forced himself to stay still as the creature turned to stare at him. Maybe, maybe it wouldn’t hurt him if there wasn’t a threat. Nose brushing the ground he breathed out slowly.

“I’m nothing, please ignore me, I’m not a threat. I’m not a threat.”

There was silence, and when it lingered Mason took a chance of turning his head enough to peek upwards before snapping his head up to stare in disbelief.

In front of him was a teenage boy. Despite the defined expanse of his chest, abdomen, and arms Mason was sure that he was around his age. Looking closer he saw that instead of what he first thought was a mane, there were long strands of brown hair falling over the arched brows and shadowed eyes. When he met those, the boy finally spoke in a voice that was shockingly soft and higher than he expected from something that had made such a terrifyingly deep roar.

“Are you okay?”

Then Mason passed out.

…

Mason returned to the world with a sharp gasp; bolting upright. Frantically looking around he felt more disoriented when he saw that he was standing in a cave, bare except for a few random items and a small fire burning low. Across from him was the teenage boy from earlier, now wearing a worn long sleeve shirt, rushing memories back of the robbers and the boy-creature saving him.

Abruptly he dropped back down, breathing heavy.

“There’s water next to you..it’s..safe to drink if you want.” Looking next to him, he saw the cup and greedily drank all of it. Surprised that his mouth was painfully dry. Setting it down with a swallow that hurt, he looked over the flames and smiled.

“Thanks for helping me back there, I’m Mason.”

Now that he had light, he could see that the boys eyes were a beautiful blue within blue; the outer ringing dark while growing lighter in the middle. He wondered if he had imagined the gold until he remembered the stranger, Peter’s, eyes flashing a bright blue. When the boy look hesitant Mason continued with almost relief at having someone his age to talk too.

“I was walking by myself and they must have overheard me at the tavern and wanted my money so thanks again for helping me out.” There was a flash of something across the pale face before he was nodding slowly, his voice still that shockingly soft tenor.

“My name is Liam.”

Mason nodded and looked around before his face falling “Shoot, I had a basket with food I was going to suggest we share but I dropped it when I slipped down a hill.” Which brought a sore hand and shoulder to his attention, rotating it before leaning to the fire to inspect the cut on his hand. A rustling movement had him looking up to see a small apple being silently offered. Taking it gently, careful of the flames, he nodded “Thanks Liam.” before setting to quietly eating.

He watched Liam pensively poke the fire with a stick  and wondered until the teen looked up and spoke.

“Go on, ask it.”

Mason squirmed in his seat, feeling embarrassed, but was too curious to stop himself. “Are you the beast everybody talks about? I mean, I saw..” he trailed off unsure of what he saw. There had definitely been a change but now he was unsure if possibly it had been more fear than reality. Except he knew that horrifying bone rattling sound had been real. Swallowing a piece of apple, it felt sharp as it slid down his throat.

“Yes.” Then his face changed, eyes melting from blue to a brilliant gold, pupils constricting in reaction to the flames, jaw almost uneven to make room for the new sharper teeth seemed to appear between one blink to the next. Liam held up a hand to let the light catch on the long claws that were extended from bleeding cuticles. He watched, fascinated, as the boy cracked his neck in a sharp rotation before seemingly shaking the changes away, leaving a tired face and those bright wary eyes.

Mason let out the breath he hadn’t realized he was holding “Whoa.”

This caused a small smile crack the serious line of Liam’s lips as he return to poking the fire. Mason let his mind wrap around this because blurting out his first thought.

“Did you see the Wizard?” Felt horrible when the smile disappeared, blue eyes staring at him hard.

“Why? Are you going there?” When he nodded in affirmation Liam shook his head.

“Don’t, nothing good ever comes from wishes.” the stick cracked in his hand, he grimaced before tossing the pieces into the flames. Mason tried to hold back the irritation but heard it leaked through when he spoke.

“Everybody’s been saying that to me. I’m not going for a stupid wish. I’m going because no one knows how it’s done. How does someone just grant wishes like that? Why the price? Aren’t you curious?” He didn’t realize his hands were in fists until he stopped talking, noticing the way Liam was watching him with unreadable eyes. Smoothing his palms against the side of his pants he shrugged in a little apology.

“I guess I never thought about that. I just..wanted to get better.”

Liam looked at Mason, a bitter smile lifting one side of his mouth, hands coming up to run his hair back off his forehead. Mason distantly noted that the teen was fairly attractive. Then he was speaking and Mason could only focus on his words.

“I was always so….angry. Even when I was not, just something small would flip it on like a switch. My parents were so scared. I was scared. Then I was bitten by a werewolf. It wasn’t an attack per say, he was saving me from dying but becoming a werewolf made every….so much more worse. Intense. I was scared that I was going to lose it, maybe one day just never coming back. It got so bad that I..I did something terrible.” He took a deep breath and continued, eyes avoiding Masons, “So I got desperate, went to the Wizard, went through all the crap around the castle, and wished..except..I don’t remember what I exactly wished for because this wasn’t it.”

He spread his hands out in front of him, palms up, as if they would tell him what words he had said. When he didn’t seem inclined to speak, Mason broke his silence. Licking his lips nervously, “What was the price?”

Liam laughed, surprising Mason.

“My life? Friends? Family? Take your pick. All I know is that I don’t really get scared anymore. Ever. Just….a consuming rage that makes me want to kill everyone and…and sometimes if it gets too bad I lose myself…” the last was a whisper. Mason eyed the slumped shoulders and limp hands before standing up and slowly walking around the fire to sit down next to the dejected teen. When Liam looked up at this sadly, Mason hesitated, unsure why he felt close to the boy already, before nudging him with his shoulder and grinning at him.

“Hey today you didn’t kill me. You even saved my bruised butt, so why don’t you come with me and we can demand answers from the Wizard. We can figure this out, there has to be a reason right?”

Liam’s face was unreadable for a moment as he looked at Mason, before a smile grin broke out over his face.

“You just want me as a bodyguard don’t you?”

Mason grinned “How about a friend with bigger muscles than me?” Liam laughed loudly, a surprised happy sound that seemed to break whatever wall had been remaining between them. The boys spent the rest of the evening talking before falling asleep just around midnight.

[boewhiskey]

Hunted

It’s been lost as to when exactly it happened, when they came. At first it seemed like there were just a few of them, they weren’t too much of a threat. Some of us would go missing from time to time, but it wasn’t enough to really worry anyone, every living thing has disappearances from other creatures or simply losing one’s way. Eventually they came like locusts, like a plague. They were everywhere. They were taking over our homes, tearing them apart to create their own crude structures. They brought with them unimaginably loud noises and screaming. Then along the way one of us found out that they… those things were… they were EATING us. More and more of us began to disappear and sometimes one of us would stumble across the body… strung up, cut, gutted, lifeless, butchered beyond recognition. Those creatures would carve off pieces of flesh and add some kind of dirt to them or an odd liquid, some sort of unusual seasoning perhaps, then put it in a pan or other cooking means and the smell, oh god, the smell. Have you ever smelled the flesh of your brother, father, sister, neighbor, someone you grew up with, someone that you knew, cook? It’s horrid. We weren’t the only ones, though, no. They snatched up just about any other species to feast on, to make meals of.

Over time, we gave up and moved into the forests. Some of us lived on the edges, roaming close to the things and places that these creatures created. Some of us pushed deep into the woods in attempt to hide and try to live a new life, away from the gnashing teeth of those things and the horror they brought with them. But in the forest, our chances of survival dwindled as well. We now had to be more careful of other predators: mountain lions, bears, wolves, coyotes, anything that ate meat. We didn’t have the spaces to hide from these threats anymore and those demons, those alien things, that pushed us deeper, also pushed animals that would hunt us deeper into the forest as well.

Although we still used the sun to see, we grew accustomed to the dark more and we could easily move around. It was easiest to search out food in the between times, such as dusk and dawn. Those things weren’t as active then. We learned what areas to avoid, when we could creep up to their buildings and homes to find some sort of forgotten treat long missed by our mouths. Sometimes a night of searching for something to put in our bellies and sustain us was met with disgusting horror, finding bodies of fallen brethren on the sides of the roads, mangled, broken, twisted. If we were lucky, the bodies we came across weren’t too badly mutilated, but sometimes, oh, sometimes they were worse. A body might be cut in half, looking as if something ripped it apart rather than cut it. Blood would be splattered around and intestines or other internal organs would be spilling out of whatever unnatural hole was nearest to them. The eyes would stare at nothing, dark, lifeless, haunting. All you could do was cringe, hope that they didn’t feel too much pain before they died, and walk or run on away from it. Many times we tried to take solace in the fact that if one of us was found on the road, we knew at least it wouldn’t be eaten by one of those lanky, groping, angry things. They treated us like nothing. We had become NOTHING. I’m sure we were just kept around and our population not completely wiped out so they could have some sport, some entertainment, but they didn’t even really care if we were hungry, or tired, or just wanted a little food, just wanted our family, most of the time, they would still just break us and throw us aside if we crossed their path.

By the time I came into this world, this was the type of life we had known for generations, living on the edge of a world that was stolen from us, doing what we could to survive, sometimes going hungry for months. And sometimes I was SO hungry.

This morning I woke up that way. Well, I say morning, but it was actually just before dawn. I stretched and stood up, walking the sleep off of my cramped limbs. My stomach grumbled almost immediately, I hadn’t eaten anything substantial in a few days. I had kept to the forest, foraging for what I could find that nature provided. I knew there was a clearing not far, but it was dangerous to be out in the open for too long. The air was getting colder each day and frost could be found on the grass in the mornings. It would be winter soon and seemed like it was gearing up to be a rough one. My stomach groaned at me again and I knew I had to risk it. With winter, food would become more scarce so I needed as much as I could get right now. Maybe I wouldn’t have to get too exposed, maybe I could just go to the edge of the clearing and find something I could use to satiate my stomach for a bit. When I got there, I could look around and make sure that it was safe, take my time to be sure there were no lurking predators then push into the clearing where I knew I could find some bushes with berries at least. I made my way slowly to my destination, stopping at a stream along the way to drink some of the cold water. It felt icy but good slipping down my throat. Before I knew it, I was in the trees at the edge of the open space. It didn’t seem like there was anything around. I had seen a few others through the trees on my way, but I didn’t see anything that would harm me. Still, I waited a while, circling the little clearing and looking for anything good to eat as I did. Eventually I had walked twice around it and there was still no sign of anything or anyone lurking around. I stepped hesitantly out of the tree line and thought I heard a noise. I jerked my head up and looked around for a second, then froze and strained my ears to try to hear it again. Nothing. Just the normal sounds of the forest: birds chirping, wind rustling the leaves a bit, small animals scurrying around. The night around me seemed to be getting just slightly lighter and I looked towards the sky, knowing the sun was inching it’s way around to bring on the day to our corner of the world. I shook off the feeling that something was out there since I heard nothing else. Just a few feet into the clearing, I could see a bush. It was a bush full of beautiful, delicious berries. My mouth watered just looking at them. Still moving slowly and carefully, stepping gingerly through the grass in very calculated motions, I approached the berry bush. By the time I reached it, I still had heard nothing and felt at ease now, relishing the thought that I would get those juicy berries into my belly soon. I bent down to pull a berry from a small branch when I heard it. This time it was unmistakable. Leaves being crunched slowly and methodically under feet. I looked up again, searching for where the sound was coming from but couldn’t quite tell. Then I saw it. It was one of those things that liked to cut us up, torture us, then dine on our seared flesh and body parts until it could no longer stuff anymore into its stomach. It was coming from just ahead of me, stalking quietly, partially covered by the trees surrounding it on the opposite of the clearing, eyes staring straight at me. I needed to move and fast. My thoughts all ran and screamed in my head, my bones burned with the knowledge that they needed to run, my blood pumped with the adrenaline trying to make my limbs respond to what my brain knew they needed to do. I started breathing heavy and quick. I screamed in my head to tell myself to just run, get out of here! Finally, as the creature lifted its arms pointed toward me, wanting me, and was almost to the edge of the clearing, my legs remembered how to work and I spun around to run as rapidly as I could.

Suddenly, an intense, burning pain shot up through my back and I crumpled to the ground. I was too late. It had me. I tried getting up but my left leg couldn’t move and then pain rippled through me. I heard it coming up to stand over me. The last thing I saw was that thing pointing something at me. I could see the top of its body had a sort of bright skin, orange and blinding in the rising light. The last thing I heard was it say “Your antlers are gonna look mighty fine on my wall.” Then the human shot me again, ending the pain.

[apricotlawdsbio-blog]

Granoff Consulting A One-Man Shop

The Life and Experiences of Granoff Consulting

Eugene Granoff works as a corporate consultant, and while he hoped to find success in the corporate world- nothing ever seems to go his way. Everywhere Granoff goes, chaos seems to follow him, and after being let go from several different companies due to his bad luck, he founded his own business consulting firm, Granoff Consulting. But, the disasters didn’t stop there. Granoff Consulting was doomed from the start, and these are the stories of Eugene Granoff’s misfortunes.

 All about Eugene Granoff

Eugene always had bad luck. As early as elementary school, Granoff found himself in some pretty sticky situations. From accidentally gluing himself to his desk chair in 4th grade, to the time he tripped over his graduation gown in front of the entire student body when he graduated from high school, Eugene just couldn’t catch a break. 

He’s been unsuccessful in his relationships, is afraid of most animals (so he can’t have pets), and has found it difficult to earn a living because something always goes wrong. He misses his flights, gets stuck in traffic, or winds up involved in some other catastrophe that often prevents him from even being able to make his consulting appointments. Hopefully one day Eugene can find happiness and become successful, but until then, he’ll surely be getting himself into trouble.

 Granoff’s First Day as a Corporate Consultant

As if Eugene hasn’t had it bad enough, his first day as a corporate business consultant for a multi-million dollar consulting firm was one for the books. It all started when Granoff’s supervisor sent him on a consulting session with a high powered criminal defense lawyer in New York City. 

To get to the appointment, Eugene had to take the subway to 51st, but was shocked when the subway was delayed by a group of dancing mimes who refused to stop “busting a move” long enough for the doors to safely close!

So many bad things happened in his past, and Eugene does have a passion for miming, so he just couldn’t resist joining the dance crew with his outrageous dance moves. If he was going to miss his consultation, he figured, he might as well have fun doing it. Needless to say, that was Granoff’s last day at his first consulting job. 

This Is only the Beginning

Eugene Granoff might be a walking disaster, but he is a lovable character who you can’t help but root for. With a great sense of humor and the best intentions, Granoff is sure to captivate you with his charming outlook on life and dedicated perseverance. 

 Whale Watching in the Scottish Highlands

 Our old friend Eugene decided on a whim one day that he was going to take an extended vacation to Scotland. He has family out there and thought it might be a good time to take a break. 

After missing an appointment with attorneys at the Nye Law Group, a client who could have been a game-changer for Granoff, he was feeling deeply depressed about where his consulting firm was headed and if he had really chosen the right career, considering his bad luck. With that in mind, it was an excellent opportunity to take charge of his life and that was going to start by going back to his Scottish roots. 

  The Black Isle

Eugene’s aunt lives on the coast of the Black Isle, a beautiful, mountainous area that is something out of a movie, it’s that breathtaking. He told himself he would be in Scotland for just one week, so he wanted to get the most out of this experience. He spent most days hiking in the mountains and painting the landscape surrounding them, and Eugene started to feel at peace. 

                            He was starting to think that maybe he needed to relocate to find the success and happiness he had been searching for, and Scotland could be the right place for him. He’d just have to go back to the states to pack up his apartment and pick up Cookie, his Bernese mountain dog, who he knew would love the great outdoors as much as Eugene did. 

 Creatures in the Water

  But at this point in his life, Eugene knew he was known for making irresponsible, spontaneous decisions, and with a choice like this, he really wanted to be sure he was making the right one. His cousin Calum recommended they head out to the highlands to do some whale and dolphin watching while Eugene considered his options. 

 With the open water surrounding them, he felt a sense of calm come over him. When Calum yelled for Eugene to “Look!” he expected to see an enormous whale tail splashing the water. Instead, Eugene was stunned when what could only be described as a half-dinosaur, half platypus creature came up out of the water and spouted water right into Eugene’s face! He was stunned. 

  The creature then continued to circle the boat and drench Eugene with a mouthful of water. He assumed it was just some type of whale he had never seen before, but Calum later explained that this was Nessie, the loch ness monster, whose favorite color happens to be purple. The same color purple, in fact, of the hat Eugene was wearing when he went fishing. Apparently Nessie had taken a liking to Eugene and was attempting to play. 

 Eugene thought to himself, as he packed his bags to return home. He wondered why he always had such interesting encounters, but began to think that maybe he needed to think of them as adventures rather than misfortunes.

 National Whitewater Center Debacle

  Whenever Eugene Granoff has to travel for his work as a consultant, he always tries to find something to do in the area he is visiting. Unfortunately, it seems like any time Eugene tries to do anything out of the ordinary, he winds up in some sort of trouble, and of course, his trip to North Carolina would turn out to be no different. 

 Granoff had plans to meet with a Charlotte personal injury lawyer over dinner one Friday night, and figured while he was in the area, he would spend the day doing something exciting. Eugene is a bit of an adrenaline junkie, and he is always interested in trying new things. He quickly discovered the National Whitewater Center, which is known for is whitewater rafting, ziplines, and biking trails. 

 Eugene knew he didn’t have enough time in the day to do it all, so he figured he would at least do some biking. An avid hiker and overall health conscious person, Granoff has always been passionate about spending time in the great outdoors. He purchased his day pass to the Center and got on his mountain bike. 

Always a curious guy, Eugene knew he should stay on the biking trails so he wouldn’t get lost, but he just couldn’t resist the urge to follow the sound of rushing water. Also passionate about photography, Eugene thought he could get some excellent photos of the Catawba River while on his bike. 

  As he traveled off the beaten path and towards the river, his bike pedals became entangled in some vine, and suddenly threw Eugene from his mountain bike. As he flew through the air, he was catapulted off of the ridge overlooking the river. Granoff passed out during the fall and when he awoke, he was on the side of the river soaking wet. 

Eugene tried to gather his bearings and figure out what happened when staff from the Center came running. It turns out that a friendly Bobcat, who the staff named Will Feral, came running to staff members and directed them towards Eugene before heading back into the forest. Without the help of Will Feral, Eugene might have developed hypothermia as the sun went down. 

He was transported by helicopter to the local hospital to be checked out physically after his accident, and, of course, was unable to make his consulting appointment.

 Lost on Mount Olympus

 On the last weekend before labor day, Eugene Granoff planned to enjoy the great outdoors one final time before he really focused on building up his small, corporate consulting firm. 

Eugene is an avid hiker and was visiting his mother in Utah, who works as a SLC personal injury lawyer, when he decided to head out to Mount Olympus on Saturday afternoon. Little did he know, the trails he had visited as a child were far different than he remembered. 

 One Wrong Turn at Pete’s Rock

  Pete’s Rock is a bouldering area where hikers can climb, and Eugene knew it well from his younger years when he was far more adventurous. When he passed the trailhead and made a left-hand turn, he made a serious mistake, as heading left brought him further into the hiking trails and into a more wooded area, while heading right would have brought him back out to where his car was parked. 

 An Encounter with Bigfoot

Eugene continued to hike at first, oblivious to the fact that he had taken a turn in the wrong direction. Once the sun began to set, Eugene realized he had been going in the wrong direction all along. By now, the trails had become less clear, and Eugene found himself in the middle of the woods unsure of which way to go. 

All of his training told him to stay put so he would be easier to find if he needed rescuing, but Eugene grew up on these trails and figured he had it covered. He turned back the way he thought he came, which was actually even further into the forest. When night fell, he decided to make a small camp and shelter so he would be able to rest up for a couple of hours until the sun came back up. 

While he was gathering firewood, Eugene began to hear some rustling of the leaves behind him and became very afraid. What if there were wolves or coyotes or even a mountain lion out there?! Unfortunately, Eugene’s predicament was much worse, as he was being stalked by a more fearsome creature… Bigfoot. 

 Now, many people are under the impression that bigfoot doesn’t exist, but Eugene tells a different story. When Bigfoot came up behind Eugene, he turned around and couldn’t help but scream—and when Eugene screams, he sounds like a whoopie cushion after swallowing one as a child. Bigfoot has a sense of humor and couldn’t help but laugh hysterically when Eugene screamed. 

The giant’s hysteria gave Eugene pause long enough to also begin to laugh and the two sat down and enjoyed s’mores together after building a fire—you didn’t think Bigfoot was an unsocialized, feral animal did you?

A Rescue to Remember

Bigfoot and Eugene spent the night in Eugene’s makeshift shelter and in the morning, after enjoying some left over trail mix, Bigfoot helped Eugene make his way out of the woods and back onto the hiking trail so he could get back home after getting lost on Mount Olympus. 

Every year since, Eugene gets a postcard with a beautiful Utah mountain scene. It’s never signed, but Eugene has a feeling it’s Bigfoot, keeping in touch. 

 The Yorktown Poltergeist

 You may or may not know that Eugene is a big fan of Halloween. Not just Halloween itself,  but he loves horror movies, haunted houses, and everything that comes with the excitement of being scared. Every chance he gets he goes on haunted house tours and is obsessed with television shows discussing hauntings and ghosts. 

Eugene isn’t just a superfan, though. He also considers himself to be quite the expert on historical haunt spots and famous murders. So, when he had the opportunity to meet with a Texas personal injury and criminal defense law firm he had been hoping to take on as a client, he couldn’t pass up the opportunity to visit one of Texas’ most haunted buildings: The Yorktown Memorial Hospital. 

 History of Yorktown Memorial Hospital

The Felician Sisters of the Roman Catholic Church built and operated Yorktown Memorial Hospital in the 1950s, but it was eventually shut down in 1986 by the state when the staff were unable to keep the patients in order after it had been turned into a drug and alcohol rehabilitation center. It is estimated that in the almost forty years it was open, more than 2,000 people died there. 

It has become a hot spot of paranormal activity; even the abandoned building caretaker claims to have experienced countless instances of apparitions and other ghostly encounters. 

Eugene was hoping to experience some paranormal activity of his own on this trip, but since Yorktown is four hours away from his consultation, he knew he wanted to do his haunted house tour the night before his meeting—that way he would actually be on time! But, as we all know, Granoff is not known for his punctuality.

Granoff’s Haunted Tour

His haunted tour of the Yorktown Memorial Hospital was set to begin at 8:00pm and last for two hours. The tour started off spooky enough, as the tour guides brought the group through the nurses station and old patient rooms. But, there was no actual sign of any ghosts, and Eugene was really anxious to encounter a spirit. 

 As the group made their way through the psychiatric ward, Granoff heard the scuffle of feet down the corridor next to him. Rather than do the logical thing and ignore it, Eugene decided to investigate. Without even a flashlight to guide him, he made his way down the corridor and was shocked when the door at the end suddenly slammed shut. Now he was terrified, and decided that maybe it was time to head back to the group, but the ghosts in his presence had other things in mind. 

 As he made his way down hallway after hallway in search of his tour group, one particular poltergeist had taken an interest in Granoff and decided it was time to show him some real paranormal activity! Now, in most haunted houses, reported paranormal activity is often sinister or violent, but the Yorktown poltergeist is something more. 

 The poltergeist drove Granoff to the area he haunts most, the children’s ward, by slamming doors and making lights flicker, he wanted Eugene to know he wasn’t trying to scare him, he only wanted someone to play with. When Granoff finally was in the room the ghost had stayed in when he was living, the poltergeist started a tickle fight with Eugene. He tickled him over and over until Eugene was bursting with laughter. 

That was when Granoff realized that he had an encounter with a child’s ghost, and that not all ghosts are out to scare the living. Granoff was sad to have to leave his new ghost friend, but he had an important meeting the next morning that—no surprise— he was now going to be late for. 

      Honky-Tonks at Grand Ole Opry

 As a traveling corporate consultant, Eugene is always traveling for work. He was especially excited for his upcoming trip to meet with a personal injury attorney in Nashville because he knew he would have plenty of time to see the sights of the city and enjoy some delicious southern food. However, with Eugene, nothing ever goes as planned, and his trip to Tennessee was going to be no different. 

 Travelling to Nashville

 Granoff knew that he had a bad habit of always missing or being late to his appointments, and for this reason, he made sure to get up five hours before he had to leave for his 7 a.m. flight out of LaGuardia. Ready to finally get his business on the right track, Eugene made it to the airport with plenty of time to spare. He checked his bags and sat down to wait to board his flight. 

 He was so proud of himself—he didn’t even close his eyes to nap once, even though he had been up since 2 a.m. Unfortunately, bad luck seems to follow Eugene everywhere, because even though he had done everything right, he was once again delayed. But this time, it was due to the fact that an elderly woman was detained going through the body scanner. 

 Turns out, she was attempting to smuggle Tanzania’s rarest monkey, the kipunji, into the country underneath her blouse. When the TSA employees attempted to detain Bubbles, as the old lady adoringly named him, he ran straight for Eugene. 

 He spent the next hour trying to coax the monkey down from the top of his head. Sadly, Eugene missed his flight to Nashville and had to catch one for the following morning. 

Always a Country Music Lover

Thankfully, Eugene did eventually make it into Nashville, despite having to push back his consultation. As an avid country music lover, Eugene felt he needed a break after the rough airport experience and what better place to unwind than Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry?! 

He took in a pre-show meal at the Opryland Hotel where he was staying, saw Dolly Parton perform, and closed out the night with cocktails and live country music performances at The Nashville Palace. 

[bloojayoolie]

Af, Being Alone, and Animals: but i dd spend about 2 months looking ater a small dude ranch oper碵on dring the winter months artednh intemet hookup, onine stuf handled by small ofice in town hang around, shoot funs 게ttledaknow,more pay and-phone ine but tostay durngan e during summ card the costco a d load up on food because %ck dealing ith that road more than neccesary out meals and such have all the food, need for the 2 months but forgot sham g suppies always forget so ething fuck t week one i started talking to the horses week two, they started talking a half spam cans of by hand, used shovel and dug trench and tunnel nelwork theough the ever deepening snow Ip9 a master of moving within my winter hours in attempt to tack, wrestle and ho e de deer for domestication, brethy entertaned idea of using said doe as tckpuppet ala 222897 nearly succeeded, doe managed to break loose before i could finish the kno DO manage to succeed in knäing coyote to death one night, shoot others and brain tan hides into fur cape for other unnasnow escapades many strange things those nights, some creatures one might call a skinwalker, wendigo or worse onger fear these beasts for i have become frozen death itsel from the snow cappad peaks of each building the the tunnel system beneath the snow around the property i have absolute dominion i need othe merest hostile act against the ranch is met by thundering death from my Mosin 거 rout ely catch small animals by hand and either play with them for a short while before setting them loose or silently dispatching them with my hands before they go into the stewpot but alas, al good things must come to an end one moming i hear a faint sound, one i havent heard in a long time, ike the fragment of a lyric to a forgotten song sound about like that hibernating bear i found roof of the bam i see i gaze down upon my crystal world, the shot, bayoneted, kniied, clubbed and sodomized remains of the snowman wars, the harse herd looling to me their leader for guidance, all along the treeline, creatures both large and small cowering beneath my finty gaze, twin chips of ice peering out from my coyote skin cloak guest cabin habt with the snowmen before i attempt to speak and let him know im right behind him im close enough i could bayonet him and must resist the urge my voice cracks in an attempt to say helo from long under use thought i was going to get fired, and nearly dd, but ater he asked about everything that went on and seeing that tha ranch was in perfect order he decided that as long as i showared i could keap the look and we incorporated a whole "mountain man workshop" for the guests, teach them a lttle bushcrat, simple survival stuf and i got a raise out of t. i)00 23.10 No 1:17:42 No.20980609 (36 KB i would gueSS Bam was gambrel style, lot has hay and feed storage, snow pilled to the sides and with a ltle work i managed to build a set of stairs to the pesk and set up a smal snow hut, just big enough for me, my mosin and some smal snacks to lay down in. had small windows al around soi being alone for that long does strange things to you, you gain an intimate knowledge of everything around you. the moment somathing doesnt jve, you are instantly aware of it >be chilin ith my newest addition to coyate fur cloak up on the roof, chowing dowm on some jerky, almost late aftemoon, overcast can hear the satt movements af the horse herd below me a tant knacker n0w and then maxed with their ating and breathing -hear one of them give a brief snort and the rest go silent, no movement giancing to my left i can see one of the roans looking intently to the southwest, into the wind an instant later it hits me, a smell lie rotten meat mixed with an teenagers gym clothes locker that got left over the summer with some kind of a musk to it as well -crouching in my snow hut i pull out my monocular and scan the treeline on the other side of the pasture to the south, that last coyote i bagged was in that direction i find the spot where i had skinned it out, and i know right where the carcass should be i look down the the horses and can see them ail still looking in that direction, not moving no neighs or even nervous wickering between them > pop open the ammo can i keep up there, grab a few fresh stripper clips to tuck into my coat and slide down the slope i set next to the stairs on the north side of the bam snowghost my way along the fence line still keeping my ears open, the smell has faded somewhat, but the musk still lingers like greasy ingerprints on a reshly poished 1911 at a store malke my way to the southen Sence lne, al i can make out is the faint indentations of where snow has fallen to cover my tracks from two days ago yards away, c decide tuck it and walk over to where the coyote was, i can see the drag marks clearly, right over the tracks of whatever grabbed it stracks are deep, but obscured by the drag and whatever took it left by the same path i arrived, cutting east, deeper into the woods, you go far enough and you hit the bob marshall that deep musky scent is stil strong, sticks in your nose the the ofactory equivalent of peanut butter stuck to the roof of your mouth, but not nearly as tasty can see from the way the tracks are spaced whatever it was had a long, bipedal stride, sinking almast twice as deep as my own bootprints into the snow fuly intended to leave the carcass tor scavengers and the like, but seems we have a new player n the game made my way back to the bam,horses are stil fiocated on the southerm pasture line, figure ill stock a few provisions in the haylaft othis marks the start of many a night spand buried in the warm hay pretty used the the night noises around the place, coyotes yowing, maybe a cat screetch and owls caling out dead fucking sience, even the horses kept close to the bam and quiet as snowal didnt get much sleep that night, that musky smell had finally worn off by about dark next few days were uneventful, not a whole hell of a lot happening. second wave of snow fascists attemped to take the stronghold that is my snow fortress and were repelled by a wave of glorious 7.62x54 musk smell slamming crouched low and took a snow trench to the bam stairs and made my way fort, peering over the edge i could see something movng by the treeline down had dark brown fur coering t at least thats what it looked ike, it stayed low whle it moved othe head appeared elongated ending in a blunt muzzle, almost like a bear, but almost like if you took a rottweilers head, took off the ears, scaled R up and covered it in coarse brown hair a deer fronm son of a bitch, that one was MINE exe and its up and looking around, stil with a slight hunch but this thing is BIG, like &- after a momenttgrabs its prize around the nock with a single long arm and takes of into the woods again, i give it a whle before investigating fuck trying to find this thing in >茁the same time, im pissed this thing has the GALL to malest my territory, a strange thought comes into my mind this is my tentory ill mark it how i like, right slong where ts tracks go from the treeline to the clearing before the fence, i piss all along it, took a steaming dump right in one of its foot prints over the next couple af days wat and observe the whole time i cant shake the feeing that im being watched as well also starting to figure out why the boss managed to buy this ranch bunk house making some combread to go with my chǔ when i hear the horses start raising 9 lands of hell, 2 types of chaos and a side of mayhem throw on my coat, grab my mosin and afix the bayonet as i charge out the door towards the corrals in almost knocked ormy feet by the smell first of. smells like a wookie in heat, but i cant see anything looming まof the growing darkness o i make it the main corral attached to the bam and i can see all the horses are panicking, shying away from one side of the comal, the one part of > cant be sure but i would bet money ts he head of the same one i saw it take a few days ago, trn of the neck、just below the head -looking to the treeline i can see a form fading into the pines >bury the head and get the horses calmed down, head back to the cabin othis spooked my horses, made me bum my combread and kiled a deer in MY temitory the next day i keep an eye out, head towards the northem pastures and manage to back another coyote, but i bring the whole carcass back with me this time mother fucker >skin it out carefully, made sure to leave the guts intact, save the hide for later use and bury the carcass underneath some old straw to let it ripen bloated and mpe cayote gather a few pine bows and use an E tool, did a bed to lie down in, cover my tracks with the pine boughs and line the bed with them >Open up cayote and leave it about 10 ft in front of me, cover up my last tracks, fox bayonet, chamber a round and cover my sef with snow now the wating game begins >manage to get used the the rotten coyate smell ater awhile, toes are cold but not the numbness that heralds the numbness of hostbite, thank god for redwings the my □ Anonymous 02/19/16(Fn)03 1056 No 28981228 File its footsteps were barely making a sound in the snow with that musky odor getting stronger with each footfal a hard time controlling my aven wth could see moving through the trees now but my first thoughts on a bearike or dog head and muzzle were wro g. andi ealized where had sr elled something like this musk before long legs and torso leading to powerul shoulders what i guess at a hunch was the neck of an oversized goat head, easily almost 3 meters tall black beady eyes wth a malevolence in themn and stumpy homs pushing theough the hair above ts brow i could see the greasy hair of its chin dripping with saliva leaking from the coners of its mouth as it snifed the air sounding for all the world ike an enormous set of bellows it snorted out a fetid plume as it raised it head and looked past my position to the bam and ranch seemingly satisfed, it stepped out of the trees, crouched and moved towards the coyote, i wated as it got closer 30 s15 sucking in as much air as i could i leap from my concealed position, bringing my mosin up over my head and shouted for all i was worth that sound that came out ofl me i dont think i could ever replicate, Ei did it would have t everything was contained in that scream, every shouted order to for bayonets and charge, every screaming bails on fre rush across no mans land, every howl of fury as blades met, and every roar of primitive fury that another dare take what is mine stopping dead in its tracks i reared up to its full teerible height, almost twice mine in boots and coyote coat >summoning up another shout i shouldered the rifle and took a pace forward, how, i dont know, i was ready to piss mysef with my own stupidity this was something alse, this was a force of nature, and i was going to stand aganst it File ducking its head it glared at me with those obsidian orbs of primordial hunger, this creature was contesting its claim s own, the bass loose the tenuous hold i had u ears i couldet move forward everything in me was screaming to cut an run, but as i stood there gazing down the abused wooden length mosin, the dings and pts in the stock stood dont lonow how, i dont know why, but i took strengh in that, this weapon had faced monsters before, faced an unstoppable machine and brought with a snort of fetid breath it moved to take another step forward anawering with another cro-magnon hol i stode forward, standing over the offending ple of guts that had become the Ine in the snow a scarce few yards from me stood a creature out of forgotten legends, a nightmare made mandest glaring at me with hatred a low rumbling growl bat that i could feal in my chest as its lips skinned back over foul teeth in twisted parody of a grin, baring teeth that had no business in even an over sized goats mouth a third primitive scream escaped my lips as i sighted just over its shoulder and ired my mosin erupted from the i stepped forward, past the coyote, and raised the rifle above my head, stretching upwards on the balls of my feet for as much extra height i could muster, screaming at the top of my lungs for whatever reason, that was enough, backing up and fnally tuning around, it stalked off into the woods somehow deep down in that primitive part of my bran knew i had won, but the ratonal part of my brain stil wanted to piss myself 02/19/16(Fr003 40 50 № 28981350 the barn with a bottle never came across another kill anywhere on the property ater that, found tracks, but never aywhere near the perimeter clearing between the fence and the tree line. even sighted it from a distance a few times after that, but alwarys from a long ways i made the barest mention to the boss ater he had been back for awhile, but he just chalked it up to al the other crazy shenanigans id been up too while i held down the fort for 2 months, but wasnt realy interested. tried talking to a few tribal elders, but none of them wanted anything to do with me thats pratty much it for spooky stones from that tima gave each other a fairly wide berth.

[fellheros]

i’m pulling down one (1) bar in the woods somehow—! not enough to actually load online content ( rip dashboard ),  but enough to post up what I write!