The monster’s breath hit my face. It was warm and smelled like something rotten. I didn’t think. I just swung the knife. The blade barely scraped its shoulder, catching the moonlight for a second. It let out a sharp howl that made my whole body tense. But it didn’t stop.
Its claws tore through my jacket, slashing my sleeve open. I stumbled back and tripped over a root. My balance slipped. I almost fell.
So this is how it ends. Not in a hospital bed. Not in my sleep. Out here, in the middle of nowhere. Alone.
My life was already falling apart anyway. I thought moving here would fix something. Maybe it was just another mistake. But staying in the city wouldn’t have saved me either. I would still be stuck. Still hurting. Still surrounded by people who drained the life out of me.
There was
