Drawn by a curse.

Moonlit City, a bustling metropolis, shimmered under the silvery glow of a full moon. The air is filled with a symphony of sounds: the distant honking of car horns, the murmur of conversations, and the laughter of friends enjoying their time together and catching up on work gist. Music spilled from a club nearby, mingling with the rhythmic footsteps of pedestrians as they made their way home In a dimly lit alley, a lone figure hurriedly walked, her footsteps echoing against the walls. Dencia Brown, a secretary at Forestort Group of companies, had just left the office after an intense day of recording transactions, typing reports, drafting emails, and clearing out the log books in preparation for the new month. Closing time was usually 5:00 pm but she had decided to wait behind today to deal with the heavy workload so she could have a clear table tomorrow. Her boss, Mr. Simon had walked into her office at quarter to five to invite her for a house party to mark the end of a stressful month but she had respectfully declined. “Don’t tell me you are planning to stay back to work, Dencia. You know you should find time to have fun because, you know, all work and no play…” “Makes Jack a dull boy”, she completed his sentence with him and then burst into laughter. “I will definitely make time to have fun, but not today, sir”, she had replied. Moonlit city was generally a peaceful and crime-free town so she had no problem leaving late and also her house was just a stone's throw from the office, but then, there was just something strange about this night, something ominous and she could feel it in her bones. The weather changed and it became a little windy. She held tightly to her coat and bag and began to walk faster and silently prayed the rains wouldn’t come till she got home. She was about to make a turn toward the main street when an eerie howl pierced the night air. A chill ran down Dencia’s spine, and she quickened her pace, casting nervous glances over her shoulder. She heard a thudding sound of heavy footsteps that seemed to be running in her direction. She looked back to see a hulking silhouette moving with unnatural speed, its eyes glowing with a feral hunger. Panic took over Dencia’s senses, and she broke into a sprint, her feet pounding the pavement with desperation. The alley seemed to stretch endlessly, and Dencia’s breaths came out in ragged gasps. She fumbled with her bag, retrieved her phone, and immediately dialed the emergency number. "911, what's your emergency?" a voice crackled on the other end. "Help! There's something... something chasing me!" Dencia panted into the phone. "Okay ma’am, take a deep breath. I am here to help. Can you tell me your location," the operator replied. “I-I'm in Miller Park, near the old oak tree. It's dark, and I don't know what it is, but it's fast, and it won't stop following me! “ What is your name?” Dencia. Dencia Brown”, she muttered. “Okay Miss Dencia, stay calm. Help is on the way. Can you describe the creature? What does it look like?” Before she could respond, the creature lunged at her, its claws slashing through the air. Her phone slipped from her grasp, clattering to the ground. Her scream pierced the air as the creature's razor-sharp claws tore into her flesh, leaving deep, searing scratches that oozed blood. As she struggled to break free, she felt herself being swept from her feet and slammed against a wall. She fell flat-faced on the ground and for a few seconds, she could not remember where she was. As she tried to regain full consciousness, she could faintly picture the hulk-like figure, more like a wolf walking towards her. Just as he was about to pounce on her again, another figure approached. He looked like her attacker but he was a bit bigger. He lunged at the hulk-like figure and they engaged in a raging battle that seemed to shake the whole alley. Dencia knew she had to get out of there immediately but it seemed like all the energy in her had been sucked out. As She tried to stand, a searing jolt of agony shot through her body, causing her to sway unsteadily. Her legs betrayed her and she collapsed back to the ground. The pain seemed to reverberate through every fiber of her being, and she let out a sob. She struggled to prop herself up on her arms, her legs rendered powerless, as she desperately tried to crawl away from the scene of the assault. With each painstaking movement, she winced, gritting her teeth against the sharp pain that shot through her body. Her eyes darted around, scanning for any sign of help or safety, but the world seemed to blur through the haze of pain and desperation. Just then, another piercing howl louder and scarier than the first reverberated through the air. Upon hearing this, the hulk-like creature stopped in his tracks for a split second and then retreated into the shadows, disappearing as quickly as it came, with his attacker running right after him. Summoning her inner strength, Dencia tried pulling herself up again, but the pain in her leg was excruciating, and she felt so dizzy. Her heart pounded in her chest as she contemplated what to do next. She knew she couldn't stay in the dark alley, vulnerable and injured. Just as despair threatened to engulf her, a familiar voice cut through the darkness. "Dencia! Hold on!" It was Alex, her loyal and dependable assistant at work. Relief washed over her as she recognized his voice. "Alex?" she called out, her voice weak. How did he know she was here? "Yes, it's me! I'm coming!" he shouted as he rushed towards her. He crouched down to assess the situation and realized she was bleeding. "Dencia, are you alright? What happened?" he asked, concern etched across his face. "I... I was attacked," Dencia managed to say, her breaths shaky and labored. "I can't walk, Alex”. Immediately he brought out his phone, dialed 911, and reported the situation… "We need to get you out of here," he said firmly, supporting her gently. "Lean on me, let me get you up”. She weakly clung to him, her body trembling with pain. Despite his best efforts, her strength gave way, and she slipped from his grasp, falling to the ground. Her vision blurred, and the world around her seemed to spin as she teetered on the edge of consciousness. "Dencia, stay with me!" Alex pleaded, his voice laced with urgency and worry. He knelt beside her, cradling her head gently in his hands. "Help is on the way; just hold on a little longer." Dencia struggled to keep her eyes open, but the darkness threatened to engulf her. She could hear the distant wailing of sirens growing louder, and the flash of emergency lights illuminated the alley. As she slipped in and out of consciousness, she could catch glimpses of people in uniforms busking around, their voices mingling into a murmur of reassurance and urgency. Alex stepped back, allowing them to tend to her but she didn’t want to let go of his hand. “You are in safe hands now, the paramedics are here!”, was the last thing she heard before she completely blacked out.