The Hunter in the Dark
852 Words
The night was silent, save for the rhythmic tapping of Irene’s hurried footsteps against the pavement. Darkness stretched endlessly before her, swallowing the distant glow of the city. The streetlights flickered, casting jagged shadows that twisted and writhed like living things.
She cursed herself for taking this road. The highway was deserted, flanked by an expanse of dense, whispering trees. The occasional gust of wind rustled through the branches, sending a chorus of eerie murmurs through the forest. Every sound—every snapping twig, every rustling leaf—felt amplified in the stillness, making her pulse quicken.
A low howl echoed from somewhere deep in the woods.
Irene’s breath hitched. She clutched her coat tightly around her, her fingers trembling as she quickened her pace. The stories about Petrilia resurfaced in her mind—stories of people vanishing without a trace, of shadows that moved without a source, of screams that never found an end.
The phone in her pocket buzzed, making her jump. She fumbled to pull it out, her hands unsteady. A voice message from her friend.
"Irene, where are you? I'm getting worried. Please let me know you're safe."
A lump formed in her throat. She exhaled shakily and continued forward, her fingers hovering over the screen, ready to type a response.
Then—
The streetlights went out.
A suffocating darkness swallowed the road, leaving only the pale glow of her phone’s screen. The hairs on the back of her neck rose. She stopped, listening. The wind had died, and in its absence, the silence was deafening.
Then came the sound.
A rustle in the trees.
Slow. Deliberate. Close.
Irene’s breath quickened. She turned her head towards the woods, her eyes straining to make out the source. The shadows seemed thicker now, more menacing. A trick of the mind. That’s all it was.
Then, a figure stepped out of the trees.
Tall. Motionless. Watching.
Her breath stilled in her throat. The man—if he even was one—stood just beyond the reach of her phone’s dim light, his face obscured in darkness. But she saw the faintest glint of eyes. Sharp. Piercing. And locked onto her.
She took a step back. The figure took one forward.
A chill raced down her spine.
"Lost, are we?" His voice was smooth—too smooth. Almost serpentine, curling around her like a whispered threat.
She swallowed, forcing her legs to move. "I—I'm fine," she stammered, turning on her heel. "I need to—"
She didn’t get to finish.
In the blink of an eye, he was in front of her.
Her breath caught in her throat. He hadn’t run. Hadn’t moved like any normal person would. One moment he had been in the trees, and the next—
He was here.
"Let me go," she whispered, her voice barely audible over the pounding of her heart.
His lips curved into a smile. A too-wide smile. "Now, now," he murmured. "There’s no need to be afraid."
Then she saw it.
The faint sheen of blood smeared across his lips.
Irene’s stomach dropped. Her fingers shook as she fumbled to call for help, dialing 911 with frantic desperation.
The man tilted his head, amused. "Oh? You think that will save you?"
The call connected.
"911, what's your emergency?"
She opened her mouth to scream—
But before a sound could escape, he was on her.
A blinding pain shot through her body as she hit the pavement. A sickening snap rang through the air. A scream tore from her throat as white-hot agony exploded through her legs. Broken. They were broken.
She tried to crawl, her fingernails scraping against the asphalt as she dragged herself forward. The phone had fallen beside her, the call still connected. She could hear the dispatcher’s voice, distant and panicked, calling out to her.
But she couldn’t answer.
Because the man was no longer in front of her.
He was above her.
Crouched, his bloodied smile stretching wider, his breath cold against her cheek.
"Poor thing," he whispered. "You never even had a chance, did you?"
Irene let out a shuddering sob.
His fingers curled under her chin, forcing her head to the side. He inhaled deeply, savoring the moment.
Then—
With terrifying ease, he sank his fangs into her throat.
Pain. White-hot and searing. A choked gasp caught in her lungs as she felt the life being drained from her, the warmth in her body ebbing away with every agonizing second.
Her vision blurred.
Her heartbeat faltered.
The last thing she saw before the darkness consumed her—
Was the monster's crimson-stained grin.
**************************
A phone rang in the dimly lit office. Professor Felix adjusted his glasses, his fingers tightening around the receiver as he pressed it to his ear.
“They’re here,” came a hushed voice from the other end.
Felix’s expression darkened. He leaned back in his chair, his mind already racing.
“How many?” he asked.
“Too many.”
Felix sighed, rubbing his temple. His worst fears had been confirmed.
The monsters had come to town.
- Writer
