Chapter 6
1393 Words
CHAPTER 6: The Monster in the Woods
Leota’s POV
I didn’t even realize I was holding my breath until I saw Jason’s body twisting. His back arched, bones cracked like dry twigs, and his breath came out in deep, animal growls. I stumbled backward with my heart pounding.
“J-Jason?” I whispered, but it wasn’t really him anymore.
His skin changed, his hands stretched and warped into claws, and his face—God, his face—shifted right in front of me. Bones popped, muscles grew, fur sprouted out, and in seconds, the boy who had yelled at me on the rink floor was gone and in his place stood a huge brown wolf, the kind you’d see in a horror movie if the budget was good enough.
The wolf’s golden eyes gleamed, glowing like they could see every scared thought running through my brain. He was massive—like two of me stacked on top of each other, massive and my knees almost gave way.
“Okay,” I whispered shakily with my hands raised like that would stop a creature that could bite through a car door. “Let’s… talk about this like civilized people… or animals. Whatever you are.”
He let out a growl that rumbled through the trees, and that was all the convincing I needed. I turned and ran.
Behind me, I heard heavy paws thudding against the ground, fast and powerful.
“Oh my God, he’s chasing me!” I yelled because apparently, my brain thought saying it out loud would help.
A sharp sound—a snarl, loud and close—echoed behind me, and before I could look back, something slammed into me. The world flipped upside down, and I hit the ground hard as my notebook went flying.
I lay flat with breath knocked out, staring up at the dark sky.
Okay. Maybe if I just pretended to be dead, it would go away. That’s what you do with bears, right? Or were that mountain lions? Oh, whatever—same difference.
I didn’t move and I didn’t breathe.
The wolf’s shadow loomed over me. Its warm breath brushed across my neck, and I felt it sniffing me slowly and carefully, like it was trying to decide if I was food or friend.
Then, something weird happened. The growling stopped, and the wolf went still. Its muzzle brushed against my shoulder, then my cheek, like it was trying to recognize me.
My throat was dry.
“Jason… if you can hear me in there, please don’t eat me. I have student loans and a tragic backstory.”
The wolf’s head tilted slightly, and its golden eyes flicked over my face, and then, without warning, it bared its fangs.
“Crap!” I yelped, throwing my hands up. My fingers brushed his fur, and.. bam.. visions hit me again.
Flashes of pain.. Jason, clutching his head. Screams.. Blood.. His face twisted in agony, and someone was yelling his name. It all came in sharp bursts.
I gasped and yanked my hand back.
“Holy hell… what was that?”
The wolf stumbled back, shaking its head violently and growling at nothing like it was fighting itself. Then it collapsed.
Right there, in the dirt, its body started changing again with fur melting back into skin, claws retracting, bones snapping into place and within seconds, Jason was back.. naked, bloody, and breathing heavily.
“Oh my God,” I whispered, staring at him. “Okay… that’s… definitely not something you see every day.”
I should have run. I really should have, but instead, I crawled closer. His body was trembling, and his skin was covered in sweat and dirt. His shirt and jacket were shredded, hanging off him like paper.
“Jason?” I said softly, touching his shoulder. He didn’t move. “Hey, wolf-boy, can you hear me?”
His eyelids fluttered open, and for a second, I thought he’d attack again, but his voice came out weak.
“Leota… you… You shouldn’t be here.”
“Well, sorry,” I said, rolling my eyes even though my heart was still in panic mode. “Next time I’ll remember to schedule your werewolf breakdown in my planner.”
He gave a weak, humorless smile, then groaned.
“We can’t go back to the school.”
“What? Why not?”
He grabbed my wrist with his grip, surprisingly strong for someone who looked like he’d gone ten rounds with a freight train.
“It’s not safe… not for you or anyone.”
“Yeah, no kidding. You just turned into a freaking wolf and tackled me!”
“I didn’t mean to,” he muttered, trying to sit up.
“Jason, you need a hospital.”
“No,” he said quickly, shaking his head. “No hospitals. Just… home.”
I sighed, running a hand through my hair.
“Home? Great. Lead the way, werewolf edition.”
He tried to get up but swayed, and I caught him under his arm, nearly tripping in the process.
“You’re heavy,” I grumbled.
He spoke weakly.
“You talk too much.”
“And you shed too much,” I shot back, half-dragging him through the trees.
Every sound of the forest made me flinch, and everything felt like it was watching us as Jason leaned heavily on me, limping with his breath ragged.
“This way,” he said after a while, pointing toward a faint trail that went deeper into the woods. “Shortcut.”
“Shortcut?” I echoed. “You sure this isn’t the part of the movie where I get eaten?”
“Just trust me,” he muttered.
“Famous last words,” I mumbled, but followed anyway.
We stumbled through mud and roots until the trees thinned out and then, suddenly, a small cottage appeared in a clearing… a two-step porch with lights glowing in the windows.
Jason exhaled like he’d been holding his breath forever.
“We’re here.”
“Home sweet haunted forest,” I said under my breath.
I helped him up the steps, and before I could knock, the door swung open. A man and woman stood there, both older-looking and worried.
“Jason!” the woman cried, rushing forward to grab him. She was tall and dark-haired, with tired eyes that looked like she hadn’t slept in weeks.
The man beside her with broad shoulders and a stern face caught Jason before he fell and half-carried him inside.
“Wait,” I said, still on the porch. “He needs...”
The man turned to me sharply, and his voice was deep and commanding.
“Who the hell are you?”
I froze. “I.. uh.. I’m Leota. From Laycon College. Jason was… having a moment. I just wanted to make sure he got home safe.”
He narrowed his eyes.
“You followed him here?”
“Well, yeah. He kind of turned into a giant wolf and ran off, and...”
“Enough!” he growled. “You shouldn’t have come here.”
I blinked.
“Excuse me? I literally saved your son’s furry behind.”
His jaw tightened.
“You have five minutes to leave this property.”
I laughed nervously.
“Oh, come on. You can’t be serious.”
“Lexie or whatever your name is,” the woman said softly from behind him. “Please… just go. You don’t understand what you’ve walked into.”
“I’d love to understand!” I snapped. “But everyone keeps acting like I’m the crazy one.”
The man took a step closer with his eyes flashing with that Jason golden glow.
“Leave,” he said again, this time lower and more dangerous.
My mouth went dry.
“Right. Okay. Leaving. Totally leaving.”
He slammed the door in my face, and I stood there for a moment, staring at the wood grain, completely dumbfounded.
“Well… that was rude.”
A voice echoed from inside.
“You have five minutes before I make you leave.”
“Yeah, message received!” I shouted back, throwing up my hands. “Hospitality level: zero stars!”
I turned and stumbled down the steps with my brain spinning as I ran away from the cottage with my heart still pounding…
- Writer
