THE UNTAMED LUNA

CHAPTER 5: INTO THE WOODS

I was in the kitchen, stirring the pot of stewed chicken. The golden light from the stove wrapping the small space of our kitchen in warmth.

Thudd.

Suddenly I hear a faint shuffle... It's somewhere beyond the kitchen walls.

I never my mind it. As I thought, probably it's the wind brushing through the bamboo fence again near the backyard, and Dad can handle it tomorrow morning. But then, it came with another sound. A crack. Like a foot snapping a dry branch under weight.

I froze mid-stir.

My eyes flicked toward the window, toward the hallway, toward anywhere that sound might have come from. The house was empty, my parents are not here yet... so nobody's gonna make an annoying sound.

You’re just imagining things again, I whispered to myself, forcing a shaky laugh.

It’s just the wind. Nothing else!

But then it came again.

Step... crack... step.

But that sound was going closer to me.. I can sense it, it was like my intellect. My pulse quickened. The wooden spoon in my hand felt heavier now, my grip tightening around it.

“What was that?” I murmured under my breath.

I tried to ignore it, tried to focus on the bubbling stew, but my every nerve was on edge. The aroma of garlic and pepper filled the air, yet it suddenly smelled wrong? Like metal and blood.

BOGGSSHH!!

A thunderous crash exploded from outside. I heard it clearly. I almost jumped in my shock,. But the pot jerking in my hands, broth spilling and hissing against the hot stove, so I decided to shut it down first.

The clock on the wall ticked loudly at 7:00 PM.

“Okay... calm down self,” I muttered.

I wanted to check it out. Maybe something fell.

I stepped out from the back door. The night hit me like ice. The air was sharp, heavy with mist, and the smell of damp earth filled my lungs. I raised my flashlight, the beam trembled in my hand as it sliced through the fog.

Then I saw it.

Something, huge..was sprawled across the ground just a few meters away. I took a hesitant step forward, light shaking as it caught on fur, thick, black, glistening as though slick with oil. First of all, I recognized it, it was a wild animal in the forest, but it's not a boar or not a dog.

A long, muscular tail curled behind it, the tip glowing faintly blue, and it's alive of course. The creature’s chest rose...with deliberate breaths that sounded too deep, too aware that someone was coming.

I was not wrong, because it suddenly moved. Two eyes snapped open, blazing yellow against the dark.

My heart stopped.

Because those eyes weren’t just animals, it's like a dangerous wildest animal and it was watching me.

Its growl and rumbled low, vibrating through the ground beneath my feet. My flashlight beam quivered across its snout... fangs were glistening wet, long, curved, sharp enough to tear a big bones.

“What... are you?” I whispered, barely breathing.

And then it moved again, in a blur of shadow and speed. The creature lunged upward, impossibly fast, landing on the rocks with a sound like thunder. Its claws scraped against stone, echoing through the night. For one chilling second, its glowing tail flicked toward me, then it vanished, melting into the darkness of the forest.

Then the silence fell. Only the wind remained, whispering through the trees like a warning.

But my legs shook as I pushed myself onward. The beam of the flashlight flickered across the ground, illuminating patches of darkness.

I followed the scent of that wild animal. Each breath was shorter than the last, until... The light landed on it.

A dead deer!!

My eyes widened from what I found.

Flies buzzed, drawn to the heat of fresh death. Its body lay twisted, its eyes wide open, reflecting the moonlight in a glassy stare. Two of its legs were gone, torn clean off. The ground beneath it was soaked dark and thick with blood. The smell hit me.. as it started to decay.

I stumbled back, a strangled sound tearing from my throat. This wasn’t just an animal attack! This was something else, something intelligent cannibalism can do.

And it was still out there. It watching me..

"Roooohh" A deep, guttural growl rolled through the mist.

My fear is real!! but my feet is not.

I spun around, flashlight darting across the shadows.

“Someone’s there?” I called out, my voice is breaking.

“Hello... I’m coming...”

No reply. Only the growl, but it's lower now when I'm closer.

The wind brushing past me, cold and alive. I stepped forward, as my heart was hammering so loud. Still, I could barely hear anything else, until a shadow burst from the dark. Something big was snarling, eyes burning red. The sound was primal, furious, a tiger’s roar mixed with something unnatural.

I stumbled backward, gasping.

When I saw its teeth gleamed like blades, saliva dripping between them as it took a step forward, going to me..

My legs wouldn’t move. Fear rooted me to the ground. Then my instinct snapped, I turned and ran!!

The world blurred. Branches scraped my arms. My lungs burned. My heartbeat roared louder than my footsteps as I slammed the door shut behind me, twisting the lock.

WRROARRR!!

The roar shook the air outside, scattering birds into the night.

I pressed my back against the door, gasping, my eyes darting to the window. But there's nothing following me, even a shadow. For now on, there is no other sound, only my own trembling breath.

“Thank you...” I whispered shakily.

But the quiet didn’t last long. From deep within the trees, it came another sound of a howl.

Low. Unfamiliar. not a bear and not a dog. That is terrifying! The sound echoed through the night, long and haunting, until it faded into silence, leaving only the pulse of my heart...and the certainty that whatever it was... it wasn’t done with me yet.

I fell to the floor, my knees trembling as I wrapped my arms around myself. Cold sweat trickled down my neck.

Why was this happening again? The scents, and the whispers, as if it is calling my name..

This is so strange.

“Are you okay?” Dad’s voice made me flinch.

I looked up and saw him standing by the main doorway, worry shadowing his face. His eyes darted to my pale cheeks and the way my hands shook.

“What happened?” he asked, as he step closer.

“Dad,” I breathed out, my throat tight, “I saw something out there!”

I forced myself to stand and pointed toward the window. My voice quivered as I spoke.

Dad frowned, walked over, and peered through the glass. The night outside was pitch black, the kind of darkness that swallowed light whole. He grabbed the flashlight from the drawer and aimed it into the woods.

Leaves rustled in the wind. The beam of light flickered against the tree line, he found nothing.

“I don’t see anything,” he said finally.

“There is something out there!” I insisted, my voice rising. “I saw its eyes, Dad! Glowing, like a monster’s!”

He turned back to me with a faint smile, trying to lighten the air. “Monsters, huh? You didn’t sneak another horror movie before bed, did you?”

I shook my head hard. “No! I mean it. It wasn’t… human. It looked like a wild animal, something that could kill a person. Like, like a bear or something huge!”

Dad sighed and turned toward the dinner table. The food sat untouched. He picked up his fork, speared a piece of fried chicken, and raised it toward me.

“Like this?” he teased softly before taking a bite. “See? Perfectly harmless.”

My voice broke as I whispered, “That could’ve been me, Dad… if I hadn’t run.”

The humor drained from his face. His eyes darkened, searching mine. “Are you serious?”

“Yes, You remember that night on the road, you said you saw something huge, like a dog? I think it’s the same creature. It’s not just an animal, Dad… it’s something else. It’s too big.” I said with trembling voices.

He set down the fork and exhaled slowly, his calm tone masking the tension in his jaw. “Alright, princess. I’ll tell the chairman tomorrow, see if we can get some help. Maybe others have seen it too.”

His attempt at reassurance should have comforted me, but it didn’t. I walked to the window again, staring into the black void beyond the glass. The trees whispered in the wind. I prayed whatever I saw out there wouldn’t come back.

Morning sunlight bled through the curtains when I woke. From my window, I saw Dad in the backyard, shovel in hand, his shirt clinging to his back with sweat. Beside him lay a dead animal, limp and lifeless. My stomach turned.

By the time I came downstairs, he was just finishing.

“Hey, sweetie. How was your sleep?” Mom asked as I passed her in the kitchen.

“It was… fine,” I murmured. I wanted to tell her about last night, about the thing in the woods, but something inside me held back. She wouldn’t believe me, not until she saw it herself.

“Hooh!” Dad exhaled heavily as he came in, wiping his forehead.

"I buried it. Poor deer. I asked the neighbors if they’d seen anything, but no one knew a thing.” He looked at me with unease behind his calmness.

“Dad, that deer wasn’t killed by a person. It was hunted by that wild thing from the woods."

He stared at me. “You really saw it? The big dog?”

“Yes,” I said, my throat tightening. “It came after me. I only survived because I ran fast.”

"Sweetheart, did I tell you that I am the gold medalist in the national fun run competition during my high school days!" Mom said intentionally.

"I am so proud of you Mom!!" I nodded.

See? she don't want to believe it. But her face turned pale.

“Wait, you’re talking about something wild?!” Mom said.

“I think it's a wolf?” I finally said.

She shook her head slowly. “That can’t be. Wolves don’t exist here. Not in the Philippines.”

Dad frowned. “Unless someone brought one here… maybe as a pet.”

“Then it escaped,” I whispered. “And it’s killing now.”

Dad nodded grimly. “You’re right. I’ll report it to the chairman today. If that creature’s still out there, we need to stop it before someone gets hurt.”

I looked back toward the woods beyond our house. The morning light danced over the leaves, but deep inside, the shadows still felt alive, as if there is someone that was watching us!