THE UNTAMED LUNA

THE WOLF IN THE WOODS

The next evening, I was in the kitchen, stirring the pot of stewed chicken as the soft hiss of oil filled the air. The golden light from the stove flickered across the tiled floor, wrapping the small space in warmth and comfort, until I heard something...

A faint shuffle.

Somewhere beyond the kitchen walls, something moved.

At first, I brushed it off... probably the wind brushing through the bamboo fence again. But then came 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. Completely still.

“You’re just imagining things again,” I whispered, forcing a shaky laugh. “It’s just the wind. Nothing else.”

But then it came again.

Step... crack... step.

Until the sounds is closer.

My pulse quickened. The wooden spoon in my hand felt heavier now, my grip tightening around it until my knuckles turned white.

“What was that?” I murmured under my breath. “Why does it sound like it’s right beside me?”

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.

Then...

BOGGSSHH!!

A thunderous crash exploded from outside. I jumped, the pot jerking in my hands, broth spilling and hissing against the hot stove. My heart pounded in my throat.

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

“Okay... calm down,” I muttered, reaching for my phone. “Just check it out. Maybe something fell.”

My voice sounded smaller than I meant it to. I stepped out 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.

It wasn’t an animal I recognized. Not a dog. Not a boar. Not anything from this world.

A long, muscular tail curled behind it, the tip glowing faintly blue... pulsing, alive. The creature’s chest rose and fell... slow, deliberate breaths that sounded too deep, too aware.

Then it moved.

Two eyes snapped open, blazing yellow, molten gold against the dark.

My heart stopped. Those eyes weren’t animal. They knew. They saw me.

Its growl rumbled low, vibrating through the earth beneath my feet. My flashlight beam quivered across its snout... fangs glistening wet, long, curved, sharp enough to tear through bone.

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

And then it moved.

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.

My legs shook as I forced myself forward. The flashlight beam wavered over the ground, catching streaks the dark.

I followed them. Each breath was shorter than the last, until... The light landed on it.

A deer. Dead.

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, gleaming black in the light.

The smell hit me.. like iron and decay.

Flies buzzed, drawn to the heat of fresh death.

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

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

Then.. "Roooo.hhh"

A deep, guttural growl rolled through the mist.

I spun around, flashlight darting across the shadows. “Someone’s there?” I called out, my voice breaking.

“Hello... I’m coming...”

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

Nothing. Just the wind brushing past me, cold and alive. I stepped forward, heart hammering so loud I could barely hear anything else.

A shadow burst from the dark.

Something huge, snarling, eyes burning red. The sound was primal, furious, a tiger’s roar mixed with something unnatural. I stumbled backward, gasping.

Its teeth gleamed like blades, saliva dripping between them as it took a step forward.

My legs wouldn’t move. Fear rooted me to the ground. Then 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.

WRROOORRR!!

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

I pressed my back against the wall, gasping, eyes darting to the window. Nothing followed. No shadow. No sound but my own trembling breath.

“Thank you...” I whispered shakily.

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

Low. Unfamiliar. Not wolf. Not dog. Something else entirely.

It 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 sank 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 visions. The whispers. The strange sounds that didn’t belong to this world.

“Are you okay?”

Dad’s voice made me flinch. I looked up and saw him standing by the doorway, worry shadowing his face. His eyes darted to my pale cheeks and the way my hands shook.

“What happened?” he asked, stepping 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, nothing.

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

“There is something!” 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,” I said, trembling. “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.”

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 something, an 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, and I saw it, the unease behind his forced calm.

“Dad,” I said quietly, “that deer wasn’t killed by accident. It was hunted. The wild thing from the woods did that.”

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 enough.”

Mom froze mid-step, her face paling. “Wait, you’re talking about a wolf?”

“A wolf?” I echoed.

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 watching us.

And I knew, somehow, this wasn’t over.