The End Foreseen

chapter eight

Eventually, we pull into a gap in the trees and drive up a long dirt road. The late afternoon sun casts long shadows, making the forest seem darker than I expected. We finally reach a grassy clearing where a couple of horses graze peacefully. Further down the road, Jerome's cabin comes into view.

We park and grab our bags. Jerome rushes to the door, making a show of searching for the key. Ana giggles as he theatrically fumbles before finally unlocking it.

"You guys hungry?" he asks as we head inside, leading Ana toward the kitchen.

"Yes, sir." I offer a small smile before glancing toward the stairs. "I'm gonna get settled in, okay?"

Jerome nods, and they disappear into the kitchen while I head upstairs. I enter the guest room, drop my bags on the floor, and sit on the bed. Taking a deep breath, I let myself fall back, staring at the ceiling as my thoughts spiral.

So what next? I think back to the soldiers taking Ana away and everything else that happened. All I wanted was to keep Ana safe. I have no idea what to do now... I guess we just wing it.

With a sigh, I sit up and head back downstairs. Ana and Jerome are deep in conversation in the kitchen when I walk in.

"Hey, guys," I say, making my way over. They both stop and look at me and I stop looking at them suspiciously.

"So, has Ana told you about the crazy day I had?" I ask, feeling a little awkward.

Jerome looks at Ana before turning his serious gaze on me. "She's given me a rundown of your adventure. According to her, you're a seer?” The lack of playfulness in his tone catches me off guard.

"Yea." I let out a heavy sigh, " I guess that's what we're goin with…” a heavy silence settles in after admitting it aloud.

“Since you're bringing it up noooow,” I move on, “I need to let you guys know what I saw at the hospital." Their expressions turn expectant as I recount my vision and the chaos it foretold.

"So that's why you were so tense when we were at home," Ana muses.

"Yeah. I'm not sure what the plan is going forward, but at least we're safe for now." As if on cue, the oven beeps, making us jump. Jerome pulls out a loaded homemade pizza.

"I made dinner," he says, setting it on the table. "Had it stored in the freezer." He nods toward the deep freezer in the far corner before grabbing a pizza cutter. He slices the pizza, placing a piece on each plate, and slides them across the table.

"So," Ana begins, "before we figure out what’s next, we need more information. Like, why did soldiers show up the moments after I got home from the hospital?"

"I agree," Jerome says, "but for tonight, let’s rest. Tomorrow, we’ll make a more solid plan." I nod in response, focusing on my pizza when—

A loud commotion erupts outside. The unmistakable sounds of wood cracking, clattering metal, and a horse's panicked whinny shatter the moment.

We freeze. My eyes snap to the window. Outside, in the dim light provided by the moon, I see movement—something dark and shifting. It looks eerily familiar, like the creature from the woods near my house. Jerome tenses.

"Wait here.", He orders, pushing back his chair causing it to make a slight screeching noise before he gets up and strides to the door. Without a weapon, he steps out into the night. My stomach twists into knots.

Ana and I disregard his order after a moment of shock passes over us. Rushing to the door we barely make it outside before he's halfway across the yard, closing the space between himself and the creature. He calls out to it, but his words are too distant to decipher. The beast suddenly begins to contort more rapidly, growing larger and more feral by the second.

Then, it lunges! Jerome stands firm, bracing for impact. Ana lets loose an ear splitting scream and bolts toward him.

"Ana, no!" I yell as she passes me.

The creature pivots, locking onto Ana instead. Jerome's face twists in panic before it distorts and his body begins to shift. Unlike the monstrous transformation before us, his change is controlled. Within seconds, a massive wolf-like beast stands in his place.

Muscles coiling, he launches at the attacking creature, fangs sinking into its neck and knocking it to the ground. The beast lets out an unearthly scream as it stumbles back up and tries to lunge once more. But Jerome doesn’t relent—he moves with deadly precision, taking out its legs again before darting back, avoiding its flailing attacks.

The creature is weakening, bleeding out. Its movements grow sluggish. Jerome shifts back to his human form, standing over it, his expression pained.

As I watch, the beast falls to the ground and begins to change too. Its grotesque form begins to start shifting less erratically and slowly melts away, revealing a human underneath. The transformation halts as the unconscious man lies still.

Jerome bends down, checking his pulse. I look over at Ana only a few yards from me, seemingly frozen in place. I begin moving towards her, trusting Jerome had everything under control.

"Izzy," he says, looking up at me. "I have blankets and medical supplies in the closet next to the downstairs bathroom. Can you grab them for me?"

I blink, trying to come back to earth, my brain struggling to process everything. "What?" I ask dumbly.

Ana places a hand on my shoulder, her face pale. "I’ve got it, okay?”

I nod numbly as she hurries inside. I felt ridiculous in my current state. I should have been able to respond better than that. I squeezed my eyes shut and shook my head, trying to pull myself out of it.

Jerome lifts the unconscious man and carries him toward the shed. I ran to catch up to him, making eye contact as I got close. I must look confused because he says, “I'll explain everything, I promise. I just have to take care of him, first.”

I open the door for him, revealing a steel cage inside, chains and cuffs attached to the floor. He lays the man down and takes the blankets from Ana. Arranging them to make a makeshift bed.

Ana hands him the first aid kit, and in silence, we assist as he cleans and stitches the man's wounds. Once finished, Jerome secures the restraints and steps back, locking the cage.