Moonlight Surrender

Rory Perez's pulse quickened as she caught a reflection of herself in the shattered window-pane of the country diner. The rain outside turned the world into a gray mist and the same hue as her troubled mood. She'd listened to rumors of strange happenings in the woods, the mutilated deer carcasses, unearthly howls and the gashes cut deep into the bark of old trees. The residents blamed it on wolves or bears but Rory's reporter instincts had other thoughts. There was a story in this, something sinister and hidden that was lurking in wait for her to uncover. Her closest friend, Lena, was sitting opposite her, chewing on a fry and checking her phone. "I know that look, Rory. Don't even think about it." "Consider it." Rory's tone became adamant, her mind made up, and her hands already tightening around the strap of her camera bag. Lena raised an eyebrow "You're going into the woods aren't you? In a thunderstorm, no less. Do you have a death wish?" Rory's lips twisted into a half-grin "Come on Lena. You've heard the stories. Something's out there. I can feel it". "Yeah and whatever it is may rip you apart. Stay here, drink coffee and live a long life." But Rory was already on her feet. She left a few dollars on the table, slung her bag over her shoulder and flashed a smile at Lena "I'll be back before you know it. Promise" The storm welcomed her with a howling blast of wind as she emerged outside and the rain whipping against her face. She pulled her jacket closer and walked into the forest and her flashlight cutting through the approaching darkness. The tall pines towered over her and their branches creaking like skeletal fingers in the wind. With every step into the forest the sounds of the storm appeared to increase in volume, the thunder like some primal beast booming and the rain beating against leaves in a frantic cadence. Her heart raced as she came across the first evidence and deep gashes clawed into the trunk of a tree. She stooped to take a closer look taking shots with her camera. Then she saw the blood. A trail of red droplets led deeper into the woods. Her breathing caught but curiosity overcame her fear. She followed the path with her flashlight beam trembling as the storm raged on. It led her to a clearing, where the ground was torn apart as if there had been a terrible battle. Ripped clothing and shreds of fur lay on the muddy terrain. "What the hell happened here?" she muttered, taking more pictures. Her reply was a low growl. Rory froze, her beam flicking crazily as she scanned the darkness. Two glowing amber eyes coalesced out of the darkness and what appeared was a monstrous shape. The beast was enormous and its matted fur slick with rain and fangs exposed in a snarl. It was a wolf and it was getting closer. Adrenaline ran through her veins as the renegade werewolf attacked her. She spun around and fled as much as she could, her feet was pounding the damp ground and her heart slamming against her ribcage. The creature's snarls intensified and its breath warm on her back. She tripped over a root and fell hard and pain seared through her ankle. The flashlight was torn from her hand and the world went black. She crawled back, her palms clawing through the mud as the werewolf loomed over her. Its claws rose to slay and its eyes burning with savage intent. She screamed, expecting death. And then it happened. A blur of movement and a snarl that was not human. The werewolf was torn from her by an even larger shape, this one dark but radiating power. The two creatures fought snarling and snapping, their battle a feral symphony of violence. Rory was paralyzed seeing the stranger shove the rogue back with devastating strength. With one last blood-curdling snarl, the rogue retreated into the forest and its howls lost in the storm. The man turned to see her moving into the shadowy gloom of the dropped flashlight. He was upright, black hair slicked to his face by the rain and his eyes was a hue that did not exist. There was power in him, something that did not belong. You shouldn't be here" he growled, his tone low and even with a trace of authority that brooked no argument. Rory's breath caught. "What was that? He dropped to his knees beside her, his eyes scanning her as though looking for wounds "You're fortunate to be alive and that was a rogue. They have no use for reason or mercy" She winced when he reached for her ankle but his hand was unexpectedly gentle "Who are you?" she asked and her voice trembling. His lips curled up into a slight enigmatic smile "Someone who just saved your life". She was going to push him for further details when he stood up and his expression darkening. "Go home and stay out of the woods. Next time you won't be so lucky". And with that, he vanished into the storm leaving Rory on her own, drenched, trembling and with more questions than answers. The warm light of the cabin should have been comforting but Rory's mind was a whirlwind as she sat at her desk staring at the photographs she'd taken in the woods. Each one told a horrific story gouges in wood that looked like claw marks, a trail of blood vanishing into the darkness and that final photograph, blurry but unmistakable of two bodies straining in an animalistic struggle. Her ankle throbbed, wrapped in a tight bandage but the pain wasn't intense enough to distract her from him. She couldn't get his face out of her head. The man who'd saved her. His silver eyes, his commanding presence and his cryptic warning. The sharp knock at the door snapped her out of her daydream, she froze and her heart race heavily. It was too late for visitors. Suspiciously she reached for a fireplace poker before moving cautiously to the door. She opened it and found herself catching her breath. It was him.