The night had a coolness to it, a chill that crept through the trees and into my bones. I shivered and tightened my scarf around my neck as my partner, Claire, and I walked further and deeper into the woods, away from the city. The further in we went, the darker it became. The stars disappeared from the sky, and only a faint light from the moon illuminated our path.
The air was thick with a suffocating dread, as if something had died and its spirit lingered, haunting us with a heavy presence of malice. I felt a chill run down my spine as we kept walking, glancing around nervously in the darkness.
Every once in a while something rustled in the bushes, seemingly following us. We paused, holding our breath as we waited in anticipation, dreading whatever beast was stalking us. I took a step backwards, my hands trembling, but no creature revealed itself.
We kept walking, the trees seeming to come alive with unknown horrors. Every step we took felt measured and weighed down, as if we were walking through quicksand. The tension in the air was palpable and I could feel it in my chest, like a hand holding my heart in a vice grip.
We were now completely engulfed in darkness. Even the pale moonlight seemed to be hidden amongst the thick canopy of branches and leaves. I felt the hairs on the back of my neck stand up as our eyes scanned the surrounding area. We could feel something watching us, a strange presence that hung in the air like a shroud.
Suddenly, a faint noise cut through the stillness. A low and guttural growl that was almost too deep for human ears. The sound seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere at once. My heart raced as the sound grew louder, and I felt like my legs were made of lead. I grabbed Claire’s hand, my knuckles white with fear, and we ran blindly into the darkness.
The growl echoed in my ears as we ran, growing louder as it seemed to be coming closer. My fear was growing, and I felt like I was going to be sick. I stumbled, my foot catching on a root and I went sprawling into the dirt.
Claire stopped and offered me her hand, helping me to my feet. I looked in the direction we had been running, and saw two large, glowing eyes. All the air was sucked from my lungs. I was frozen in fear, unable to move, unable to scream.
The eyes stared at us with an unearthly intensity, and a sinister smile seemed to spread across its face. We were paralyzed with fear as the beast finally stepped out of the shadows, revealing its full form. The creature had a wolf-like head, with a long, pointed snout and sharp teeth, and a body that was covered in thick black fur. Its claws were razor sharp and its fur was matted with blood, and it seemed to be radiating an evil aura.
I couldn’t take my eyes off of it, and I felt like I was going to faint. I tried to speak, but no words would come out of my mouth. I felt like a cornered animal, ready to be devoured at any moment.
But then, the creature’s eyes suddenly softened and the evil smile melted away. It bowed its head, as if in respect, and then slowly backed away into the darkness. We stood there, stunned, our hearts pounding in our chests.
We waited a few moments before finally emerging from the safety of the trees. We ran back to the city, never speaking a word about what had happened in the woods that night.
But, as we got closer to home, I glanced back and saw in the distance the silhouette of a large and mysterious beast, watching us from the darkness.
It was there, a silhouette in the darkness. An imposing figure, tall with thick fur, gleaming eyes, and long claws. Its growl echoed through the night like thunder. We were rooted to the spot in fear. I could feel my heart pounding in my chest. My eyes were wide and my body trembling. It seemed like I was in a nightmare — one from which I could not wake up.
But then, a moment later, the creature stepped back into the shadows, and the growling stopped. We both inhaled a deep breath of relief, and silently thanked whatever force of nature had saved us from the monster of the night. We were safe, for the moment.
As we continued walking, I glanced back over my shoulder, expecting the creature to reappear. I felt its presence still, lurking in the darkness and watching us. We followed the path until we reached the edge of the forest and emerged into the moonlight.
The rest of the night passed without incident, and we eventually made it home. A few days later, we returned to the forest, and the growling started again. We both froze in our tracks, but the creature never showed itself. We never saw it, and the growling never got closer. The experience stayed with us, a reminder of that night in the woods.
We thought it was all over — until one morning a few weeks later when we read the news. A body had been found in the woods, and it had been savaged and partially eaten by a wild animal, according to the police.
‘A wild animal?’ I asked confused.
We felt a chill go through us as we remembered our encounter in the dark. The creature, whatever it was, had been real — but what had happened to it? Had it been killed by a hunter or escaped back into the shadows?
The mystery remains unsolved, but the haunting presence of that night has never left us. In the darkness, anything can happen.