Blood of Fury

werewolf

 

A furious trail of tears ran down her face, blurring Cheryl's vision and stinging her eyes. Loud deafening palpitations flooded her inner ear.  Moments earlier Megan had disappeared over the ridge while Cheryl had taken off running downhill toward the stream. Their dates lay dead. What a moonlit picnic disaster this turned out to be. A pristine backdrop, fully equipped with a harvest moon became a primeval struggle to stay alive.
 
The howling of the wind chilled her to the core for it concealed the sounds of the beast. She began running faster hoping to reach the churchyard. Sacred ground, right? No time to ponder that now. “Must go faster,” she cried.
 
The lifting fog lit her pathway.  Like two magnets colliding, she latched on to the first tree she saw. The thought of being seen left her frozen in place and firmly attached to the tree.

 

She closed her eyes only for a second, but the gruesome image of Tom and Sal met her there. The memory of them lying on the ground forced her eyes open. The wind died down, and the fog drifted up into the canopy of the forest. A thundering weight came crashing across the forest floor, causing a slight tremor.

 

A blood-curdling cry sent birds to flight. The sound of the scream made her release the tree and run with all her might. The yelling continued to escalate, growing louder with each step. Out of exhaustion and in desperation she drew a deep breath. Then she realized the screams were coming from her.
 
She glanced down at her hurting hand. One of her fingernails was missing, gone entirely. The nail must have gotten lodged in the bark of the tree.  If her screams didn’t lead the beast to her, this trail of blood surely would. 

A roar ripped into the night. The very sound of it sent her fleeing through a thicket, cutting her face, and tearing at clothes. Her lavender dress ripped to shreds. The next step sent her into a gully. She fell hard on the earth gasping for air. For the first time since this began, she was silent.
 
 
Her fall startled a deer, who took to higher ground.  The beast slowed to a shuffle. Cheryl could hear him breathing, a low rumbling growl mixed with a deep seething hiss. He sniffed the air for a sign. Filling his lungs with the night air powered his passion for the chase. His howl trumpeted with power, and pure rage. It sent the deer running in a panic.  The beast could not resist the smell of fear. Without effort, he laid the animal to the ground lifeless and then consumed its flesh.
 
The twitching leg of the deer ignited her fears. Cheryl started to hyperventilate, wild-eyed and overwhelmed she leaped to her feet. She tore at limbs and weeds pulling herself from the gully. She would make it to the churchyard or die trying.
 
The silhouette of the little valley church such a perfect mental picture. A three-foot stone wall completed the picture. The stain glass window of the Good Sheperd bid her come. Hoping to find sanctuary there she kept running. Her pace quickened as she found yet another speed, she never knew she had.
 
With the fluid motion of a bird in flight, she cleared the wall. The beast shadowed her steps. As she landed in the churchyard, his claws plowed a path down her left arm. Clutching her pain-ridden limb, she ducked behind a tombstone.  Blood poured from her wound. Her life's strength swirled into a dizzy haze.
 
A cloud covered the harvest moon. As she offered a quick prayer, in hopes this would rob the cursed creature of his powers. The beast leaped sixteen feet across the yard and neatly landed on a nearby tombstone.  She could no longer run. The world around her blurry. She blinked her eyes to stay alert.
 
His coat a rich chestnut fur, his eyes were amber centered and lined in a burning red. Her eyes focused for just a moment to see his terrifying beauty. Her thoughts returned to Megan, her friend. How she hoped Megan had gotten away.
 
The spinning slowed. Her mind grew still.  Now void of thought and or awareness, eternal silence covered her. She could feel her life slipping away. All of a sudden panic exploded. Her eyes flew open, and she realized she could smell Megan’s fear. As fury coursed through her veins.

 

 

 

Reviews

[roarke]

lol. and here I thought your story "Twelve Steps" had a fast pace.... I had no idea things in Oklahoma moved a such a break-neck speed.....

Smooth flow of thoughts, great images, just enough of everything to make it real. I think I'll stick with the good old fashioned afternoon picnics and leave the moonlit ones to stouter souls..... Lots of fun, thanks.

[Howling_Wolf]

Sorry this took so long to review. This send a chill down my spine; I could imagine the scenery clearly in my head while reading this. I really enjoyed reading this.

[KATHY SUE SILLS]

WOW! This was excellent. I love the suspence that you built up! Great story.

[Zeek4]

This was great. I love this kind of story with lots of action, doubts, and fears. Very fun to read, and the nonstop action kept me engaged. You sound like a real outdoor girl.

[kylie]

I enjoyed this very much! I could not stop reading. Very intriguing and descriptive...It gave me the chills! The ending is the best part, for it leaves a sense of mysetry...time for chapter two, eh? hahaha
Wonderful story!

[Argyr]

It's good. Jumpy, but the jumpiness contributes to the overall sense of panicking and running away. Does this continue, or is this it?

[Myrcei]

This was tense. So gripping. Even after it was over I had trouble breathing right. Love the visuals. The only thing I would point out is this paragraph:

"She glanced down at her hand that was hurting her. One of her finger-nails was missing. It was totally gone. The nail must have gotten lodged in the bark of the tree. Now as if her scream didn’t lead a path to her this trail of blood surely would."

The first sentence is somewhat awkward to me. Maybe: "She glanced down at her hurting hand."
The second sentence has a grammar issue. It should be "...fingernails were..."
The last sentence sounds a bit awkward, too. Maybe: "If her screams didn't lead a path to her this trail of blood surely would."

Those are tweakage suggestions. Other than that you did a wonderful job.