Call of the Moon Pts. 1 & 2

His legs burned with the effort to keep moving, but fear and pure adrenaline kept him going. Running as fast as he could, pushing through the low level branches that ceaselessly whipped at his face obstructing his view. He had been moving at this pace for what seemed like an eternity now, but he couldn't stop not even when the forest threatened to engulf him. The full moon, with her silvery rays, was the only thing that helped him see through the God forsaken woods. Even with the moon he was struggling to see and the deeper he went into the timber, the darker it became. That's when he heard it again, that blood curdling howl, the one from earlier before they were all slaughtered. He stopped behind a tree to listen for a moment, but the only thing he heard was the sound of his heavy breathing, and the last remaining remnants of the howl. To him it came from far to his left but he couldn't be sure. The mountains made the noise echo making it nearly impossible to tell which direction the howl had come from. His fear was so overwhelming now that he was shaking, and though it was cold he was drenched in sweat.

'Damn it!' He thought to himself. 'What the Hell is it!?'

He barely caught his breath when he resumed his course; unfortunately his body was beginning to give out on him even with the adrenaline pumping through his veins. He got about fifteen feet before he had to slow down again. He slumped over clutching his side and the stitch he had developed there. Fear made him want to keep going, but his body just wouldn’t allow it, at least not at his former pace.

'Guess I should have kept up with my workout routine,' He smirked. 'But I never really have been the sporty type.'

Moments later he began walking, his legs to shaky to continue running. Quietly he stepped through some thick brush; it was so dark he barely saw the root that had grown up through the soil until it was too late. His right foot slipped under the root causing it to twist making him yelp in pain, and fall to the ground amongst a thicket of thorns that scratched his face and hands. He struggled to free his foot from its trap, but the thorns caught his coat making it difficult. It was the sharp crack of a near by branch that made him freeze. For a split second he thought he saw movement out of the corner of his eye off to his right where the sound had emanated, but saw nothing when he slowing turned his head that direction. Still shaken from the sound he slowly unzipped his coat and removed his arms pulling himself free from it, and then he proceeded to cut his leg free with the pocket knife he carried in his boot. After a few minutes he was finally able to get back to his feet, but wasn’t able to put full weight on his right ankle.

'Great, that's just what I needed, a sprained ankle! What the Hell am I supposed to do now?' He thought.  

He pulled his coat back on and tried hard to hobble on, but was stopped once more. Unfortunately it wasn’t because of his ankle, but the creature standing behind him. It was the slight crunching of leaves that gave the monster away.  He turned slowly, the fear and adrenaline that had subsided quite a bit, returning in a rush. It was the same creature that had attacked the camp, he could tell by the almost iridescent yellow eyes that were focused hungrily on him. All he could see of it was its dark outline against the backdrop of the woods, but that was all he needed. He took a step in an attempt to start running again, though it hurt him greatly to do so. The attack came so quickly that he didn’t even realize he had been struck until it was on top of him, ripping at his midsection with its claws and teeth.

'This is it, the end. Damn it! What the Hell did I do to deserve this kind of death?!'

The pain was excruciation as the creature tore open his abdomen exposing his intestines. He suddenly coughed up blood as the large monster that held him down bit into one of his lungs with it's powerful jaws. Though he was being mutilated his mind was still rushing with thought when the shock set in, the creature still ripping into him. He had long closed his eyes, but now his consciousness began to waver. Deaths cold sheet was slowly rapping itself around him, and he no longer felt the terrible pain. The last thing he heard was a loud bang, but his mind had already slipped into a safer place to protect him, leaving the sound unidentifiable to him. It was finally over, his seemingly pathetic existence.

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'What the Hell, I’m running again.' He thought to himself. 'No, I’m supposed to be dead, I saw that thing attack me, felt it tear my flesh apart.'

He looked around as he ran, it was different from his usual running, he was still in the woods but he was lower to the ground, running faster than usual. He also realized he wasn’t in control of himself, and he was searching for something.

'What was he searching for though and what was he in the first place?' He was so disoriented, but it was like nothing affected his body while he ran.

Question after question ran through his head with no answers, but still he ran on. Faster and faster he went, diving through brush, and dodging trees. It was dark, but he could see everything in front of him as if it were mid day. Suddenly he broke through the brush and skidded to a stop slipping on some loose rocks near a gently flowing river. He raised his head, still not in control of himself, and sniffed the air. A slight breeze blew over the water and past him tickling his fur…

'Wait…MY FUR! Just what the Hell am I?!' He screamed on the inside.

Excitement boiled up in him, the breeze carried with it a scent, the scent of his prey. He knew this scent well; he had been scouting it out for the past two nights. Tonight he finally made his move on the small camp, but the one he wanted ran, just as he hoped. It was too much for him to contain, he rose off his hands and let loose with a blood curdling howl…

'No, that's impossible, that sound…that terrible sound from earlier, but how am I making it now? What the Hell is going on? I was never in this part of the forest, but suddenly now I am…Idon’t understand'

He found himself running again, following the scent, hunting what ever it belonged to. He was very quiet though, he ran with incredible speed, only making small crunching noises as his feet pounded over the dead leaves that piled up on the forest floor…

“Oh, Good morning Dr. Stevens…” A faint woman’s voice said from somewhere in the forest and still he ran unhindered as if his body never heard it, but his mind certainly did.

'Where did that come from!?' He asked to himself.

“Good morning Mrs. Phillips, any changes today?” The man asked in a professional voice to the woman.

'A second voice, this one’s a guy though, but where is it coming from?'

No matter how much he tried to stop, he could not gain control of himself; he just kept on running, hunting down his prey.

"His eyes have been moving beneath their sockets, but other than that nothing." Mrs. Phillips spoke again.

'She sounds really sad, and familiar.' He thought.

“That’s a good sign though, isn’t it doctor?”

'Another woman’s voice, this one’s younger though.'

“I wished I could say for sure, but this is a most unusual case, his condition is shock induced. It’s like his mind retreated from the pain he was caused; frankly, I don’t blame his body for trying to protect him. He was in bad shape when he was wheeled in here. Honestly I’m surprised he’s even still alive, I have never seen a human body take that much damage and bounce back the way his has.” The doctor said.

He was slowing down now, the scent was close, and it was only strengthened by the fear his prey was feeling. His excitement was increasing; it was almost time to make the kill. He could feel his lips pulling back exposing his teeth.

“Doctor, look!” The younger woman said excitedly from out of the darkness. “He’s smiling.” The last words coming softer than before.

“Yes, it appears to me he is dreaming, that’s a good sign. It could mean that he is coming out of the coma, try to wake him.”

“Honey, wake up, please, wake up.” Mrs. Phillips said softly.

'She…she’s crying. I wonder why?' He thought coming into visual view of his prey.

“Come on Cole, please wake up.”

'Now the younger one again, and who’s Cole? Someone’s name, but whose name?' He thought for a second as he stepped on a stick making it snap.

His prey froze trying to untangle his coat from a thicket of thorns. He jumped silently backwards into the shadows. The prey he was after stopped looking his direction, he stalked in a silent circle around the man waiting for him to make his move.

“Amy, go get Jared, I want him to be here when Cole wakes up.” Mrs. Phillips ordered kindly to the younger woman.

His prey was moving again, but slower, he appeared to be injured. He was also experiencing a great deal more fear; the air was thick with the sent from the man’s emotion. He took a long draw of the scent, basking in the smell as if it were a drug. He reared up on his back legs shifting his weight so he could balance on two legs, it was weird to him, he felt at home on all fours, but also walking up right. His prey had suddenly stopped walking, it was time. The man turned slowly around…

'Why does this seem so familiar?'

…the man’s fear hit a peak as he looked him in the eyes…

'No way!' He screamed. 'It’s me! But how can that be me, when I’m me?!' He began to panic as he looked down at the man in front of him.

His prey looked so helpless, how he felt the need to dig his teeth into the soft of his neck.

'Wait a sec, no I don't, why would I want to? That's me standing there!' He thought to himself, but the urge was so strong.

All it seemed the body he was currently in wanted to do was devour the one in front of him and he was finding it hard to control his thoughts from wanting the same. He wanted to rip the man that was in front of him sinew from sinew, and slice into him with his razor sharp claws.

“Wake up Cole, just listen to my voice and cling to it, let us help you out of this sleep.”

He watched as the other him turned quickly and attempted to run again, but his ankle made him pause and it was all the hesitation he needed. He lunged at himself digging his claws deep into the sides of his prey. He felt blood pour over his hands, or what he thought were his hands since this was the first time he had seen them.

“Cole, please…we miss you…just wake up… I know you can hear me so please wake up.” The woman spoke again, sobbing heavily while doing so.

He knew what came next, but it was sickly pleasant to him to be ripping his own body to pieces the way he was. The power he possessed, the ease at which he tore into his own human body, he bathed in the heat of his blood letting it cover his face as he feed.

“COLE! Listen to me, just wake UP!” Mrs. Phillips said loudly.

Just then he heard it, the sound from earlier, the loud bang, and right as the sound came something hit his chest hard and fast. It caused pain to burst from the place where it struck causing him to howl out.

“HONEY, PLEASE JUST WAKE UP! FOR ME, YOUR MOTHER!”

'My…mother.'

Suddenly a strong force knocked him from off himself, he growled in the direction of the offender but saw only a bright light. He blinked; the light began to engulf him until it felt like he was falling into it until he was suddenly laying in a bed looking up into the face of a fifty plus year old woman. She quickly scooped him up in her arms squeezing him in a tight hug, crying into his shoulder.

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