The Prompt
Your best friend sends you a text that says, “The wolves are here.”
Scope 1000-1500 words
The text came late at night.
I had just gone to bed when the phone display lit up demanding my attention. Being lazy as I was didn’t check it before I had finished the chapter of my book. I mean, who text you after midnight anyway on a work day?
Granted, I didn’t need to go to work the next day. One of the perks of being unemployed. But all my friends did work, and they really should be in bed by now. Most of them had kids even. And no stranger would text a random person anything this late at night.
Anyway the curiosity got the better of me and I hurried through the last pages. Somewhere in my consciousness the little icon had wormed itself in like it was a parasite stealing my thoughts away from the book.
I had gotten fired from my job a week ago. It didn’t really bother me. I still claimed it was mutual. I was only sorry I hadn’t decked the guy once more in the head when he insulted the woman. That also meant I hadn’t gotten around to reveal my messages on the lock display yet. The only thing I could see was that the message was from my best friend, Brix.
I swiped the lock screen to open the message, and it was like time had frozen like the air around me. The hair on my arms stood up and chills followed me under the duvet.
It was only one sentence. One sentence to undo everything.
“The wolves are here”.
Nothing more, nothing less.
I don’t know how many times I read through the sentence. Who would have imagined that 4 small words could have that big of an impact.
When I finally got my bearings, I felt like throwing up. Bile was gathering in my throat and my stomach hurt like somebody punched it – repeatedly.
Then the adrenaline kicked in, and I was on my feet. Book and sleep completely forgotten.
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Why hadn’t I checked the message when I had first heard it? Was it too late now? I should have known better.
For a moment I thought about calling Brix, but as the clock now was almost two in the morning, and the text had been sent just after midnight, I knew it was a lost cause.
Brix would no longer answer his phone.
My thoughts jumbled a little at the thought of Brix, so it took some time to find my discarded clothes by the bed and put them on, not caring if I got them exactly right. It didn’t really matter.
Time was of essence.
Shoes was next, and I inwardly cursed. My boots were standing by the door since I had used them to brave the muddy grass yesterday. I hadn’t bothered to clean them and bring them back up. You got terribly lazy when you didn’t have anything to get out of bed in the morning to. There would always be another day.
Except, today there wouldn’t be if I didn’t get out of here.
Running a hand through my short hair I opened the closet door and sighed a breath of relief. My bag was still there, even if it was hidden underneath old clothes. For a second I had been afraid it would be gone due to some brain aneurism where I would have used it for other things. It was zipped tight, so I didn’t need to worry about the content. It would still be intact.
The smile almost broke into a hysterical laugh when I saw the shotgun beside the bag. Fuck, I had forgotten I had bought the damn thing. Shooting clay pigeons had seemed like such a fun but silly idea at the time.
Putting the phone in my pocket I grabbed the bag with one hand and the shotgun with the other. It was not loaded but I had no trouble finding the ammunition.
And just in time!
The sound was low but unmistakable. Shit! They were here.
In situations like this, it’s when you find out if you have a fight or flight instinct and I’m happy to say, that I definitely had a fight response, despite the fear that threatened to claw it’s way inside my armor of composure.
Slinging the bag over my shoulders I loaded the shotgun and moved carefully towards the door leading into the dark hallway. Now I was gratefully for being without shoes as I could move more silently.
Only the shadows flickering in the moonlight shining through the window by the stairs seemed to move. I kept my vigilance. I knew I had not mistaken the sound for anything but for what it was.
The wolves. The wolves were here, and they were coming for me.
The attack didn’t come from any of the rooms while I slowly made my way to the top of the stairs.
I had not expected them to that brazen, but the claw lunging at me came from beneath the stairs and the burning pain of ripped skin made me scream.
“Fuck you!” I yelled partly in pain and partly in anger.
The snarl I got in return was the reason I got up again. Panting heavily I leaned up against the railing and waited.
I didn’t have to wait long, because the yellow eyes burned bright in the darkness. The malice in them made me pull the trigger without a second thought.
The shot fired and the recoil almost made me lose my balance.
Blood splattered in my face, but the howl was more angry than wounded. I shot a second time and this time I knew I had wounded it fatally as it retreated back down the stairs.
I reloaded the shot gun, hating my trembling fingers. However, adrenaline was hell of a drug, and I managed without being attacked again.
Limping down the stairs – my only exit, I pointed the shot gun in front of me. The snarls were getting louder, and I knew the whole pack was here. I could smell them, I could hear them. Their presence invaded all my senses.
The next attack I didn’t get a chance to deflect and I felt the shotgun being ripped from my grip. I tried to hit the big mass of fur, but it was too fast.
I felt claws rip through my shoulder as I fell to the floor trying to protect my face, but when terror stares you right in the face it’s very difficult to look away.
The yellow eyes, the snout, the all too big mouth with sharp teeth.
“Don’t” I said, pathetically pleading now. “Kill me instead”.
The big animal rolled me around as if I was nothing but a rag doll, while I still tried to protect my vital parts. I really didn’t want to die, but the alternative was worse.
The bite came not from the one who played with me, but from behind. I felt how the teeth sank into my neck and shoulder and I tried to punch and kick, only to hit the first one.
There were more sounds but no more movement. The other in the pack didn’t engage in the play. They didn’t have to. I was a fool to think I could take on a few let alone a whole pack.
The pain blurred my vision and the warm flow of blood made me aware of how cold I actually was. The tremors running through my body was just the first sign of that it was over.
I looked up and around me. The pack seemed to tower over me, but they no longer engaged with me. They looked at each other and the pack leader nodded once. They retreated into the shadows.
I knew then, all was lost. Soon, the tremors would become painful convulsions as my consciousness would retreat into a red haze. A haze full of hate and hunger.
I had spent so much time on the run. And then it had to end like this. I dug into my pocket and found my phone.
I knew the pack wouldn’t interfere anymore with the transformation. There was nothing more they could do. Nothing Brix could do. Nothing I could do.
So I did the next best thing. I texted: “The wolves are here”, and hit send.