Creature In The Night

• Hayley Mack, Grade 10, Kinross College
• Short Story
• 2017

Excellence Award in the 'Spread The Word 2017' competition

Taelyn heard the noise the moment the sky plunged into darkness. It was a blood curdling wail, and it tore through the air like shards of glass. Her eyes widened as the untamed scream came again - louder. The noise made the hair on her neck stand on end. Before she could make a conscious decision she took off towards the woods, her ears straining for more sounds; clues to where the noise had come from. Her stomach lurched as the forest transformed into a cavern of distorted limbs, reaching out for Taelyn. The screaming grew nearer, and it forced her into the maze of torn branches and ever-changing shadows of the trees. The forest made no sound, apart from the eerie rustling of leaves on the wind. It unsettled her.
Her feet slowed until they were dragging across the carpet of dead leaves littering the earth. Her green eyes scanned the shadows for the cat-like eyes which haunted her every waking moment. The cool night air caressed her bare arms and she shivered, wrapping them tighter around her tiny frame. Breathe. The moonlight failed to pierce the tree’s canopies, allowing in only tiny rays which barely lit up the mix of shadows which surrounded her.
The wail came and went in a matter of seconds, but Taelyn was already alert, now clutching a dagger so tightly that blood welled in her palm. She quickly wiped it on her dress, covering the white material in a smear of red. She scanned the shadows around her, threatening to succumb to them, when her nightmares became reality in less than a heartbeat. Thick, black blood dripped from above, landing in a puddle by her foot, tainting the dead leaves black. She looked up into the mass of shadows above her, looking for the source, praying it wasn’t what she thought. She fought back a scream when she found her answer.
Two golden slitted eyes were staring back at her hungrily. The metallic taste of fear jolted through her and she bit down on her lip to stifle a scream. She willed herself to move, but her legs were cemented to the ground. The monster let out another cry; different from the others it had made. It was calling others.
Its golden scales which covered its body shimmed in the pockets of moonlight as it slid down the tree. Taelyn gripped the dagger tighter now in her shaking hand as the creature grinned at her, revealing rows of sharp teeth. She took a shaking breath as it took a step toward her with those talons; coated in dried blood from its previous victim. She barely saw the creature slash its talons along her side, but felt the blood spray from the wound as she doubled over in pain. She had to get away. She didn’t see the creature strike again, but felt those teeth sinking into her side. Only then did she let out a scream; and the only answer was several wails.