The forest appeared eerie and unnatural at night, especially since the fog had drifted in…filling most of it. The full moon peered down on the forest like a awe struck child, paying witness to something for the first time. Keyo and Hart, quickly made their way through the interlocking trees, desperate not to be caught in one spot for too long.  As they ran Keyo’s foot slipped  on some fresh mud, sending him falling against the trunk of a tree. What remained of his necktie, flopped up into his face before returning to rest on his dirty shirt.   

“Come on, we can’t stay here!” cried a terrified Hart, as he spun around to help his fallen mentor.  Keyo’s breath was short and quick, seemingly forced out of his lungs in a hurry. He slumped down, his back resting against the tree. “Let me, catch my breath.”  Hart shook his head, flinging beads of sweat in all directions.  “No way, you’re the one who said not to stand around when being chased by one!”  Keyo glanced at him for a moment. “Haven’t you noticed by now, that I tend to quote others a lot. I’ve only ever gone up against one of these once before.”   Hart looked at him with disbelief. “You said that you’ve fought several before!”  Keyo chuckled slightly as he shook his head.  “I have…in simulations…but only one for real. Nariko, she’s fought at least four before.”  

“Well that’s just perfect!” he pulled at his hair turning around in a panicked circle. “How are we suppose to kill it then…if you’ve only ever fought one for real before!?”   Keyo looked over at him. “Relax, we’ll just dispatch it like in the simulations.”  “I don’t know if you noticed, but this isn’t one of your damn simulations! This is real, one screw up and you’ll kill us both!”   “Hey if you had of held onto the rope, we wouldn’t be stuck in this situation at the moment!”  Hart glared over at him, completely filled with anger at the fact that he was in this situation to begin with. “So its my fault, that the damn thing  ripped the rope off the truck and  tossed me aside like a limp noodle!”  

“If it weren’t for you, I could be safe and sound back at HQ, stumbling my way through one of your precious simulations! Yet instead…you went off half cocked, and excepted this mission so you could impress Nariko with your daring antics.”  The animalistic howl, of their query interrupted Keyo from any comment or argument he had planed to say. And instead caused him to quickly jump to his feet, a terrified Hart slowly peering over his mentor’s shoulder.

“Its close, probably no more than a hundred feet behind us.” the words came out of his mouth in quiver. Keyo gently shook his head, his eyes moving around in their sockets , searching every inch of forest that he could see.  “I don’t think its behind us anymore.”  Hart began searching the forest as well, he didn’t like hearing Keyo say such a thing. That fact of it not being behind them any more, only made their situation all the more horrifying. Hart drew in a breath, his stomach was well past the point of being in knots, it now felt like it was attempting to eat itself to eliminate the fear.  “Then, where is it?”  Keyo’s body twitched as a million cold shivers shot down his spine, he had  begun to breath slower. He was cherishing them, as if each one might be the last one. “It could be any where, this forest is big. And it probably knows this area better than we do, it had plenty of time to have circled around us.”  He turned his head slightly, speaking to Hart in a whisper.  “Do you still have your gun?”  Hart fumbled , searching his body for his weapon, the only thing that could save them. Finally he drew it from the inside pocket of his jacket. “Yeah, I’ve got it…I’m not sure how many bullets I have left though.”  “Make every shot count, you’ve seen how freaking fast this thing can be.”  Hart nodded.  

With out any warning the werewolf leapt out from a thick patch of overgrowth off to their side,  it happened so fast Hart and Keyo had no time to react. Hart was sent flying  from the assault slamming into a tree several yards away.  Keyo had been struck in the back from the creature’s tail, he quickly got onto his feet wiping the mud from his face as he turned around.  The werewolf was large in size, covered in black fur, its head bearing a wolf’s shape. The teeth were razor sharp, but appeared to look differently when compared to an actual wolf’s teeth. It’s eyes were a haunting yellow color, seeming to almost glow, streams of saliva poured from the corners of it’s mouth.

As Keyo readied himself, the werewolf stood up from its four legged position onto two legs. While it had two actual arms, it tended to run on all fours…this act doubling its normal speed.  “Hart? Are you ok!?” He dared not take his eyes off of the beast, not even for a nano second, it could easily be on top of him before he had the chance to return his gaze to it. The creature studied him, snarling and lashing its teeth at Keyo, trying to scare him…to cause him to do something stupid. It took a step, Keyo did the same only backwards. It’s eyes narrowed, the smell of blood was intoxicating the nostrils of it’s nose, crying out. The werewolf knew that he had to be tasty, it’s fingers twitched, not long now. Soon it would rip the human in twine with it’s bare hands. It took a few steps towards it’s prey, a shot rung out causing the werewolf to reel back. The feeling of the bullet slicing the flesh as it whipped by was gut wrenching, it had only been a flesh wound though…how fortunate.


Hart stood his arm extended, gun in hand, panting some what some blood oozing out from his left arm. The werewolf’s eyes expanded as it turned throwing it’s arms behind it. A horrifying sound that was much like a growl and a howl mixed together, only completely unnatural and full of rage, leapt out of it’s mouth.  “HART!!” Keyo screamed to his friend, as the werewolf closed the distance between it and Hart with unbelievable speed.  “Crap.” Hart barely managed to duck as the werewolf descended upon him, ripping the tree in half with a swipe of it’s clawed right hand. He pulled his gun up for another shot, but was stopped from doing so as the creature turned around swiping at Hart’s chest. The claws hardly damaged his skin, though they did a number on his shirt, the force of the action knocked Hart backwards through the leaves of near by tree.

The werewolf dropped to all fours charging towards Hart, lifting him off the ground by his shoulders and roaring…sending spit all over his face. Keyo leapt onto the creature’s back driving a knife into it’s shoulder. It howled in pain,  dropping Hart and flinging Keyo off it’s back. Hart quickly crawled out of sight, as the werewolf reached back pulling the knife from it’s flesh. It flung the knife from it’s hand sending it deep into a nearby tree.  Keyo smirked trying to stand up. “Didn’t like that too much, did you?”  He pulled a second knife out from his belt standing weakly on his legs.  “How about another one?”  


The werewolf wrapped its claws around his neck, lifting him off of the ground. Keyo screamed as he stabbed the knife into the creature’s arm, receiving another pain filled howl as it tightened its grip, squeezing his neck . Another shot rang out, this time the bullet passed through the side of the werewolf’s head dropping it to the ground.  Keyo pulled the claws from his neck, pushing away gasping for air. The werewolf lied on the ground, lifeless, as it slowly returned to it’s human form. Hart helped Keyo to his feet, panting heavily. “Are you ok?” Keyo nodded.  “Good, then lets get the heck out of here.” Keyo laughed softly as the two turned and began walking back towards where their truck sat.  “By the way, you owe me a new Journey shirt.” Keyo laughed again looking over at Hart. “Bill me.”