Her footsteps are all she heard in the air of the summer night over the sounds of crickets, birds, and other night creatures. This was the first time she'd been in the woods in weeks, and this specific location was unfamiliar to her.
She agreed to travel in as little as possible while still being able to be clothed if seen or approached by an innocent passerby. She chose a sundress made from a very thin fabric with a very revealing neckline and a pair of hiking boots. The sundress was a color that seemed to blend into the foliage as the light faded around her. Her heart pounded with excitement as she walked, her ears piqued as she listened for any sign of pursuit.
Then, as if her thoughts were being spoken aloud, she heard a howl in the distance. A deep, animal sound that she couldn't distinguish the direction of its source. With that, she smiled from ear to ear and started running through the relatively rough footpath.
He was coming for her.
The sounds of her hiking shoes snapping twigs, kicking rocks, and otherwise jostling the foliage around her seemed louder than normal, but she continued to flee. Another howl, a little closer now, sounded out from the forest depths behind her.
As the moon cleared the cloud cover, her path illuminated much more clearly. She used the full moon's light to aid her efforts. Her heart pounded in her chest, but she dared not stop. His words echoed in her mind as she pressed on.
"If you run, I will chase you. If you fight, I will hurt you. If I catch you, I -will- mount you where I take you down." Each statement came through a growling voice.
She felt as her thighs rubbed together lightly as she ran, slick with arousal and desire. She knew she would be caught, but she loved the chase. A loud snap of a nearby branch pulled her from her thoughts. Was he this close already? How did he find her that quickly? Did he get faster?
Just in case, she picked up her pace a bit. If there was something else in the woods, she didn't want to be anywhere near it. A rustling of branches to her right and she was unsure if she was being chased by man or beast.
Another howl came from the woods. This didn't sound like him. Were there wolves in this forest? She dared not call out. She leaned into a full run, where she artfully dodged small trees and the flora in the woods. Her breathing was strained, the exertion made her lungs burn just slightly. She couldn't run forever, but she had much more left in her. She rounded a bend in the rough path and saw a hill clearing. What she saw there both shocked and sent a wave of fear through her.
Silhouetted by the full moon stood what could only be described as a monster. It looked human, but different. The proportions seemed off. Its legs were shaped differently than any human she'd ever seen. Its neck was thicker than normal, nearly twice as thick as she'd expect from a normal person. As the moonlight shimmered across this creature's frame, she saw it was fully covered in fur. This was a beast. A monster. And she ran right into its sights.
The creature's eyes glowed red and fixated on her in the moonlight. She was exposed, vulnerable, and far too close to this creature. Then it howled again. Impossibly loud and animalistic. This was some sort of wolf-human hybrid that she'd only read about in horror novels and seen in movies. But never like this. The musculature shivered, fur rippling from head to toe. She felt her knees buckle slightly and a whimper of fear escaped from her chest.
She scrambled as she turned with panicked breath, and ran back the way she had come. Hoping that whatever creature she left on that hill would not consider her a threat. As she ran, she heard the noises of the creature as it roughly began to chase. The sounds of branches, foliage, and other forest groundcover echoed in her ears as it rapidly charged down the hill and after her.
Her first instinct to scream in fear was immediately ignored. Instead, a look of determination washed over her. She would escape this creature and get back to her car. Her eyes focused on the footpath, which glowed slightly in the moonlight. She prayed silently that Luna would give her the strength to survive.
Without notice, the sounds of the creature seemed to disappear from behind her. Her head turned to look over her shoulder. A glimmer of hope shone in her mind as she thought perhaps the beast lost interest and moved on in a different direction. As she turned back she saw the creature in the path just in front of her. Standing with the moon illuminating its eyes and snarling maw.
She full-body impacted into the beast without the opportunity to slow down. As her body ran into the monster, she felt the strength in its muscles behind the thick layer of fur. It was like running into a wall. She bounced off and fell to the ground on her back, head foggy and mind in a daze as she laid prone on the ground.