(All characters are 18+)
James and Olivia had been married for five years, and those five years had been happy. They married in their mid-twenties, after they both felt their own lives had been established sufficiently.
Their marriage so far had its ups and downs, like any does, but it worked. They had good jobs, though stressful. They had secured their place in the world together: a home, two cars, financially well-off.
Their future was theirs to control.
And then it was all thrown into a fucking blender.
The couple were out for their usual evening stroll. They lived just on the edge of the city, where the transition from urban to rural began. Wooded areas still dotted the landscape, untouched by developers. Wildlife still called this place home. And so did they.
They found the nighttime strolls were a good way to de-stress, discuss their days, or even just walk together in silence for a while. Sometimes the topic was a work project or frustrating co-worker. Other times more social things, like what their neighbors were up to or the latest gossip.
But they had never feared for their safety out here. It seemed the worst that could happen would be coming across a rabid raccoon or a drunk driver.
Tonight would be different. Life-changing.
The two of them were almost back home, the night lit only by the moon and occasional street light. Slick, black pavement seeming to drink it all in. An occasional breeze rustling the early summer foliage on the trees. It was magic out here.
But the rustling of the leaves helped conceal another noise, something far more dangerous than a rabid raccoon. Something was following them, stalking them. A predator hunting its prey. Waiting for the perfect moment.
As they turned the corner, it struck.
From the nearby brush leapt something large and powerful, tackling James and knocking his wife off her feet. Pinned to the ground, claws and teeth snarled at him, shredding his clothes. He desperately tried to fight the beast off, but his soft flesh and fabric were no match for the claws that raked him. The beast's hot breath on his face felt suffocating, the stench of death filling his nostrils.
It was a battle he could not win.
His wife had been momentarily dazed, after being violently shoved to ground. She began to shake herself out of it.
Olivia was a woman who liked to be prepared. Like most women, she was acutely aware that predators existed, most commonly men, and that she may be considered prey by some. Men who for various reasons wanted to harm, hurt, or use women. She would not let herself become a victim. She was prepared.
But this was unlike any normal predator.
Reaching into her jacket, she pulled out a canister of pepper spray. This would have to do.
"Get the FUCK off of him!" she yelled at the unknown beast, aiming at its face and eyes, inadvertently getting her husband as well.
The beast gave a bladder-emptying growl, its absurd and hulking form retreating only slightly. Seizing the opportunity, Olivia pulled up her husband and they ran. Their house was not far and the beast was still dazed, one of its vital hunting senses now impaired.
Her husband struggled to keep up with her, his hand around her shoulder. Neither of them knew how badly he might be injured. Adrenaline coursing through them both. The once safe night had betrayed them, the horror it hid revealing itself.
Finally making it to the door, Emily fumbled for the keys in her pocket, the growling continuing behind them, not knowing if it was retreating or coming straight for them. Her heart was trying to escape her chest.
The lock clicked, the door opened. They made it inside.
*SLAM*
She locks the door behind them and looks at her husband. He appears to have a few cuts, possibly deep, but it's hard to tell for certain. His eyes and face are swollen from what pepper spray had landed on him.
Trembling, she dials 911.
After what seemed like too long of a wait, the police and an ambulance show up. The paramedics see to her husband, while the police question her about what it was that attacked them.
"It was something LARGE. I don't know what it was. A wolf maybe? It was big though. I've never seen anything like it out here," she emphasizes.
A patrolman stayed with them at the house, while others searched the immediate area for signs of the beast. None were found, other than scant traces at the site of the initial attack. They informed them both that they'd be letting animal control and the DNR know about the attack so they could investigate further and attempt to track and locate the animal.
"You're lucky," the paramedic was telling James as he disinfected and finished bandaging the wounds. "These could have been a lot worse."
He didn't feel that lucky.
"I'd highly urge going in either tomorrow or urgent care tonight, if you prefer, to get checked out a bit more extensively. Also, you'll need rabies shots, since the animal is still out there and we don't know whether it was a carrier or not. Some of those cuts should be stitched up properly. But, you're good for right now," patting James' arm.
After everything died down and the cops had left, they did decide to go to urgent care that same night. James received his stitches, the first of several rabies shots, and was examined more closely.
"You'll just need to be sure to finish out the series of rabies shots. Change the dressings on those cuts to keep them clean, but otherwise we should be all set," the gray-haired doctor informed them.
It was after midnight when they finally arrived back home, both still on edge. Nothing like this had ever happened to either of them. Or really anyone they knew. A wild animal attack? Not around here.
James took the next day off from work, explaining the situation to his manager. He felt mostly fine, considering, just tired and a bit shook up. The outside felt threatening now, even in daylight. Whatever had attacked him, still lurking.
Time passed, and eventually the trauma of the incident began to soften in their memories. The DNR and animal control hadn't been able to locate and trap the wolf, if that's what it was. This wasn't reassuring to either of them. They stopped taking their nighttime strolls for now, and Olivia had also gone the extra step and purchased a firearm, just in case.
A month later, the full repercussions of the attack would finally make themselves known.
James and Olivia were getting ready for bed, following their usual nighttime routines. He was currently in the bathroom brushing his teeth, while she lay in bed reading.
The noise of his electric toothbrush fills the bathroom. Seeing himself in the mirror, the foam in James' mouth reminds him of the attack, of his rabies shots, and what could have happened to him.
He spits.
A recent habit he'd developed was examining his body for any new signs of aging. He was almost thirty, and he felt like he was beginning to see some of his youth slip away before him. Anyone looking at him would probably think differently. He was a conventionally attractive man. Short, thick, black hair. A hard jaw. A body that had not yet gone soft. But it was starting to.
His wife Olivia in the other room was the feminine complement to him. Her lighter blond hair trailing in curls down her shoulders. Thick hips that had room to grow. A barely-there tummy and breasts hanging like perfectly round teardrops on her frame. The term "bombshell" might be an appropriate term to describe her.
They both felt lucky to have each other. And they both could likely pull almost anyone they wanted.
James was finishing at the mirror when a sudden pain shot in his mouth. "Owwww, what the fuck," as he touched the area and leaned closer to the mirror. A small amount of blood was in his mouth. Had he brushed too hard?
