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18 January 2017
Everything around Eli felt like winter. The cold breeze that slapped her cheeks and reddened her ears. The musty smell of snow that never arrived. And the dead trees that looked as if they were frozen solid with no more life left to it. Winter was cold and unwelcoming, and it was always Eli's least favorite season. She always preferred summer with the hot sun that always tanned her naturally tawny beige skin into a deeper golden brown. As she glanced around her surroundings, she noticed she was by herself in the deep woods of Beacon Hills Preserve. Nothing was similar, but for some reason she felt as if she knew exactly where she was.
The snapping of a branch caught her attention. She turned her head in the direction the noise came from, but all she saw was the blinding shine of the full moon. She glared down the moon feeling its ominous energy hypnotize her. She never felt so little compared to something so harmless. For some reason this was different, she felt as if the moon held a greater power over her that she never experienced before. She would usually look at the moon shining from her bedroom window and feel complete indifference. Yet, she had a feeling that anything she was about to do tonight were not her own decisions, but instead were commands directed by the moon itself.
Before she could continue to allow herself to be mesmerized by it further, she heard another branch snap. Eli instantly knew she wasn't alone. No longer was it the sounds of broken branches revealing someone's presence, but it was a distinct smell. The overwhelming scent of roses and burning wood invaded her nose. Her body instantly was overwhelmed with fear with whatever was out there. She had no clue on why she was so terrified, but something in her gut told her she should be running as far and as fast away.
Instead, she felt herself moving in that direction an unexplainable determination to push past her fear overcame her. She didn't understand why she wasn't running away. All her instincts were telling herself to run as fast as humanly possible to try and avoid the only logical outcome if she didn't escape whatever was hiding within the woods. The will to survive felt like a silent hum within her that was easily overpowered by her growing curiosity to uncover what or who was hidden behind the trees.
The closer she got to the source of the smell the more pungent it became. Her heart was beating out of it's chest in anticipation of what was going to happen. The smell of burning wood slowly overpowering the sweetness of roses the closer she got to its origin. As she reached the spot the person was hiding in, there was no one there. Until she heard the growling of an animal behind her. It definitely wasn't a cougar or a small innocent chihuahua. No, it was booming and feral, and it was making its presence known.
When Eli turned around, she thought she was imagining the thing she was looking at. It was something bigger and scarier than anything she has ever seen on Animal Planet. It stood nearly six feet high on all fours, and Eli didn't want to imagine how much taller it became standing on its hind legs. It was hairy and muscular with its jaw snapping open to reveal rows of razor sharp fangs. The most unnatural thing about it was its big ruby red eyes.
