Heal Me

Sheepless

Her eyes widened at the horrific sight.
The doctor stared at the sheep the farmer had left.... he had had a flock of ten full grown sheep... now there was only the remnants of three... and four baby lambs left alive.
The way they were killed was... in no way she had ever seen. Only some of the three sheep were left, and was was left was their torsos... entirely licked clean. The sheep's torso was ripped open, ribs cracked, and all vital organs gone, as well as their heads and bottom halves.... completely mutilated. And the other seven? Not a trace of them, like they had been entirely devoured, only spots of blood in the grass left behind.
The animal had a taste for organs... as that was what was missing from the three that were still here... what also didn't make sense was the babies were left away, whereas wolves normally primarily hunt the weak or babies of any herd of animal.
"So what is it...?" Clarice's father asked, chewing on his nails nervously at the sight. The doctor had to stare a little longer, before hesitantly giving an answer.
"I... I don't know..." She replied. "It's not wolves... not coyotes, definitely not foxes." She rubbed the back of her hair. "I don't even think it could be a bear..." She was entirely lost for words... her palms sweating... this... thing ate 10 sheep... only leaving a small amount of carcasses behind... and eaten in such a strange way...
She shook her head to her thoughts, no. It can't be one animal... it had to have been a pack, not even a bear could've eaten so much like this in one day. She knelt down to one of the leftover bodies, examining closer. "Maybe... maybe it... could be a pack of... wolves with rabies... I don't... know... it's unlike anything I've seen." Her eyes narrowed to the wounds- talons!? What the hell with talons could've done this!? Deep talon marks were sunken into the back and throat of the animal... so then it can't be a wolf... or anything on fours.
"That's the only logical answer..." She added, now partially lying... she didn't wanna panic the farmer by saying she entirely didn't know what had done this.. even if that was the case.
"Were there prints?" She asked, knowing the sun was about to be fully set as the oranges and pinks were fading from the sky... she'd have to go home very soon.
The stronger man nodded, leading Y/N away from the sheep carcasses to a nearby fence.... pointing to the ground... She dropped to her knee once again, crossing her arms from the cool air coming with the night, looking closely... The print was... well it looked like the pads of a wolf... except at the ends, we're not claws, but talon marks again... and the pads were... giant... bigger than any wolf... they weren't normal at all, what was most concerning... was that there was only one set of prints... not a pack of these prints... meaning it... was a loner predator... and it did all that.
She gulped. "Maybe... maybe it's a species of wolf we haven't encountered before..." She proposed, leaving the red head a bit flabbergasted. "A different wolf?" He asked, Y/N nodded.
"Yes... these pads are... even bigger than Timber wolves I've read about.... and the... claws are strange." She said softly, before standing up with a sigh. "Keep all your livestock under heavy surveillance, and don't let them out at night... maybe you'll be able to see whatever this is... and describe it to me... but... some sort of wolf, that's what I'd look out for." She explained, the farmer nodding, worry evident on his face... especially since the young doctor didn't know what they were dealing with....

She had come home late that night, kept up by whatever was in the forest.... and the eerie feeling.... of being watched the entire way home...