Curse of the Weretroll (rewrite)

Chapter 61

     Walking through the forest, the moon and stars the only things keeping even the tiniest bit of light surrounding them, Branch pretended to be tracking the wolf, the little gray troll lifting a small twig off of the ground to look at closely as if observing it for clues...

     "Hmm..." he muttered 'thoughtfully', the survivalist taking a quick lick at the stick he now held between his fingers... "Burkwood... not helpful..."

     It had been hours now since the hunt began... and luckily... so far... Branch had been able to keep his wolf side in check... but... he was having a rather tough time coming up with excuses whenever someone asked why they hadn't yet found and killed the wolf... the wolf... that no one knew was actually him...

     "Well..." Branch started, finally turning back to the group of trolls that followed close behind him as the survivalist dropped the twig back down to the ground where he had previously found it. "There's no signs of the wolf being anywhere near here... so... maybe... we should just call it a night?"

     The village grump faked a smile as he finished his sentence, desperately hoping that the others would agree to end the hunt early so he could actually go home safe and sound...

     After a moment of pure and utter silence, the others finally shrugged, the group thankfully turning around to walk home...

     Relieved with the fact he had gotten through this night alive... Branch let a big sigh escape from his chest, the little gray troll finally calm after hours of freaking out...

     That moment of joy... did not last long, however...

     "Head hunter!" a loud angered shout suddenly rung out through the crisp night air, causing the young boy to jump slightly in surprise as he turned in a quick jerking motion, the poor Weretroll's heart instantly sinking down deep into the pit of his stomach at the sight of Creek quickly approaching him... "If you're so good at tracking things... than why haven't you found that good for nothin' beast yet!?" Creek shouted threateningly as the purple nuisance held his rifle up to Branch's throat, his finger resting gently on the trigger...

     "I... I... I..." Branch stammered nervously as he slowly began backing away, the poor boy's eyes wide in terror as he kept his gaze locked on the loaded gun that was aimed directly at him...

     He could feel the fur rising on the back of his neck, the wolf starting to take over once again... trying to protect himself from the danger that stood right in front of him...

     "You don't deserve this title!" Creek shouted out with a firm glare plastered right on his hideous face. "I should be head hunter! Me! Not you!"

     Branch blinked, not knowing how to responded to that...

     He didn't even want this job in the first place... he was forced into taking it...

     "I..." he started, but Creek quickly cut him off, the jerk troll shoving Branch harshly away from himself...

     "So you better find that wolf before the sun rises at dawn! Alone!" Creek demanded firmly, jabbing the village grump with the tip of his riffle in a quick movement of pure rage. "Or I'll be sure to tell Peppy you failed, and have you exiled from the village! Forever!"

     And with that... the jerk troll quickly turned, stomping away as Branch just stood there wide eyed in complete shock of what had just happened...

     'Great...' he finally thought to himself, letting out a quiet sigh of despair as he lowered his head in shame. 'So now... I either revel my secret and get killed... or I keep my secret and get kicked out of my home...'

     Both choices were just plain awful... and either way... he'd never get to see Poppy again... ever again...

     "Ugh..." Branch groaned in complete and utter hopelessness, the little Weretroll placing both hands over his face in a pathetic attempt to hide his dread... "I'm so doomed..."

     The wind suddenly blowing over to the survivalist in a specific way that immediately caught his attention, Branch slowly lowered his hands from his face, the young boy beginning to look around himself as his nose twitched slightly...

     What was that?

     He... he could smell something... something close... but... but what was it?

     Wait... he recognized that rare smell... but what he recognized it as... it... it just wasn't possible...

     Looking cautiously around himself, Branch sniffed the air carefully, his left ear twitching as it listened closely for any sort of sound...

     There! The smell! It was just a little ways away from where he stood. And... and getting closer?

     Slowly, the young boy turned, his eyes widening as he let out a quiet gasp of shock, a big reddish-brown fured wolf suddenly pouncing directly at him from behind a bush where it had secretly been lurking... stalking it's prey for the past few hours...

"AHHH!" Branch screamed out in pure terror as he was quickly tackled to the ground...