The Grimm Dossier

Chapter 24 - The Wolf

England, West Coast
Devonshire, Dartmoor
Forests of Dartmoor
5 November 1898, 03:03 hrs.

A rustling accompanied the movement of the heavy body. A huge, beastly wolf pushed itself out of the mist as if it had just escaped from the Otherworld and was ready to hunt. Teeth thick as fingers, drool flowed from its mouth and fell to the ground in thick, red drops. The eyes were a glowing yellow color, and the fur was disheveled and looked matted, giving it an even more sinister appearance. In some places, the fur had fallen out or thinned, and scaly, wrinkled skin looked pitch black in the dull moonlight. Here and there on the massive body, a few wounds were visible, as if the beast had recently been in a fight. Blood caked the pitch-black fur in several places. But the beast did not seem to mind. Either it hadn't been wounded badly enough, or it wasn't its own blood.

Kyle swallowed hard. Adrenaline pumped through his veins, tightening his nerves and muscles. Beside him, he could perceive the doctor's posture changing as well. Slowly and deliberately. And yet he shifted his leg to the side and spread the fingers that still rested on Kyle's shoulders. He could feel the tension in the doctor's body through his fingertips. Unspoken warning and a silent countdown to the inevitable confrontation that would follow.

The beast lowered its head and pulled its chaps even higher, then without warning leaped forward and charged at them. Kyle pushed at Dr. Archer. He in turn pushed at him. As a result, they both staggered apart. Kyle almost went down from the force, while Dr. Archer was able to catch himself easily. The doctor dodged and a few leaves flew up as he rolled across the forest floor. The lantern that Dr. Archer had been carrying fell over with a clang and what little light there was going out. The wolf's attack came to nothing. Cracking and crunching accompanied the impact of the massive body, which caused the fallen tree trunk to tremble. Roots and dried branches cracked like logs in a fire as the beast's glowing gaze turned back to the searchers. The movement came into Benjamin's body.

A gunshot shattered the silence of the night. With a loud bang, the projectile detached itself noisily from the revolver. Blood and fur splattered as the bullet found its target. With a dull, then smacking sound, it tore a deep wound in the beast's shoulder. The sharp claws churned the ground as the monster continued towards the doctor, intoxicated with pain and blood lust. The doctor pulled the trigger again and pulled the cock back again and again. Shots rang out from the barrel. With a noisy crack, a bullet slammed into the fallen trunk. Wood splintered and a deep hole remained in the spot. A second narrowly missed its target.

Then another bullet hit and smashed into the massive body of the beast. But as if out of its mind, the wolf stayed on its course and started to pounce again. Benjamin wanted to retreat, but he hit an obstacle: a tree at his back.

His arm moved forward, and he took aim and aimed the barrel right at the mouth of the huge monster. Then something clicked, but no bang released the next bullet. The click sounded false, crunched, and died away. The doctor's eyes widened in horror as he understood: a jam! The cartridge had jammed in the loading mechanism! His heart slipped into his pants. The mouth of the beast slavered towards him, a jaw peppered with sharp fangs that lusted for his throat.

אני מצווה על אדמה וסלע. אני מחליט אם הם הולכים או נשארים. תסתבך, שטן. לשקוע בגוף האדמה (1)  

Suddenly the head of the beast drove down and crashed noisily to the ground. Powerful jaws snapped and teeth clashed like a clanging leghold trap. First a short yelp, then an angry growl escaped from the wolf, whose body reared up strangely. Dr. Archer stared - barely more than a step away the beast writhed on the ground, growling, barking, and snapping at him again and again. He pressed himself against the trunk, then, taking advantage of the moment, leaped to the side. Only now did he recognize Kyle behind the monster.