Skinwalker - Completed

CHAPTER 4

(Rylie's POV)

Rylie brought out a map of the forest and stared at it. She taps the place she entered from in the map and traced it with her fingers to where she was supposed to go. In a few meters, she should see a historical dig site that will lead her to where they found the Totem.

As she walked towards it, an excited shrill went down her spine. She was close to achieving what her father couldn't. She will prove to the world that werewolves exist by finding that Totem.

But she stopped as soon as she heard voices in the distance. Slowly and carefully, she crouched towards the source of it. Her eyebrows knitted when she listened to the chanting of some sort, then a beating drum was filling the whole place with its sound.

What was that? Rylie thought to herself. She crouched closer to it, and her eyes widen with what she saw. A group of people wearing wolf skin is dancing to a wolf's Totem, holding it above their head. The Totem is made of wood and has a circle above its head with half black and half white markings on the center. The Totem's body depicts people hoisting each other's shoulders to reach a Godlike figure in the wolf's head. There are drawings of a woman shown on each side of the wolf's thigh.

Rylie knew it was a bad idea to stay longer, but she was mesmerized by the ritual. A woman was sitting in the center close to her age. She was just sitting there with her legs crossed and her hands on her knees. It looked like the woman just stares off in the distance.

She gasped when she saw Alyssa among those spectators who are watching the ritual. There were people her age, and there were adults among them too. Rylie became worried about the girl in the center of the ceremony. What will happen to that girl? Will she be sacrificed like a lamb to these people?

At that thought, she almost gagged up all the macaroni and cheese she ate again in the morning. If she wouldn't run now and report it to the police. She knew she will regret it for the rest of her life. That woman needs to be saved!

She got up and carefully back steps her way but as soon as she did that. All eyes turned on her.

Shit!

Rylie quickly turned around and started running for her life.

Mom. I'm sorry! I should have listened to you!

There was no particular direction where she was going. She just knows in her gut that she needs to run. Her heartbeat started accelerating like crazy, and her sweat started dripping down her sweatshirt. She can hear them shouting in the distance. But she didn't dare look back.

She closed her eyes for a moment. Wondering why of all people, it was her that stumbled upon those weirdos.

"Hey!"

Rylie's eyes widen. How did Alyssa able to keep up with her. It takes a moment to climb that cliff! Her mistake was turning to look at the woman behind her. She tripped on a rock, and the next thing she knew. She was thrown down towards a path, rolling in the dirt, and slapped with branches on her way down.

She shielded her face from the onslaught. Her body was aching all over, but she has to endure as her downward path came to a stop. She grits her teeth and slowly lifted herself up. Her knees hurt, and she was missing her other boots. Maybe it came flying off when she rolled down.

There were bruises all over her shoulder, arms, legs, and face. Her shoulders hurt, so she looked at it, and she quickly turned away from it when she saw how badly it was dislocated. Her camera is broken too!

Shit! Rylie's eyes became teary, but she looked up where she fell and didn't see Alyssa there, making her exhale a shaky breath. She winced as she walked towards a cave in front of her.

It wasn't a good idea; she knows, but it was the only thing she could do now. Hide inside a cave until she learns that those weird people will not find her.

Rylie sat in a stone inside the cave and gathered her knees. Her tears started falling. Her mother will not find her if she stays here. Rylie needs to get going! So she got up and looked around her. She held her bag to her good shoulder. And she saw that there was only one path outside of the cave. Gritting her teeth, she walked towards it. Wincing as the pain on her shoulders ache from time to time.

Her eyebrows furrowed when she saw a shabby and abandoned temple. There was a wolf statue all over the place, set like it is guarding the entrance. The headless wolf statue on the right side of the entrance is leaning towards the other figure. She thought it was the dig site, but there was no excavation in the area, which she finds weird.

Rylie limped towards it. Her heart started beating fast with this incredible discovery. She saw that there were ancient writings on the wall. It was the symbols her father had written in a notebook she saves from being burned. There was an alphabetical equivalent to those symbols, and she remembers it by heart.

Nature grants a way to be one. Offering a sacred object and praising the divine. Walk in the shadow of the wolf, and your path shall be laid down for you.

Her breathing became hard. Excitement is seen in her eyes as she traced the symbols on the pillar of the entrance. She brought her phone out and shone a light inside the temple. Her eyes were immediately drawn towards a totem of a white wolf. It was the same size as the Totem those people were holding earlier.

Rylie took a step towards it. She reached out a hand to get the Totem, but she slid down because of the mud near the altar where it is located. She grits her teeth and musters all her strength to reach the Totem.

Her smile grew when she reached the bottom of the Totem. She pushed it to tip it towards her. When it tipped, she immediately grabbed the Totem and smiles. But before she could celebrate her small victory. She started sliding forward, and the altar slid forward too!

Shit!

Rylie closed her eyes for the impact, but none came. So she immediately opened them when a rumbling started echoing inside the temple. Her eyes went wide. All around her, the pillars of the small temple started falling one by one. The altar went forward and pushed the first pillar into a domino effect.

The building is going to collapse in on her!

Rylie scrambles towards the only exit of the temple. It was the only entrance and exit. Her heart started pounding, and her sweat became furious as she raced against time to stay alive. She held the Totem close to her heart as she runs. Just as the whole place was about to collapse, she braced her legs to make one attempt of jumping with all her might.

She falls down on the ground, outside of the temple. Catching her breath.

Rylie smiles as she brought out the Totem she tucked under her body. It glistened in the afternoon sun. All her pain was forgotten for a fleeting moment.