A Collection of Odd Stories (Aim To Engage Contest - Prompts 3-30)

Mt. Lycan (Horror/Mystery)

I open my eyes groggily, squinting against the bright moonlight. The full moon shines in its brilliance tonight, its whole beauty up for display. Leaves rustle in the background, and a peaceful wind blows through and lightly tickles my nose. 

A wind? Why is there a breeze in my room?
I jerk up, bracing myself on the ground. I'm outside. I whip my head back and forth, staring at my surroundings in panic. How'd I get here?

The surface in front of me slopes down gradually, eventually flattening out. I'm on a mountain.

The bright lights of a city shine below, illuminating the dark. Other smaller mountains surround mine, forming a semi-circle around the metropolis.

Selene? That's my town, but why am I looking down at it? I see my apartment building in the distance, a tiny speck compared to the skyscrapers behind it. I could see the entire city from up here.

Don't tell me... My eyes dart around, looking at the mountain peaks around me. All smaller. I was at the highest point on the highest mountain.

I was on Mt. Lycan.

A howl pierces the silence, making me yelp. I stand up quickly, pacing around restlessly.

Just legends. They're just legends.

Lycan stands for werewolves in Greek. Named after the legend that monsters roamed around on the mountain every full moon. Even our city was named "Selene", Greek for moon.

Everyone followed one unspoken rule in town. Never go up Mt. Lycan, especially not on a full moon.

But I was here. Alone.

I hear a rustle behind me. I whirl around, arms slightly raised in alarm.

A man stands in the grass, his black suit blending into the darkness of the night. "What is a girl like you doing out so late?"

"Who are you?!" I demand, grabbing a stick from the ground and pointing it towards him. My knuckles turn white, and a sharp pain shoots through my hand as a splinter pushes its way into my skin. But my grip didn't loosen.

The man raises his hands in surrender, his eyes glinting in the moonlight. "I just wanted to help."

I slightly lower my stick, watching him carefully with my eyes. "I don't know how I ended up here. I woke up and I was on the mountain."

"I see. Let me help you, I can get you a ride."

I eye the man suspiciously and repeat, "Who are you?"

The man bows flourishingly, dragging his left hand towards his back. "I'm a magician." He waves a hand in the air, and my stick materializes into his grip. I stare at my bare hands in shock. A trickle of blood flows down my palm from the splinter.

"How'd- What?!" I ask incredulously, "How'd you..."

The man gives me a sly smile, "Magic."

I take a step back, stumbling and falling on my butt. "Stay back."

"I'm sure you heard about the werewolves..." The stranger takes a step forward, "But have you heard about the pact?"

"What pact?" I demand, patting the grass around me frantically. I needed another weapon.

"When the werewolves threatened to overrun the city, the townspeople made a deal with them." The man looked up at the moon, shoving his hand deep into his pockets. "One sacrifice every full moon. Delivered right into the lion's den."

I hear the stranger's pants tear as long nails pierce through his pockets, protruding out like long knives. They gleam in the moonlight.

His hair starts to turn grey.

I was the sacrifice.