Hiding in Daylight

Chapter 5

The remaining rays of light fell to the ground during twilight as Bertha stalked through the dense undergrowth, her senses keenly attuned to every rustle and whisper of the woods. She had been tracking the elusive wolf for days, but didn't feel like she was getting any closer to it.

As she moved silently through the shadowed trees, Bertha's eyes scanned the forest floor, searching for any sign of it, be it its tracks or any sign of fur in the branches.. The air was heavy with the scent of trees and the damp earth. Her steps left a sound of a rhythmic crunch of leaves beneath her boots.

Bertha moved swiftly through the dense forest, her senses heightened by the adrenaline of the hunt. Behind every tree she suspected an attack, in every bush tere lay a potential assailant. As she pushed through the undergrowth, she noticed the change in the landscape — a shift from the towering trees of the forest to the open expanse of a field beyond.

"I think I am close to the town, can't be far anymore.", she thought to herself.

Desperate to get out of the dark forest, she quickened her pace. And there it was, stretching out before her — vast fields of acers and tall grass swaying gently in the breeze.

In the distance, the silhouette of the suburbs rose against the horizon, lights shining through their windows and their solar paneled rooftops glinting in the fading light of day. Bertha paused for a moment, taking in the sight and catching her breath, before pressing on.

As she reached the edge of the field and the first houses of the suburb loomed before her, Bertha felt relief rush through her. Even though she loved the solitude of being alone in nature, she couldn't shake the feeling of safety she had, whenever she walked a paved street with lights. 

The houses in the suburb were quaint and tidy, with neatly manicured lawns and brightly colored flowers adorning the front gardens. In the air lay the faint smell of a barbeque that was being held at one of the properties.

Beyond the rows of suburban homes, the skyline of the city rose like a mountain range, its towering skyscrapers illuminated by a thousand lights that superseded any stars hiding in the sky.

Darkness fell quickly and Bertha waited patiently in the bushes for it, to hide her presence from curious eyes. When the sun finally had set, she emerged from the ground and melted into the cover of darkness.

Her movements were swift and silent as she navigated the maze of yards and gardens in search of the beast.

She darted from one patch of darkness to the next, avoiding the pools of light cast by street lamps and porch lights. Carefully, she tried to move in a calm and continuous manner, as she knew that any sudden noise or movement could alert the creature to her presence and scare it away.

As Bertha ventured further into the outskirts of the suburb, she remained alert, her senses sharp as she scanned the surroundings for any sign of the elusive wolf. The tracks she had been following led her to this town, but on the concrete they got lost.

On more than one occasion she had thought to have found it's tracks in a flower garden, only to turn out to be the prints of local cats and dogs.

Then, as she turned a corner, she spotted it — a set of fresh and suspiciously large prints leading up to the front door of a house. Her heart quickened at the sight, her pulse pounding in her ears as she approached the door with cautious steps.

She drew out the knife she carried concealed around her leg and moved carefully to the house, ready to strike. Suddenly she heard a strange rumbling sound emanating from nearby. It was a low, crackling noise, like the sound of someone rummaging through trash cans or searching in a cellar.