Changelings

Howl

"Let's play a game.

Whoever loses dies."

She adjusts the beanie on her head and straightens her jumper. Darkness creeps over the orange sky like winter slithering across the autumn leaves. A gunshot cracks in the cold air. Her breath hitches in her thin throat.

It has begun.

She takes off running, her eyes darting back and forth searching for shelter. She runs as fast as her small legs take her along the meadow, crawling with insects and dead birds. She jumps over the barbed wire as the unknown rolls in like waves tumbling onto the beach.

She sprints into the deep, feeling her way around the decaying moss and giants of the darkness, morbidly curled within the web of defeat.

The beast howls again, sending chills across the forest floor. She hides behind a log, breathing hard. She places a hand on her chest as her heart beats like a drum. Everything is at a standstill waiting for the hunt to end.

Screams send tremors across the damp earth. Blood drains from her face as she looks up from her hiding place. Harsh lines mark the earth, leaving a bloody trail in its wake. The cries for help are lost amongst the cracking of bones.

Red glowing eyes make contact with hers. She freezes. Too late. It's already seen her. She hurries away from the log, skidding along the forest floor in the process. She catches herself again and keeps running, swerving and ducking through the trees. It's no use. The beast is closing in fast.

She grunts as she falls into the mud. She tries standing up but fails. The beast springs out of the shadows. She screams as she is yanked from behind. Her nails break and bleed as she is pulled deeper into the unknown.

"Gotcha," he says as he helps her stand up. "It took me ages to find you."

She picks her beanie from the floor, wiping away the dirt and grime. "You took long enough. Where are the others?"

Small shadows form in the distance as Alice and James join the circle.

"He found us quickly," Alice says running her hand through her 'fro. Her skin almost blends in with the night.

"I was caught first," James mutters, violently kicking the dirt.

"Ok since I found you last, it's your turn," Edmund says.

Carris nods and turns around. She puts her hands in front of her eyes. "One...two...three..."

The beast howls in the distance.