The Bad Different

Prologue

The large yet sleek black body of the predator trotted silently through the Scandinavian woods taking everything in. Her senses weren't jumbled despite the wind, she could smell everything in a four mile radius. And she could see the trees, the individual leaves, and the creatures in hiding from her terrifying presence.

The dark of night was nothing to her, she was darkness itself, many called her the Omen of Death. Their legends were correct. If you saw her, you would surely be dead by the end of the year.

If she saw you and let you go, you were her game for later. If she was hungry, you were her prey right then, and you wouldn't have a chance to tell your tale of having seen the demon dog of Odin and lived.

Her howl strikes fear and terror into the hearts of even the bravest of men. That was how she was created. If you hear her howl, you had better run, that means she is surely on the hunt. Or you may close your eyes and pray she overlooks you, that is your real only chance. Do not look no matter how tempting it may be, for if you lay eyes on the demon dog, your life will end.

If you do not see her, then she will not have any reason to end your life.

A lone loud howl split the windy night like a knife and carried away on the wind. The forest grew silent around her and the wind brought to her the sweet voices of hikers. Her ears perked up at the flowing sound of their voices, her brain unable to determine what they were saying in its current state.

The sound of the voices meant one thing to her. Food. Temporary ease from the never-ending hunger she faces.

Any local would know better than to walk the trails, the stigma around them is too great. Teenagers do it often just to try and prove their bravery, but no one lasts all night. 

The people on the trail must be tourists, though this made no difference to the hunter.

Meat is meat.

She trotted towards their voice and the sweet smell of their skin with a watering mouth. She could sense the warmth of their bodies on her fur from a half mile away. She stopped at a fork in the trail that they would surely come to, crouched down, and waited.

She hadn't eaten in days and had to almost fight to let her prey come to her. Their smell was intoxicating.

When they rounded the trail in front of her, the draft horse-sized demon dog stepped out of her hiding spot, towering over the now paralyzed humans. They were trapped in the gaze of her fiery red eyes, unable to move. A foul smell came from one of the humans, the male, who had defecated himself.

She showed her glistening white teeth and snarled, breaking their trance. The female screamed and turned to run, leaving her mate behind. The male stood frozen, staring, his heart racing a mile a minute.

She pricked her ears up, watching the female run away. The male was too easy and wasn't going anywhere, and if he did, she would find him. 

With a warning snarl at the man, the beast leaped clean over his quivering frame and upon landing, raced eagerly towards her quarry. 

The female's speed was no match for the cryptids and soon the beast was upon her. Her scream got lost in the wind when the beast leaped upon the fragile body of the human female and sank her teeth into the torso, her long sharp teeth puncturing the body with ease and snapping the spine. 

Air escaped the females lungs in a high-pitched wheeze and the beast picked the lifeless body up in her jaws and made her way silently back to where the man was left. He was still there, but now lifeless on the ground.

The beast dropped the human female beside her still mate and sniffed the male. His heart was no longer beating. 

The creature of legend let a howl of victory tease the night before laying down to enjoy her meal.

 There would be little remaining of the two hikers when she was finished.