The Devil of the Moon (Moonblood Series 1)

Chapter 4: Monsters and Men

The moment Lia closed her eyes, a thunder-like footsteps echoed through the air, synchronized with the trembling of the ground beneath her. Her heart almost stopped while breath caught in her throat. Eyes flew open and cast an apprehensive gaze into the dense fog before her. Within the dense fog, crimson eyes glowed with an intensity akin to smoldering coals. Lia's heart raced, its pounding so thunderous it felt as though it went to her ears, and the color drained from her face as a giant creature finally emerged from the mist. Her eyes darted rapidly from left to right, as the distant echoes of more heavy footsteps reached her ears. She stood there, rooted in place and with long, menacing claws, the creature raised a man before its massive foot, toyed with him as if he were a mere doll in its grasp.

With the monster tossing the man into the air, time seemed to move at a snail's pace as the piercing sounds of his screams echoed through the air, almost like a knife twisting her gut. She found herself aiming the rifle at the monster's heart, her trembling fingers squeezing the trigger but her bullet found nothing but an empty place as if fate had slipped through her fingers and the glowing red eyes were now bored into her as if she was its next target. However, she was rendered speechless as the monster ensnared the man in its jaws filled with multiple layers of razor-sharp teeth. And the screams appeared to cling to the atmosphere, persisting even after it had left the man's mouth while it matched the thundering beat of her heart. Blood oozed from its gaping maw, a sight so repulsive it made her retch and her stomach flipping inside out. Simultaneously, she was assailed by the putrid stench of the creature, similar to rotting meat or something even more foul that defied description.

But the mere sight of the creature's slow approach towards her caused her knees to tremble and fear consumed her thoughts, impeding her mind to process. She inadvertently held her breath and squeezed her eyes shut as the monster drew nearer.

"Lia! Run!" Their screams had made her heart stumble and quickly, roamed her eyes across the somber trees, only to be obstructed by the dense and smoky mist. Where are they?

A deluge of thoughts overwhelmed her, yet upon closing her eyes, a single memory resurfaced. We have..to be alive and come back completely. Margosha's words resonated deeply within her, and her eyes sparkled with tears as she cast one last glance in Lia's direction. With tear-filled eyes, Lia summoned every ounce of courage within her and took a deep, steadying breath. As Lia firmly anchored herself in the present moment, she grasped the daunting reality that she was limping away and the searing agony coursing through her injured leg prompting her to ponder: if this torment was so excruciating, how much more unbearable would it be if the monster had caught and devoured her? As that thought took hold, she instinctively shook her head, and in an instant, a fear for her very existence surged within her.

However, it proved to be a futile endeavor. Just as her gaze settled upon the colossal monster, it closed the distance with its swiftness and hurtling towards her like a thunderbolt. Her breaths became ragged gasps and terror nearly suffocating her. Eyes darted desperately, scouring for any escape, but none materialized. I can't do this! Her heart hammered against her chest like an unyielding drumbeat. I can't do this. She drew in a breath so sharp that it seemed to momentarily cleanse her of fear. As beads of sweat traced a path down her brow, the chilling reality of her slim chances for survival in this war fully dawned upon her. And the odds of success dwindled swiftly as her foot became entangled in a massive root concealed behind the towering tree, causing her to tumble onto the moist earth. Once more, a stifled scream escaped her lips as her heart seemingly on the brink of leaping out of her chest. The pain coursing through her leg redoubled, escalating to a level where it felt as though a thousand needles had insidiously punctured every corner of her body.

Time stretched out and each minute feeling like an eternity while the monstrous creature moved with deliberate slowness like a predatory beast savoring the anticipation of its prey. Despite the excruciating pain, she summoned every ounce of her will to rise, but her limbs seemed burdened by an unbearable weight, frozen in place. Paralyzed by fear, her heart seemed on the verge of stopping entirely as the creature's menacing claws inched ever closer to her.