Jessica’s nostrils flared as she caught the pungent scent of the werewolf. It was close, so close she could almost taste it on her tongue. She led Kevin and Salina deeper into the cave, her newly enhanced senses guiding them through the inky darkness.
“I can’t see a damn thing,” Salina grumbled, her voice echoing off the damp stone walls.
Kevin rustled around in his backpack. “Got it covered,” he said, producing three flashlights. He handed one to Salina and offered the other to Jessica.
She shook her head, her eyes gleaming in the dim light. “Keep it. I don’t need one.”
Kevin and Salina exchanged a worried glance, but Jessica pretended not to notice. She was getting used to those looks–equal parts concern and fear. It was hard to blame them, considering she was turning into a monster.
As they ventured further into the cave, Jessica felt an inexplicable pull, like an invisible thread tugging her forward. The werewolf’s scent grew stronger with each step, a heady mix of musk and something wilder, more primal.
“You okay, Jessica?” Kevin asked, his voice low and tight with tension.
Jessica nodded, not trusting herself to speak. She wasn’t okay. Not even close. With every passing moment, she felt less like herself and more like... something else. Something dangerous.
The narrow tunnel suddenly opened up into a vast chamber. Jessica heard Kevin and Salina’s sharp intakes of breath behind her, their flashlight beams dancing across the cavern walls.
“Oh my God,” Salina whispered, her voice trembling.
The chamber was a nightmare come to life. Bones littered the floor, some still bearing scraps of rotting flesh. Half-eaten corpses were strewn about, their vacant eyes staring sightlessly into the darkness. The stench of death and decay was overwhelming, even for Jessica’s companions.
“Crispy butter balls,” Kevin choked out, his face pale in the harsh light of the flashlight. “How long has this thing been hunting here?”
Jessica shook her head, fighting back the bile rising in her throat. “I don’t know, but-” She froze, her entire body tensing. “Something’s coming. Hide!”
They scrambled for cover, ducking behind a cluster of stalagmites. Kevin and Salina clicked off their flashlights, plunging the chamber into darkness. Jessica could hear their ragged breathing, smell the fear rolling off them in waves.
A shadow moved at the entrance to the chamber, and Jessica’s nose twitched. The scent that had led them here intensified, flooding her senses. She leaned close to her friends, her lips barely moving as she whispered, “It’s the werewolf.”
Kevin’s grip tightened on his silver spear. “Get ready,” he breathed.
They watched as the figure moved into the chamber, its movements fluid and predatory. Jessica’s heart raced, a mix of fear and something else–something she didn’t want to examine too closely.
Salina nudged her, gesturing towards a large bone near her feet. Jessica nodded, understanding the plan without words. As the werewolf moved further into the chamber, distracted by something they couldn’t see, Salina crept forward.
In one swift motion, she snatched up the bone and brought it down hard on the werewolf’s head. There was a sickening crack, and the figure crumpled to the ground.
“Nice swing,” Kevin said, his voice a mix of admiration and shock.
They approached cautiously, Kevin and Salina training their flashlights on the prone form. Jessica’s brow furrowed in confusion as the beams illuminated not a monstrous beast, but a man.
He was filthy, his bare chest and arms caked with dirt and what looked disturbingly like dried blood. His only clothing was a pair of tattered pants that had seen better days. Despite his hobo-like appearance, he had thick muscles, as though he had been working out in a gym for generations. Jessica surmised that being a werewolf came with its advantages.
“What the hell?” Salina muttered, voicing the confusion they all felt.
Jessica knelt beside the unconscious man, inhaling deeply. “It’s him,” she said, certainty coloring in her voice. “He has the werewolf scent.”
Kevin ran a hand through his hair, his expression troubled. “So he is human… Or was human.”
“I guess,” said Jessica. “Werewolves are humans who became werewolves.”
Salina paced the small area, her flashlight beam bouncing erratically off the cave walls. “We need to tie him up,” she said decisively. “Interrogate him when he wakes up. He might have answers.”
Kevin nodded, already shrugging off his backpack. “Good idea. I brought rope in my pack here.”
While Kevin and Salina were busy securing the unconscious man, Jessica couldn’t help but gaze at his face. He looked ordinary–not at all like the monster she’d imagined. It was a stark reminder of what she might become, and the thought sent a chill down her spine.
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“Guys,” Kevin said, his voice tight with urgency. “We need to hurry. It’s getting dark outside.”
Jessica’s head snapped up, suddenly aware of the fading light at the cave’s entrance. Fear clawed at her insides as she realized what that meant. The full moon was on the rise, heralding the potential for her transformation.
“Let’s get this over with,” she said, her voice stronger than she felt. “I’ve got questions for this guy, and he’d better have some answers.”
As they finished securing the werewolf-man and settled in to wait for him to regain consciousness, Jessica couldn’t shake the feeling that they were running out of time. The pull of the moon was getting stronger, and she wasn’t sure how much longer she could fight it.
The cave fell into an uneasy silence, broken only by the occasional drip of water and the ragged breathing of their captive. Jessica’s enhanced hearing picked up every little sound, from the scurrying of small creatures in the darkness to the steady heartbeats of her friends.
Kevin paced back and forth, his silver spear glinting in the beam of his flashlight. “How long do you think he’ll be out?” he asked, glancing nervously at the unconscious man.
Salina shrugged, her own weapon held tightly in her grip. “Hard to say. Werewolf healing might kick in soon, though.”
Jessica remained crouched near the man, her senses on high alert. Every instinct told her to run, to find a safe place to weather the coming change. But she fought against it, knowing that this might be their only chance to get answers.
“What if he doesn’t know anything?” she asked, voicing the fear that had been nagging at her. “What if he’s just as clueless as we are?”
“Then we’re back to square one,” Kevin said grimly. “But we have to try, Jessica. We can’t let you-“
He broke off, but Jessica knew what he meant. They couldn’t let her become a monster, couldn’t let her hurt anyone. The weight of that knowledge settled heavily on her shoulders.
A low groan shattered the tense silence, sending a jolt of adrenaline through Jessica’s veins. She tensed, muscles coiled and ready for action as the bound man stirred. Kevin and Salina flanked her, their silver spears gleaming menacingly in the dim light of the cave.
The man’s eyes flickered open, his expression clouded with confusion for a fleeting moment before panic took hold. He thrashed against his bonds, a feral growl rumbling deep in his chest. The sound sent shivers down Jessica’s spine, awakening something primal within her.
“Easy there, big guy,” Salina said, her voice impressively steady despite the fear Jessica could smell radiating off her. “We just want to talk.”
The man’s eyes narrowed, darting between the three teenagers. When he spoke, his voice was rough, tinged with an old American Southern drawl that seemed out of place in the dank cave. “Who the hell are you kids? Untie me right now, or I swear I’ll tear you limb from limb!”
Jessica stepped forward, forcing herself to meet his wild gaze. “We’re the ones asking the questions here,” she said, surprised by the steel in her own voice. “You attacked me. You turned me into... this.” She gestured to herself, disgust and fear mingling in her tone.
The man’s nostrils flared, and a knowing look crossed his face. “Ah, I can smell it on you now. Fresh meat, aren’t you?”
Kevin jabbed his spear forward, the tip hovering inches from the man’s throat. “Who are you?” he demanded. “Why are you attacking people?”
A chilling laugh escaped the bound man’s lips, the sound more befitting of a psychopath than a human being. “Oh, you want introductions? How polite.” His grin was all teeth, predatory and unsettling. “The name’s Albert Wilson, not that it matters much to dead meat like you.”
Salina gasped, her eyes widening in recognition. “Albert Wilson? The serial killer from Moon Valley in the 1800s? The one who disappeared?”
Albert’s grin widened, a perverse pride gleaming in his eyes. “Oh, so my reputation precedes me. But you’ve got it all wrong, little girl. I wasn’t just a killer. I was a hungry beast, doing what nature demanded.”
Jessica felt sick to her stomach, but she forced herself to ask, “What do you mean?”
Albert leaned back, as much as his bonds would allow, a wistful look crossing his weathered features. “I was once a hunter, roaming these very woods. Then one night, a strange creature attacked me. Bit me on my ass.” His eyes locked onto Jessica’s, a shared understanding passing between them. “After that, well, let’s just say my appetites changed.”
“So you started killing people for no reason?” Kevin’s voice dripped with disgust.
Albert shrugged, the gesture incongruously casual given the circumstances. “Had to feed the beast somehow. Kept it secret for a while, but eventually, the good folks of Moon Valley caught on. Chased me into an old mining cave, caused a collapse.” His lips curled into a snarl. “Thought they’d buried me for good. Don’t know how long I was trapped down there, but I’m mighty pleased to be free again. A beast’s gotta eat, after all.”
Jessica stumbled back, horror washing over her. “How could you? There had to be another way!”
Albert’s laugh was hollow, devoid of any genuine mirth. “Another way? Oh, you naïve little pup. There is no cure. No hope of controlling the curse. Once you transform, you’ll be just like me.” His voice dropped to a conspiratorial whisper. “Might as well give up your human life now, girl. Live in the wild like the animal you are.”
“No,” Jessica shook her head vehemently, even as doubt crept into her mind. “I won’t become a monster like you. I won’t!”
“Fool,” Albert spat, his eyes gleaming with a mixture of pity and contempt. “You think you have a choice? The beast will take over, whether you want it to or not. And when it does...” He licked his lips, the gesture making Jessica’s skin crawl. “There’s nooooooo going back.”
Suddenly, Albert’s body twisted unnaturally, with the sound of bones cracking and altering their form under his skin. A feral grin spread across his face as he locked eyes with the terrified teenagers. “Well, would you look at that,” he drawled, his voice deepening into a growl. “Seems like dinner time’s come early.”
Jessica stumbled back, her heart pounding in her chest as she watched Albert’s transformation begin. Time was up, and they found themselves trapped in a cave with a monster on the verge of breaking free from its restraints.
The realization hit her like a physical blow: this was what awaited her. This loss of humanity, this descent into bestial hunger. As Albert’s form continued to twist and change before her eyes, Jessica felt her body tingle, responding to the call of the rising moon.
They were out of time, out of options, and face to face with a nightmare made of flesh. As Albert’s bonds strained against his growing form, Jessica knew they had only moments to act before they became prey to the very creature they’d sought to interrogate.
The cave echoed with the sound of snapping rope and Albert’s triumphant howl, leaving Jessica, Kevin, and Salina frozen in terror, unsure if they could escape the monster they’d unleashed–or the one that Jessica was becoming.