A pair of blue eyes stared relentlessly as there owner lurks in the shadows. It was around the time people rarely walk in the wood all on their own. Now it seems even quieter than it used to be, the previous evening had heralded news of fresh dead bodies, torn limb from limb. In order to disperse the people’s anxiety, the town sheriff had told the people that it wasn’t a wild animal attack but a random murder by a bunch of psychopaths on the loose.
“We will bring those psychotics to justice.”
The sheriff had lashed out to the masses during the news forecast.
The eyewitnesses to the incident were three children; two boys and a girl. The trio had all said the same thing, hearing distant cries and a wolf’s howl piercing through the heart of the wood. Their statement would have been believable except that there were no records of wolves in the town of Beaverly Hills since its inception.
In Beaverly Hills, there are hunters who walk the night, supposedly to hunt wild animals. They hunt in groups with mind-blowing weapons; bow and arrows, guns and deadly traps. One night, they spotted an animal and they chased with an aim of ’shoot to kill’, but this animal exhibited a whole new level of strength and agility, like nothing they had ever seen before.
The night ended in a massacre. All of the hunters were killed, except for one who was slashed across the neck, deep into the veins, missing the throat by only a few inches.
They walk amongst us!
“Werewolves,” he had said under a fading breath.
Those were the words uttered by a dying hunter which were now passed down generations, tales about abominations that roamed the woods of Beaverly Hills. However, many consider it to be one of the many creepy stories to sow the seed of fears, especially in children.
The New Guy
A new semester had just begun at Beaverly Hills High School. It was the time of the year when parents transfer their kids from one school to another, except that this year was special. There were lots of foreigners registering to be enrolled.
Amongst these foreigners, a teen, age 18 with a very distinct ascent, he has a firm face with a thick eyebrow, the coloration of his gentle eyes was bluish, very light as if fading, he has a cool smile and the atmosphere around him was comely.
Ordinarily, Amy Marshall would have cared less about the various species of guys in her class. She considered every last one of them a “douche”, she doesn’t give them her attention most days, but these particular moments were just different, she hadn’t felt anything like it before, she couldn’t help but stare relentlessly at the newcomer who gestured a smile with a boyish grin. Could this be love? She seemed to be totally mesmerized and enthralled by this new found figure and blabbered all day to her clique members till it was time for their history lessons.
Mrs. Jodiver, their history teacher had made a name for herself from her style of teaching. The class was always boring, even though she seemed to know everything about history. She always did a good job teaching it to the student in the most uninteresting way. Somehow the atmosphere seemed different, it had been from the first moment the newcomer had stepped onto the school premises.
”Today we will continue to learn about the wolves.”
Mrs Jodiver said in a relaxed tone.
She had begun to replicate all those boringness that comes handy during her lecture periods which almost sounds like a sermon every time.
Surprisingly Amy wasn’t sleepy, unlike other days when she would have dozed off only to be woken when the lecture ends. The newcomer somehow had an influence on her. She had noticed from the start how the newcomer had listened with unwavering attention while Mrs Jodiver continued with the lesson.
“Can you tell me about any incidents of wolf attacks, maybe a massacre or something?”
She pointed her index finger to an unsuspecting Amy who was lost in one those fancy imaginations lurking in that little head of hers.
Amy was jolted back into reality after she was tapped by her best friend, Olivia, who was seated directly behind her. She rose sluggishly and stare innocently at the teacher and then at the white ceiling, as she hadn’t heard the question. Olivia whispered the answer from behind.
“The Beaverly Hill’s Wood massacre,” Amy replied impulsively with utmost confidence which seems to dazzle the history teacher.
“What nonsense? Out!... I said get Out!”
Mrs. Jodiver lost her temper and was ready to make a scapegoat of a prominent figure among the students.
“She’s actually right ma.”
The newcomer muttered in a sharp but calm voice.
“And you are?”
“The name is Tyler Frost, am new.”
“Obviously I see, you probably don’t know who I am, Shall I introduce myself? Let me start by saying…Get out!”
She bellowed pointing her finger towards the exit at the back of the classroom.
Tyler need not be reminded that his presence is no longer desired, at least for that day. He rose gently to pack his bag pack then cast a quick glance at the furious Teacher whose face was astoundingly red as if competing with ripe tomatoes. The history lesson ended shortly after.
“Gosh! I have my practice today. You know? Cheerleading practices.”
Amy said then winced at Tyler who returned her gesture with a captivating smile.
“We finish at seven, see you tomorrow.”She said as she took long strides to disappear behind the extensive blocks that lie ahead.
Tyler headed for the main street with his newly acquired bike.
Never Walk in the Woods Alone At Night
Amy loved the woods. She derives pleasure from the aura, creepy but sweet sounds emanating from the middle of nowhere, though she’s mostly found exploring the beauty in the company of friends. But times like this, when she had to wait for cheerleading practices, she would walk the woods alone, she kept humming soft sounds trying to key into the beauty of nature, she had her torchlight on to illuminate the path that lay ahead. She had walked for almost an hour before the moon revealed itself in the dark sky and glisten in full.
“Oh! Thank God,” she muffled and stiffened her back, gathering a new burst of energy inside to further her journey. I wished I could just pitch my tenth over there and witness this beauty nature has to offer every day, she mused within as she increased her pacing.
It was a couple of meters before she finally left the wood and took a turn down Mc Howard Avenue; her house was just a couple of blocks down the narrow alley, surrounded by a mini fencing.
“Hello? Who’s there?”
She asked that same question repeatedly, she was sure she heard a howling sound in the distance and a flicker of a moving shadow. It was too fast for her brain to process.
Is that a wolf sound? No! That can’t be.
All those frustrating moments in the history class came rushing back, she was sure that she had mentioned the wood massacre to be a wolf attack intentionally to piss off Mrs. Jodiver. Now her thoughts were playing mind games with her, she concluded.
She looked ahead and was glad that she was almost out of the woods. She tried humming a song, she figured she could use a distraction to alleviate her unsettled mind, when it was finally beginning to seem like the little trick was starting to pay off, the weight of the situation she so much tried eluding to came weighing down crushing the one fragment of bravery left and heightening her cowardice to its peak.
She heard dead leaves rustle behind her and she was sure she heard footsteps this time. She stood transfixed and dazzled with her mouth wide open, words failed her, she peered over her shoulders but saw nothing, but when she turned back, a shadowy manlike figure was standing at the edge of the wood.
Could this be the psychopath the sheriffs had talked about? She asked herself, wishing she knew already but unfortunately she didn’t. She thought about turning back and running down the pathway in the direction she had come from but she wouldn’t move an inch when she saw the manlike figure step into the open under the revealing light of the full moon.
Two cold red eyes stared at Amy, elongated ears and dark fur covering most of his body, canine-like teeth, and the face was the definition of scary.
He now looked more villainous, sending a new set of cold chills down Amy’s spine. Amy had never felt so helpless before. Her face lost its color, she seemed in a pitiable state, like an asthmatic patient gasping for breath, and all she could wish for is her nightmare to end abruptly.
The entire surrounding was spinning in her head and she fell drifting slowly but swiftly into unconsciousness. But surprisingly her back didn’t touch the ground, strong firm hands supported her from behind, she managed to look up into a pair of blue eyes that stared back at her, the gesture was comforting and reassuring, she was shocked and happy at the same time.
“Tyler! What are you doing here?”
He silenced her with a kiss so passionate that she forgot her present trouble.
“Step back.” Tyler whispered softly, so that only Amy could hear.
Tug of War, A Moment of Victory
Tyler embraced the full moon in the dark sky, he growled in intense pain as he transforms.
Amy noticed his eyes first, they used to be lightish blue but they were a deeper color now. There were wrinkles all over his handsome face, the mouth sprout out revealing some set of protruding canine-like teeth, his ears were upright and taut, all his body was covered in groveling dark hairs, a semblance of the fur of a winter wolf.
“This is not your fight little wolf."
"We both know there’s no way you can defeat me,” the Alpha chided.
“Well, you didn’t turn me. You might be an Alpha but you're not mine,” Tyler retorted.
“You’re right. But you must be stupid to think you can face me and my pack all by yourself.”
He let out a wolf cry and a pack of twelve werewolves revealed themselves through the gaps in the wood, there were more beyond that could not be seen.
Amy had been scared when Tyler transformed but what she felt when she saw the monstrous werewolves was. She searched Tyler’s eyes for answers, she had expected to see him leave in cowardice but he didn’t seem to bother, smile was written all over his face, and that expression staged the seed of boldness in her failing mind.
“So much for the self-revered Alpha, it’s a pity that you need your pack to defeat me. I used to think an Alpha was the strongest but now I see things differently. You want to know what I see? All I see is a weakling lord it over a pack of fearsome werewolves and preying on defenseless humans.”
“Don’t make me laugh, Tyler. I’ve heard of the troubles you caused other packs in south California, words got out. Maybe when your delusion wears off, you will come to realize that we are more united than you think. Maybe one day you’ll come to realize what a disgrace you are, a fool that hunts down his own kind and protect humans. You think they will accept you? Or do you think she would love you even when she knows who you are? How long until she goes spreading what she has seen in this woods?”
Amy saw Tyler cast a thoughtful glance at her, but he didn’t seem as if he was bought over, all she did was stare relentlessly while the whole scenario played out.
“You talk too much for someone capable of leading a pack of werewolves”, Tyler retorted.
The pack was becoming restless as Tyler rained more insult on their Alpha. They wanted to strike but their Alpha waver them to stop and then continued his statement.
“You think you can lead them better? Don’t make me laugh kid. I have never heard nor seen an Omega as ambitious as you are. If I may ask, how do you plan on achieving the status of an Alpha? Because I’m damn sure you don’t have what it takes to kill me.”
“Maybe or maybe not,” either way, we’ll never know unless we fight.
“Are you willing to bet your life on maybe? Boy, stop this madness of yours by pledging your unwavering loyalty to me, and I might be so gracious to let you off this time. What do you say?”
“No! I say we fight!”
“Alright kid, I’ll fight you.
What better way is there to redeem my smeared reputation then by being the one stone that kills two love-birds?”
It was as if those last words hit the spot intended, Tyler’s composure evolved into a mixture of rage and dexterity, he charged forward without restraint, even though the Alpha was a lot bigger than him.
Within arm’s reach they throw punches at each other. The Alpha takes the upper hand,
Amy stopped breathing for a few seconds as she was totally mesmerized.
The Alpha plunged his creamy fangs into the back of Tyler’s neck whilst his hand slashed across his face; he then subjected the body to free fall.
It didn’t seem like he was satisfied, so in the speed of a flicker, he threw the body against the lodgepole pine tree,
The whole werewolf pack howled to cheer their Alpha’s triumph.
Amy watched as Tyler’s eyes closed drearily, he was still alive. She knew he was in a very bad position and any efforts to get close to him would be futile.
The atmosphere was now cold and shrill as the Alpha kept coming close to her; he stopped suddenly, and then stole a quick glance at the mutilated Tyler scornfully.
Amy was freaking uneasy and jittery, she knew there was nothing stopping the Alpha from pouncing on her, and now she felt like her heart was melting away. She focused on Tyler; it didn’t seem likely that he would be back to life any time soon. She closed her eyes, home wasn’t that far away, but it was farther than she could run. She wished she had walked the distance on the main road instead of walking the woods at night. ‘This is it!’ she thought. She had already imagined dying; perhaps, knowing she’s so close to accomplishing something. Death has never been so real before.
She snapped back to reality when the Alpha continued his mockery.
“Oops! Please don’t tell me you’re heartbroken, I didn’t expect you to get your hopes upon did you actually think I would lose against a kid?”
“I have gone through enough trouble this night already, thanks to you. So here is what’s going happen, I will rip your heart out of your chest first so you don’t have to experience the pain when I rip you apart limb from limb.”
“I bet my pack will agree that you are a good catch.”
“ Just so you don’t get the wrong impression, the reason for my benevolence is that I was able to strengthen my authority, thanks to you and your incompetent Omega boyfriend – an Omega is always the weak one, but I must confess, it took a lot of balls for your boyfriend to make that stupid decision to take me on.”
“Enough!”
Amy’s voice rumbled all the way to the centre of the wood, she was surprised at her actions because not only did she raise her voice, she grazed the Alpha’s cheek with a mind-blowing slap, she wasn’t sure where the courage had come from, but now she had to deal with the consequences.
It makes no difference; she said to herself, I’m going to die anyway.
The Alpha was angry, so were his pack, they were boisterous and hungry werewolves, their teeth clatter against one another, saliva dripping from their mouths. The pack moved towards Amy, appearing from the darkest corners of the wood.
Amy was living through her worst nightmare. Amy was scared.
“Stop!” the Alpha ordered his pack.”
He grabbed Amy by her neck and lifted her very high in a fit of rage. The creamy fangs sunk in slowly and she began to choke, her vision was starting to become blurry and her breath gradually faded.
Alpha-Omega
“Just when she had lost hope,
Tyler woke with a start; he leaped forward, shoving the pack aside.
She opened her mouth wide to let in a gulp of air, she was breathing real hard and fast. Though her eyes were still much blurry, she could still make out the exact figure of her savior, she smiled wildly as she drifts slowly into unconsciousness.
“Our fight is far from over.” Tyler bawled furiously.
His face turned purple, awing the pack, even the Alpha took some backward strides. They had never seen such a display of power before, such a magnificent transformation coming from an Omega.
Impossible!
The Alpha tackled head-on with total disregard, allowing his pride full control. All his attacks were going sideways, he knew he was losing but retreating wouldn’t do him any good, he focused his anger and frustration into his hits but they were countered by Tyler whose transformation hadn’t only increase his strength and size, but also his speed.
Tyler had been on the defense long enough to subject his assailant to enough mockery, he suddenly went full on his reprisal attack, his fangs haven’t been dirty in a long time till now, there was blood dripping from unceasing slashing.
After staggering about two steps forward, he suddenly dropped limply on the plain ground.
Tyler stood over the body of the Alpha and raised his brownish claws, but they weren’t entirely brownish as they were tainted with thick red blood. He stole a quick glance at Amy who coincidentally regained consciousness at the same time, and later at the pack.
He bent low to support the Alpha up enough to sink claws into his chest, rupturing the heart from the inside and rendering the body lifeless. He cast a second glance, but this time, longer, at the pack of werewolves.
“Are there any objections?”
He asked triumphantly.
No one objected. The whole pack howled in unison as a sign of acceptance of the new Alpha.
The transformation was almost immediate, he staggered off his feet, he experienced bone breaking in all his body parts which lasted a couple of minutes, finally he raised his face towards the full moon glistening in the dark sky, and his blue eyes turned into a pair of red – an indication of his Alpha status.
What A Long Night!
Amy rose gently to her feet, using the lodgepole pine tree as a support, she thrust forward, tap Tyler in the back, he turned in her direction, there were noticeable veins running down from all sides of his head, the slash he received from his assailant barely visible as it heals slowly, his eyes were still fiery red and his teeth clatter momentarily, he tried looking in opposite direction but Amy’s soft hands lay bare on the side, restraining him from doing so.
She smiled wholeheartedly and voiced out “I love the blues better”, Tyler understood and shifted back into his human form, he looks pitiable, almost naked, those pair of eyes were back to being bluish. Let’s get you home. It’s a long night and your parents will be probably worried by now. Tyler dispersed his pack and continued the journey towards home with Amy, hands interlocked.
See you tomorrow at school, Tyler said, releasing his grip momentarily from hers.
Yea! Tomorrow, Amy responded.
He took a U-turn when they got to a point on the narrow alley, where Amy’s house could be viewed visibly.
Written and Re-edited
By
Erinkitola A. Aduragbemi
22/01/2019
