Looks like you got your wish.

I ignored the strange yet husky voice in my head and the sudden increased pace of my heartbeat and focused on a crying Maddison.

"It's okay, it's okay." I rubbed her back over again. "Just tell us what happened."

She sniffed before opening her mouth to speak, her accent growing stronger as each word spilt. "H-He was going to get more firewood t-to feed our fire. Gabe said he will do it, but then Joseph insisted and said he can manage by himself."

Someone brought out a tissue and gave it to Maddison to blow her nose. She smiled weakly at the woman who did so as we all waited with anticipation for her to carry on.

"So I did the only thing I could do to protect him. I followed him, because I did not want him to get hurt or missing. Gabe got annoyed with him here at the camp so he didn't even bother going. But I wanted to. Yet I also did not want him to see me or else he would start y-yelling at me saying that he doesn't need a babysitter, so I-I hid behind trees while keeping an eye on him to make sure he was alright."

She blew her nose and sniffed. "Then all of a sudden this large beast showed up and ripped him apart!" I stiffened as her sobs got louder and I struggled to take hold of her shaking shoulders with my slightly shaking hands.

They're real?

"It didn't show any mercy. I can't understand why an animal would do that! He was just an old man."

Oh God, no. They can't be real. But if they are then why did they attack Joseph? I gulped.

"I can't understand how something like that could be here at all," I muttered and looked at the horrified faces of the tourists, then at John. "I thought you said they avoided outsiders and didn't like humans." It suddenly became difficult to breathe. "I thought you said-"

"I said what has been repeated for months to each group of tourists that come through here each time," John cut in defensively. "I said what I was paid to say as a tour guide."

"But Joseph-"

"He must have crossed their territory then."

"So you're telling us that all you told us on the history of werewolves was all crap?" Miguel inquired, his tone taking an angry edge.

"Half of it," John answered, not seeming fazed at all at being the target for a potential act of violence. "That which was fabricated by the historians. But the other half is true, about them appearing on the full moon."

"Just great," someone muttered aloud. "We're all going to die now." It was clear that none of them wanted to die in the hands of the beasts. Unfortunately, it turned out that Joseph had been right. Maybe there was such a creature of the full moon.

I guess they don't call it the Black Woods of Lycanthrope for nothing.

"I don't want to die, miss," she whispered and buried her face in my chest. "I do not want to. Not now."

"It's Phoebe, honey. And you won't. I'll make sure of that." I rested my chin on the top of her head and sighed. She had a small frame so it was easier to wrap an arm around her and give, even though, a small comfort.

"We have to figure out how to avoid this creature before it gets to us," John spoke up, breaking the shocked silence.

"Whoa." Miguel rose his palms. "Did you not just hear what the girl said it did to Joseph? That thing literally ripped him apart. We can't risk losing our lives. Será suicidio!"

"We will risk losing our lives if we stay here," I said and raised my voice so everyone could hear. "It's a long way to get firewood so Joseph's death must have happened somewhere far. We still have enough time to-"

"No!" Maddison shrieked and cut in, raising her head from my chest. "We don't have time at all." She sniffed but thankfully, the sobs had subsided.

"What do you mean?" A woman behind Miguel asked.

Maddison turned her head in the direction of the voice and cringed. "Before I left it saw me. It knew I was there watching and I-I think it followed me here."

"You're sure?" Miguel asked. She nodded, fear lit in her eyes.

Before I could speak up and reassure everyone that it would be okay, someone suddenly screamed, "Look out!"

Our heads turned swiftly to find Gabe kneeling by his fire, eating. It was then that I noticed that he hadn't come over to see what the commotion was all about, especially if one of his members were involved.

But that was not why we all stood frozen with our mouths hanging wide in horror. It was what was behind him, drawing closer and snarling its fangs, that got our attention.

"Gabe," I whispered in shock. My eyes widened and I was stunned to see that he was oblivious to the creature behind him.

The potential victim looked when he realized that the talking had reduced and just stared at us in confusion. "What're you all look-" But he didn't get the chance to complete his sentence before his head was suddenly ripped off, leaving his body limp and us gaping at the horrid sight.

The huge beast growled, dropped the head between its jaws to the ground and slowly advanced towards us. Blood mixed with drool dripped from its fangs and I could hear its heavy and rugged breathing even from where I stood. Its burning red eyes penetrated through my own dull brown ones as it drew closer.

"Run!" John yelled as he quickly backed away from it but by then I was already grabbing my bag and Maddison's hand. Others were already halfway away from the clearing, screaming and yelling for their lives.

"Go, go, go, go!"

The rest of us bolted deeper into the woods and away from the clearing. No one had time to think or even consider if it might not cause us harm because Gabe's rolling head on the ground proved that.

So we ran. As fast and as far as our legs could take us.

Whereas the fires back at the camp would've benefited us much in the dark, the full moon gave us enough light to keep us from squinting and tripping over roots and stones.

The cold wind brushed my cheeks, reddening them and causing them to sting. Branches whipped my face and I was sure there would be a lot of ugly bruises that would develop in the morning.

But I couldn't care less because now I was running for my life.

My heart was pounding hard against my ribcage and I could feel the adrenaline pumping harshly through my veins. I gripped Maddison's hand tightly as we maneuvered through the trees. I never had to run for my life before and it was both exhilarating and scary due to the fact that a giant werewolf was chasing us.

I looked back and saw the others right behind me, but the numbers were not the same. They had drastically dwindled.

The beast howled from a distance, and it seemed like the whole forest responded to it by the trees shaking violently and somewhat narrowing the path we were running on.

I turned to my left and saw Maddison panting and racing beside me. I guess I wasn't the only one who had my adrenaline pumping furiously. I returned my gaze forward and proceeded to run. But when I felt my energy gradually dissipating, it was then that I realized that we couldn't just keep running. We needed shelter, and fast.

I gasped for air and panted. Sweat oozed out off my pores and lingered on my forehead. I felt my feet slowing down and my grip on Maddison loosening.

We would get nowhere if we kept on like this. We needed to find somewhere to hide or we would eventually become victims of a werewolf kill.

My eyes were searching frantically for a cave or anything with a roof big enough for all of us to fit in when I caught a glimpse of a little cave right before us and mentally shouted for joy. The opening wasn't facing us, but anyone could see the slight outlining of the back from afar.

"This way, come on!" I pointed to the cave and ran towards it.

When I reached the entrance, I slid into the opening and carefully positioned Maddison beside me in the short but wide space.

We could only sit to fit in the cave. It was a bit uncomfortable but I was glad that we no longer had to run because my legs were killing me and my lungs burned. It seemed like my body really needed the break.

Soon after Miguel came in, then six others before finally, John.

The beast didn't follow, and I was happy for that.

I couldn't believe how many people we'd lost, but I knew I couldn't change it, so I put an arm around Maddison and encouraged her to go to sleep. She obliged and snuggled closer. Her tensed shoulders slowly relaxed as she laid her head on my shoulder and blew out a breath before closing her eyes. The run must have sucked all the energy or of her.

But unlike her, I couldn't sleep. There was something about that beast that was troubling me, yet I couldn't quite put my finger on it.

I looked around the rocky structure. It was dark, but I could make out the faded outline of some faces. I noticed that everyone except Miguel was wide-eyed and terrified.

Sighing, I sought to reassure them, but even my voice broke as I whispered, "We're going to be okay."

I didn't think they believed me when I couldn't even believe my own words, but they just nodded and sent me weak but grateful smiles.

Taking that as an answer, I also returned their gestures. They refused to sleep due to the half of the same reason as I, I supposed, since we were all worried that the beast would appear out of the blue at the opening of the cave and slaughter us.

Even though there was a possibility that it might not, together, we warily waited hours for the sun to rise and shed us with a glimmer of hope.

☆~☆~☆