Hairwolf
Chapter Forty Seven

Slivers of moonlight trickle in through a ceiling of tightly woven twigs and branches. Droplets of water glisten as they fall from the canopy surrounding this submerged enclosure and the Creature-Stef. She looks out, still wrapped in the netting but above a water line. She’s on a mud shelf, helpless, wet and scared. The shelf is made of wet leaves, mud and branches. It’s circular and small. Possibly seven or eight-feet in width with a two-foot-wide break just across from her. The ceiling is conical in shape and rises only about six-feet. She’s inches above the water line but she’s out of the water. The only way out is the way she was brought in – under the water.

Her eyes land on the two-foot wide opening across from her. It could be another way out or in. She struggles to free herself, biting at the tightly bound netting. It’s working, but slowly. As long as Ominous is away, she’ll have plenty of time to get free. Providing she can maintain her strength, which is waning fast. But then, there’s activity coming from the opening.

Small ripples of water push towards her. She freezes, eyes locked on the area, suspicious of what else could be sharing this space. Determined not to wait, she slices and chews feverishly at the netting. It’s working. She chews on the loosened pieces of rope, eyes on the darkness.

Finally, she has the netting opened wide enough to work her way out, which she does. She crouches to a striking position on the shelf as the threat draws nearer. But maybe it’s not a threat at all. She’s familiar with most of the creatures in this forest. What could be in here that’s so bad?

Her eyes dart back and forth at the tiny dark area as a shadow slowly emerges. There’s a head, neck and shoulder. The rest is submerged but it’s compact, small in stature and covered in mud and muck. She just can’t tell if it’s walking or wading.

Features start to reveal themselves – long matted hair, piercing blue eyes but the one feature that stands out against the muddied dark face is a set of bright, white fangs. Her cautions and fears turn to awe and surprise as she looks out at this miniature werewolf in a denim jumper.

Outside, on the shore of the pond, the Creature-Ralf races to the water’s edge looking for her and Ominous. He notices the drag marks and footprints leading into the water. He can smell Ominous and Stef but they’re nowhere in sight. He steps into the footprints with his barefoot, covering the track. The trail ends at the water line.

He looks out at the pond. The only structure in the pond is a beaver lodge, several yards off shore. There’s no sign of Ominous or Stef. He looks back at the footprints and then notices a second set leaving the pond. As he looks up, Ominous is in a full charge at him.

Like a grizzly, Ominous powers towards the Creature-Ralf and dives on him. They fall into the

water, arms swinging, hitting and clawing. The Creature-Ralf is more defensive than offensive.

He could hurt Ominous if he wanted but that’s not his intent. At least not at this moment. Maybe he’ll wait till he finds Stef.

Ominous has different intensions. He’s much more aggressive. He throws Ralf into a standing dead wood. It explodes, sending shards everywhere. Ralf picks up a log and swings it at him. Ominous blocks it with his arm but a large piece breaks off and strikes him in the head. He falls into the water. Ralf leaps on him and dips his head under water, trying to calm him but Ominous is swinging and clawing away. Finally, Ralf holds him under.

Ralf looks up and finds the Creature-Stef running at him from the water. She knocks him off of Ominous and stands between the two. The Creature-Ralf concedes. The Creature-Stef, confused, stands back from Ominous and stares at him. Ominous rises slowly from the water, ready to strike out at Ralf but the Creature-Stef asserts her stance against it. He concedes. This is odd. Suddenly, Ominous is obeying instead of fighting.

The Creature-Stef takes in his scent. She needs to understand what she can’t ask. She raises her hand out to him. He raises his back in return. She steps up and lets his fur covered hand fall under her nostrils. She breathes him in and her eyes widen. She breathes in her own hand and the scent is the same. This, she doesn’t understand.

Ominous holds his stomach, concealing the wound. The Creature-Ralf approaches him slowly and reaches out to him. It’s clear, Ominous has little control over his transition and is fighting very hard to maintain himself. Ominous looks at the Creature-Stef and holds her gaze. He’s different this time. It’s a different look. He needs her to stay and he needs to leave.

He looks out at the beaver lodge and it’s obvious he knows what he’s doing. He’s leaving the little one in her care. He turns and walks towards the wood line. He doesn’t want to but he has to. He stops and lets out a painful cry and races out of the area.

The Creature-Stef watches helpless. She palms her head and paces back and forth on the waters-edge.

Not far away, Foster, Brizzbee and Lillian heard the the loud, haunting cry. Lillian races out ahead of the others.

At the pond, the Creature-Ralf knows what he has to do. The Creature-Stef looks up at him. He reaches out and swipes at her head and sets out after Ominous. She watches him disappear into the forest. She heads back to the beaver lodge, submerging under water.

The moon has set. The storm clouds have long passed and sunrise brings light to the forest and Lillian, Brizzbee and Foster to the pond. The water is calm and still. The three search the banks. They find foot prints everywhere. It’s clear they were here but where’d they go?

Inside the beaver lodge, Stef is back to human form. She’s awake, but can’t move. Her paralysis is upon her. She’s perched on the ledge, partially submerged and shivering. Without the protective barrier of her fur, she risks hypothermia. She can hear the group just outside but can’t alert them. Her eyes land on her companion in the lodge. It’s Elise, from the restaurant, clenching her soaking wet Teddy Bear. She’s perched across from Stef, partially submerged and shivering as well. Her eyes are opened, staring at Stef. She too can’t move, another victim of the strange paralysis.

Stef opens and closes her eyes, as if forcefully willing herself to break from the paralysis but it’s

not working. Her body simply won’t wake up. Bubbles surface from the mesh netting as water replaces oxygen, causing it to get heavier and sink. As it does, it slowly pulls apart the

fragile shelf Stef and Elise are on. They’re horrified, knowing what is to come. And it does. The ledge collapses, dumping both of them into the frigid water.

Outside, Foster stares at the beaver lodge, deep in thought. He’s growing antsy, as is Lillian. But she’s pacing on the shore, looking for more clues and or footprints. She finds them, leading away from the pond.

“There’s more tracks. They lead into the woods,” she says.

Brizzbee hurries over, locating the tracks... “Dave. Over here.”

Foster isn’t moving. He’s rocking back and forth, staring at the beaver lodge, the same way he was staring at the bushes when he found the trail to the compound and the poachers.

“Where are you?” Foster, murmurs. “Talk to me.”

“If she were close, she’d hear us,” Lillian says.

“Yeah, but she wouldn’t be able to respond. Her paralysis,” Foster says.

“The beaver lodge,” replies, Brizzbee.

Foster strips out of his gear … “I’m going in.”

He dives into the water and swims to the lodge. Brizzbee and Lillian race in after him. Foster submerges, hoping to find an entrance.

Inside the beaver lodge, Elise is unable to move. Her mouth is just above the water level taking in

the last gulps of air. Then, suddenly Stef is gone – pulled under and out. Elise, now alone, watches

the water level rise as she sinks beneath the surface. The shelf that has been supporting her is

breaking apart.

Foster breaks the surface with Stef in his arms. She’s limp and can’t speak or move. Brizzbee rips her out of Foster’s hands as Lillian waits for him to hand her off. They drag her to shore as Foster checks her for hypothermia.

He catches Stef trying to say something with her eyes.

“It’s okay, Stef. You’re safe. We’re gonna get a fire going. Warm you up.”

But that’s not what she’s worried about. “What is it, Stef? What? Snap out of this thing.”

Lillian notices something floating in the water. “What’s that?”

Foster looks. He walks into the water and - “It’s a teddy-bear?!” he says, confused over how it found its way out here. Then, he turns back on it and back to Stef. She’s trying to convey something with her eyes.

“Oh, Jesus,” he says, racing back into the water.

“What are you doing?” Brizzbee asks.

“The girl from the diner. She had a teddy bear.”

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