The Crimson Howl

Chapter 3: Unusual Attacks

Below the horizon the sun dipped, casting the ancient forest village in a creepy glow. Elliot returned to the small clinic they had dedicated their life to healing, and shadows across the ground now stretched ominously. By nightfall now, the air was heavy with dread, and the day this had all been leading to had been filled with anxiety. They knew it was coming; they could feel it in their bones.

The village was an agitated pile of panicked bodies after that chilling encounter with the howls in the woods. Residents whispered of strange occurrences: The weird feeling they were being watched, the appearance of livestock disappearing, and eerie sounds echoing through the trees. The weight of responsibility, it seemed, was growing on them with each day, and new fears were planted each day.

And the air inside the clinic reeked with herbs and antiseptic. Working methodically, their loved ones were on the mind for bandages and salves. The darkness eating them away at the very borders of the village was unbelievable; the pack had promised to protect them, but they couldn’t help but feel apprehensive.

Then the door creaked open, and Lyra stepped inside, which had a decidedly pale face to it. Elliot?” she cried out. “You need to see this.”

As they followed her out into the cool, dimly lit street, it raced into Elliot's heart. Outside, there was a small crowd, hushed voices lest someone speak too loudly and call the shadows. It was a cool night, but the tension in the air drove it chillier, and heavy was the set of the night.

“What’s happened?” He scanned the faces of the villagers, Elliot asked. There was fear and confusion in their eyes.

Towards the center of the gathering, Lyra nodded. “It’s Alex. When he came back out of the woods, something. You have to give him a look at his injuries.”

Heart pounding, Elliot pushed his way through the crowd and looked down toward the ground to find Alex slumped against a wooden post, his breathing deep and short. A series of deep lacerations littered his arms and shoulders with droplets of blood that seeped from them jagged and raw. The injuries couldn’t have been easily explained. They knelt beside him, extra careful to examine the bites closely as the nausea rose.

It was Elliot’s turn to try to keep his voice steady, with “Alex.” “What happened? How did you get these?”

He panicked, the fear shining in his eyes, and stammered, “I—I don’t know.” When the growl came, I was out looking for the missing livestock. It came out of nowhere… I was sure it was a wolf, but it wasn’t. It felt… different.”

The thought twisted Elliot’s stomach. The wounds were clean and clean, like Werewolf bites, but not Werewolf bites. They thought of possibilities. A rogue werewolf? A new, unknown threat? Or something far worse?

Elliot tells Lyra and some village folk to “Get him inside.” “We have to clean these wounds and see just how much damage there has been.”

Elliot’s heart sank as he moved Alex into the clinic. These bites were serious, and they had seen enough to know these could cause infection or worse. “Elliot, we are preparing antiseptic,” came as we started. “We’re going to need to gather more information.” And who else has seen this creature?”

Determination etched on her features, Lyra nodded. “I’ll speak to the others. Before anyone else gets hurt, we need to figure out what’s going on.”

Tucking the lamp away, Juliette hurried out, while Elliot attended to Alex and worked the salve over and then bandaged the wounds carefully. The more they worked, the more they’d feel their familiar rush of purpose — and dread curled around their hearts.

A weak voice came to Alex’s ear: “’ Elliot.” “Am I going to be okay?”

They were certain and Elliot had to force a reassuring smile. “You’ll be fine. Just rest. We’ll get you through this.”

Elliot spent hours trying to look after Alex, but the feeling in their guts grew more and more queasy. The clinic had become a sanctuary in the slippage of chaos, but the outside world held on for a time. It seemed humanity was slipping further into the darkness.

The door swung open again and they finished bandaging him. Rafe walked in this time, urgency in his eyes. “Elliot! We’ve had another attack. It’s getting worse. It was near the creek this time.”

“What do you mean?” Elliot’s voice tightened. “What happened?”

Rafe ran his hand through his dark hair and acted agitated. 'Two more villagers were ambushed.' They’re bringing them here. Whatever this is, it’s spreading now: A full-on frenzy.”

Elliot’s chest burned with panic. 'Have they also hurt like Alex’s?'

“Worse,” Rafe said grimly. “I think this is something unnatural.’’

As the door swung open, two villagers ran in together, both carrying another injured one. Elliot’s heart sank as they recognized the familiar face: Janelle was a young woman from the pack. Elliot counted the puncture wounds that covered her in deep claw marks and raised her face toward him, feeling her unconscious body, bile rising in his stomach.

“Get her on the table!” Elliot was up on his feet, in action. Alex's makeshift bed was moved aside, their minds whirring at the chance of each additional wound being another possible entry point for the pack.

Janelle’s wounds were cleaned by Elliot quickly, and he bandaged her. They were focused on her injuries, but slowly started to feel like something wasn’t right. The bites were so exact, so well planned, almost like they were made to cause pain, but not enough to outright kill.

Elliot glanced at ‘Rafe.'” ‘These wounds… they look like werewolf bites except they were imprinted without someone being a werewolf.’

Rafe’s jaw tightened. “I’m thinking maybe someone is weaponizing this virus against the pack, using it — trying to use it?”

Elliot's heart pounding, they pushed down those questions: “I don’t know, but it feels like it.” “We’ve got to start figuring out who or what is doing this.”

Janelle’s eyes suddenly fluttered open, and fear crossed her face. She gasped, her voice claiming to be, “Elliot.” “There were eyes like fire, a massive thing I saw! It was!.”

“Janelle, you’re safe now. Elliot worried about well-being, just trying to take deep breaths, 'Elliot just trying to take deep breaths,' said Elliot. “Can you tell us what was going on?”

Fear gripping her, she looked between them. I gathered herbs by the creek… I thought I heard something. Then it lunged at me. It was some kind of creature of shadow… fast, with teeth like daggers….

Elliot’s heart sank further. The description sounded like something out of a nightmare. “Did you have a good look at it?”

She shook her head, tears filled her eyes. 'I just remember the pain.'

Everyone glanced at each other in the clinic as the air got heavy with tension. They could feel it — already hunted and the danger far from over.

The light flickered ominously in the clinic just then. Long shadows were cast against the walls by the lanterns dimming. “What’s happening?” Rafe's voice had that apprehensive ting to it.

Elliot looked at the windows, the strange glow outside. “I don’t know, but I know it’s wrong.”

Shortly after that, without telling, a howl split through the night, which sent spines up their spines. The sound had not come from the sound of a familiar werewolf; the sound was something more guttural and more menacing. The howl oozed into the bone marrow of the villagers, recharged by an age-old paralyzing fear.

The howl faded out, replaced with a low growl that seemed to be coming from just outside the clinic. Elliot’s heart was beating faster, and they glanced quickly at Rafe and Lyra. They all understood at that moment: The shadows held something in them.

“Everyone, get back!” They moved, both shouting while putting themselves between Janelle and Alex. “Rafe, can you—”

They hadn't even finished when the door flew open, and a robed figure in the blackness came pouring through. The dim light was pierced by a pair of glowing eyes, predatory hunger full in them.

“Get inside! Now!” The creature leaped toward the villagers, and again Rafe shouted as he rushed to push them back.

Time froze in that heartbeat and Elliot’s breath caught in his throat. The creature’s maw opened wide, revealing sharp teeth glistening with the light of the lanterns, and at that instant, Elliot understood: This was the embodiment of the fear all of them had felt.

The creature lunged and everything went black. Elliot felt an energy surge through them…a primitive instinct of some sort, of someplace they didn't know and weren't ready to accept just yet. Instinctually going for the herbs they had gathered earlier, they remembered the old remedies passed down in their lineage.

“Stay back!” He was coming forward, his arms raised in defiance, and he was shouting. “I’ve got to stop this and won’t let you hurt anyone.”

The creature turned its eyes to look at Elliot. It growled low, causing its throat to reverberate through the clinic.

Because of their bloodline, the weight of their bloodline, pressing down upon them, Elliot’s heart pounded. They knew the feeling inside was energy, but it wasn’t pure fear, there was potential too. The healer, protector; and now understood what was at stake.

Elliot took a deep breath and focused on the herbs that had light coming off of them. They yelled, sending their energy into the mass of fresh herbs that they’d thrown up to make a makeshift barrier, channeling their energy into the makeshift barrier of herbs, "You’re not here to claim any more lives!'”

Before the thing lunged forward to strike, it came to an abrupt halt, its glowing eyes blinking with uncertainty. Elliot saw something in that gaze giving away at that moment, a hint of recognition, or fear.

He then just threw his arms up and turned and bolted into the night, disappearing into the shadows the same way he popped up.

They breathed heavily, lowered their arms and their heart was racing. “What just happened?” Her voice was trembling, and she asked.

Shaking their heads, Elliot replied, “I don’t know.” “They must know what that thing is, and why it’s targeting us, but we need to figure out what that thing is.”

The echoes of the attack ended and fell into the blackness of the night, but still, Elliot knew that the village was only getting to the point where their strength and humanity were going to be tested to the absolute limits. Everything would hit them: The darkness beyond the forest would have to be tamed and the truth of those strange attacks would have to be found, whatever that meant, to protect their pack.

With the weight of the moment hanging heavily in the air, the realization sank in: this was just the beginning.