Cold Blooded Fangs

1: The Encounter

She couldn't stand his tight grip on her neck anymore, so she wriggled and tried to remove the man's hand using all of her strength to get away from him but she failed. Maybe this was her wish granted to her but gosh, she realized she wasn't ready to die yet.

"Please, don't kill me," she begged, her eyes pleading with the devil.

Aila took advantage of the opportunity to give the mask he was wearing a strong tug and a good yank before gripping its corner. Her heart leaped as she saw his sharp, pointed teeth, wide smile, and bright, almond-shaped eyes when the mask lifted to expose his face. His no-mercy aura makes her tremble.

He greeted her with a "Hello, you cursed wretch," then laughed.

Her leg shot through the air and landed perfectly between his legs where the most tender area of his manhood was located. He winced and grasped his groin, indicating that his attempt to loosen his grip had been successful.

"You b***h!" He lost control and violently yelled at her. "I will kill you now!"

Her life is awful but she does not want to die this way. Even if she's ready to give up on life, she must find a way to endure all her pain. Her father took away her freedom when she fled their home in search of solace elsewhere and she must find a means to survive but the killer appears out of nowhere to torture her, turning her supposed soul-searching into a living nightmare.

The only sound that broke the sudden silence was her gasping in relief when she eventually succeeded in escaping that stranger. She was like, completely lost.

However, there appeared to be no one around as she rushed and shouted for help. "P-Please, h-help me! Daddy! M-mom!"

Aila ran again through the tall grass and towering trees in the moonlight but everything looked strange because of the moon's unusual color—black and red like blood—and the quietness of the night only increased her fear. It seemed like an eternity until she arrived at a small clearing, where she was startled to hear the soothing sound of a river far in the distance! She looked over what she believed to be a safe area to stop and saw a suspicious-looking man standing there staring at her. Despite his unfamiliarity, there was something oddly familiar about him. He watched her quietly while she stayed where she was, confused and not sure what to do next.

"D-don't hurt me!."

"I won't," with a smile on his face.

That came as a pleasant surprise to her from a stranger, yet she broke down in tears. "Oh m-my god, I need your h-help! Someone here is out to kill me."

He began to walk in her direction and sighed, "Don't worry, my dear," with compassionate and kind eyes, he added. "Please, calm down. When I heard you scream, I was enjoying a soothing bath in this river."

Her stomach pounded with anticipation at the guy's toneless figure but she was also cautious because she knew she needed to be careful with the new people she encountered. It seemed that she had seen him before though she could not remember where.

He simply held her hand and chuckled curiously when he finally came to a stop in front of her. "Don't worry; I've got you. This might help you feel better," he added while softly rubbing her hand.

His gesture moved her deeply. Does his partial nudity throw her off? She doesn't think so. Every vein and crease in this man is highlighted by the way his tight underwear hugged his well-defined muscles. Her eyes kept lingering on it.

"T-thank you," she said sincerely, trying not to glance at the spot that had captured her attention. "Let's get the heck out of here, please." That's when she realized they had to go.

She then stopped, though, when she saw that he was still holding her hand and she could no longer resist the strong attraction between them. His huge smile made the moment even better. But as he drew nearer, his serious stare let her realize how things were shifting. His thoughtful gesture made her begin to trust him.

"So, what's the deal?" he wondered.

"Just help me!"

"I'm Vlladimir."

"Vlladimir," she said with a nod. "I d-don't know my killer but I can pay you any sum you wish." It sounded more like an order than a request for him to act and then the unexpected animal noises began. It terrified her! Vlladimir seemed fearless of the howlings but they had to leave this scary jungle.

"It is okay to feel scared but you will overcome it. Trust me," he whispered in her ear as she stared into his eyes.

She recognized the guy's scent but couldn't recall where she had met him. "We don't have time," she replied instead.

The creepy sound of woods snapping nearby freaked her out even more and it was really weird that her attacker hadn't appeared yet. And these crazy loud howls and snarls just appeared but she couldn't see any animals.

She gripped the man's hand tightly and begged him, "Let's leave this place."

Unbelievably, he uttered. "Even the toughest people tremble in fear when their death is near."

"Um, are you talking about me?" What does that mean, exactly? "My entire body is covered in bruises," she said scowling at him. Her wounds were not serious but there was still the stain of blood from the most recent attack. She would never forget the stranger's face—the man who attacked her had long hair, a scar across his cheek, and his sharp-pointed teeth—his eyes. Perhaps that attacker is not a human. "If you're familiar with this area, let's head over to Brendile Ranch. That place is safe for us."

It's fantastic that she dodged her fateful fate. Despite everything she's gone through tonight, she has always had an amazing fighting spirit. She's working extremely hard but even at this moment, her family's abandonment has made her feel less resilient than she used to be. They may have thrown her here to die. It's truly a traumatic experience. It's been extremely difficult for her to forget this traumatic experience because she still vividly remembers the attacker's face, which makes her constantly fear for her life. Her only wish is to return home; at least she's safe on the ranch and she will do whatever it takes to get there.

"Please, please don't hurt me too," she begged.

She heard him say, "It's not time yet, Aila," in a low and harsh voice.

How does this person know her name if she hasn't introduced herself yet? She's so nervous that he might attack her too after got confused. "I d-don't understand. What are you saying? How did you know my name, Vlladimir?"

"You can't run from your calling," he simply answered with a seductive grin. "You'll understand everything one day, Aila. Run!"

His hand pointed to a group of wolves quietly watching her every move. The vicious animal's fur blends in with the surrounding foliage as they get ready to attack. She realized she had accidentally entered the territory of a pack of wild animals. Despite feeling increasingly panicked, she gathers herself and starts to slowly back away while watching for any signs of aggression from the wolves. As she carefully makes her way out, trying not to startle them, her legs shake with fear, and she feels completely paralyzed. One particularly large wolf stands out, snarling with saliva dripping from its mouth and eyes showing an insatiable hunger.

What happened next is unbelievable.

The world around her plunged into darkness and Vladimir vanished into thin air without a trace. "Come back! Where are you?" She grappled with his sudden disappearance and felt intense anxiety. Her stomach churned too. "Vladimir!?"

It's even scarier when she's running and then just falls into a dark hole. And then these weird drumming sounds start echoing all through the forest. While falling from a deep hole in darkness, she thrashed her arms wildly and cried out for help though she struggled for air after fully realizing the peril she had narrowly escaped.

"Help!"

And she cursed under her breath—when she jolted awake in terror from her horrifying dream. Her widened eyes betrayed her fear as she came to grips with the situation.

"I'm dreaming." She panted and whispered, as though the dream were real.

The vividness of the dream left her heart pounding. She took a moment to compose herself before rising from bed. Once calmed, she stood close to the window to enjoy the fresh air, but she was drawn to the red moon's scarlet light shining through her window, and the eerie feeling of the darkness outside gave her goosebumps. The breeze danced through her hair, but she was sweating profusely as the beads on her brow rolled down her cheeks because the same sounds in her dream appeared. The loud banging returned accompanied by an unknown outside sound.

She kept thinking about this. "It's just a dream."

An even sharper thud startled, as though her nightmare had not yet come to an end and the howlings...

Could the untamed creatures she saw in her dream be real? She's terrified beyond belief but can't see anything outside because it's completely black when she looks out her window again.

"This isn't real," she nearly burst into tears.

Nevertheless, it ended suddenly and there was a deafening silence thereafter. To her surprise, several dark silhouettes emerged from the bushes just as she was about to ignore everything. The people! The torches she could see through the window must mean that there are people in the bush because she suddenly spots Fei standing outside.

"Fei? "Where are you going?" She shouted but the woman disappeared quickly into the dense forest.

Fei, aged fifty, has managed other employees while working on the ranch for eleven years making her the most dependable and long-serving caretaker of the farm. She took a deep breath and moved toward the door after putting on a bulky jacket to join their workers. She understood that this is being done to honor and preserve this land because people think that mythical creatures exist. There has been a festival since yesterday. Now it all makes sense.

At the ranch's main door, the cold breeze greeted her but even after everyone had left, she couldn't shake the unsettling silence. There were no animals outside after she made it out.

"Hey, Aila!" It was just a short walk from her house to a stranger now screaming in the forest and swinging his bright torch to get her attention. "Come, Vlladimir is waiting near the river."