The chill night air was still. Not a single sound could be heard except for the howl of a single wolf in the distance. The moon was full. It stared down at me taunting, with its gray glow. I could feel my heart sputter with fear as it lodged itself into my throat. Gripping her cool hand, tight in my own, we ran.
Our feet crunched in the snow beneath our feet.
She stumbled.
I yanked her arm forward. We could not stop. We had to escape the woods. Where one wolf howled, others would follow. Who knew how big their pack was? The mere thought sent a lingering shiver down my spine. The icy air burned my throat and froze my lungs. But I kept moving.
I could see the thinest sliver of light push through thin spaces between the tree trunks. It wouldn’t be much further. I looked back at her, to deliver the good news, when I seen her limping. Had she hurt herself? When? I was tempted to stop, but if we did there wouldn’t be a chance for either of us. Getting out of the woods would be our only hope.
I focused my eyes back to our destination when the feel of her hand in mine began to change. It was softer… Like fur. I stopped then. Slowly, I twisted my neck and looked back at her. Her black hair fell before her face and her shoulders trembled. The hand I held began to shift into something paw like.
I dropped it.
A dark sound escaped her throat. At first I thought it was a sob, but as the sound grew I recognized it for menacing laughter. Her head lifted itself slowly rolling to the side. Her eyes glowed red from behind her bangs as she gleefully laughed to the heavens. I watched in horror as her bones snapped back with a chorus of cracks. I winced at the disfigured being before me, changing.
I could hear the screaming voice inside my head ordering me, begging me to run. But the snow felt like cement encasing my feet inside of it. My heart beat erratically against the walls of my esophagus. I tried to swallow it down. It wouldn’t dislodge.
Before I knew it, she was before me. But not as the girl I thought I knew. But as my enemy. As a wolf. She lifted her snout, covered in white fur as she called to her pack by howling at the moon. I could see her breath curl out of her mouth like blue smoke.
It was over. It was all over.
Another short story inspired by picture it & write. The same picture also inspired my poem Moon Child. Check them out!
Mercedes Moore 
Heart pounding…but I read “The Hunger Games” because of my daughters avid interest in it, this haunted me like the final scene.
Thank you so much, you just made my day! It is an honor to have this compared to “The Hunger Games” ❤
Damn, this was a good read! 🙂 I was like RUN GIRL RUN WACHU WAITIN FOR? LOL … Nice ending, quite a thriller! Reminded me of MJ’s song. 🙂
haha thank you so much!
Thanks for contributing twice with such great pieces! I loved this part to bits ‘I watched in horror as her bones snapped back with a chorus of cracks.’ that was fantastic. ‘chorus of cracks’ is just pure brilliance. A dark edged story, the best kind. I loved your efforts this week in Picture it & write. I can’t wait to see you next week!
– Ermisenda
Thank you!
I liked “the snow felt like cement encasing my feet.” Good descriptions… dark sound, chorus of cracks, curling breath…
Thank you so much! I’m glad you enjoyed.