The wind whistles through the trees warning predators to take the night off. The silver glow of full moon breaks through cracks in the tree’s protective cover scattering beams across the forest floor. Just below the wind you can make out a lower howl, not quite animal, and not quite human. A chill floods the air as the howls grow in number and sound. A high pitched scream pierces the night, this time definitely human. The scream lasts a long while until it morphs into a sound more hideous than the last and joins the others in perfect symphony.
LOGGING IN TO SHADOW REALMS…
<<You are now online>>
<<YasminaVampGrrl is now online>>
>>YasminaVampGrrl: Jem did you hear what happened to SamFaeLuvvr last week???
>>JemmaWolf: No. Why what happened?
>>YasminaVampGrrl: She was playing online with ShadowRath and she finally was invited to meet him! I’ve been playing for like years and he’s never invited me to meet!!! >:I
>>JemmaWolf: So what’s this big deal about this ShadowRath dude though?
>>YasminaVampGrrl: He’s only like the most awarded player on this site that’s the big deal.
>>JemmaWolf: ooookkkkk????
>>YasminaVampGrrl: HE’S A F****** AWESOME GAMER!!!!!!!!!!!! o_o
>>JemmaWolf: So? I still don’t see what you’re getting at. What does SamFaeLuvvr have to do with him?
>>YasmineVampGrrl: Oh, well she was invited to meet him and no one’s heard from her since. There are all these theories about what happened to her…
>>JemmaWolf: it’s kinda creepy… didn’t anyone teach her to not meet up with anyone they meet online?
<<YasmineVampGrrl is now offline>>
<<You have entered the Cave of Sanguine>>
You want to run but you can’t, it’s as if you’re glued in place. Fear rushes through your veins as the howls get closer and closer. You can smell the stench of your own sweat, when, finally, the howls stop. You feel your heart racing under your chest, evening out its pace. You stop breathing heavy, you can start to move again. To your left you hear a branch crack, breaking the silence, and you run. You run as fast as possible, but it’s still not fast enough. You hear them gaining, their paws pounding the forest floor. Those things catching you is inevitable, but you’re not ready to give up.
<<You have entered open chat>>
>>JemmaWolf: *open chat* Anyone wanna run through Alpha Myth with me?
>>PyreOfIce: *open chat* Sure!
<<You and PyreOfIce have entered Alpha Myth>>
>>JemmaWolf: So have you been through the Alpha Myth level before?
>>PyreOfIce: Yea I have, almost five times now.
>>JemmaWolf: Wow. You must be like lvl 50!
>>PyreOfIce: I have been playing for YEARS so if I wasn’t lvl 50 or above I’d be surprised.
>>JemmaWolf: If you’ve been playing that long you must have heard of ShadowRath.
>>PyreOfIce: Sure I have, why?
>>JemmaWolf: I’ve heard rumors that he may have something to do with SamFaeLuvvr’s disappearance.
>>PyreOfIce: I thought she just went off server for a while—?
>>JemmaWolf: I did too but it’s been on the news here. She’s actually missing.
>>PyreOfIce: Wow. I had no idea. I mean I’ve heard some whispers from people about ShadowRath but I had no idea they could actually be true…
>>JemmaWolf: What have you heard?
>>PyreOfIce: Not on this site. I’ll IM you.
>>JemmaWolf: Okie Dokie
<<PyreOfIce is now offline>>
LOGGING OFF SHADOW REALMS…
You’ve run as far as you can, and you collapse, waiting for them. Animals, mixed between wolf and man come out of the shadows. You whimper at the sight but you still have no strength to move. You do the only thing you can and scream a scream much like the one you heard earlier this night. A silver werewolf walks on all fours over to you. As his fangs pierce the skin at your throat, you start to change. The pain is excruciating, but you can’t stop it. Your scream turns into a howl. The pain is over, and you feel better than you’ve ever felt before; your eyesight and hearing are twenty times better than what they used to be and you can run at incredible speeds. A thought pops into your head, and although it’s not yours, you can hear it perfectly,
“Welcome to the pack.”
Finite Fiction 