Wolf In the Woods

By Kylie Cinnamon

Two eighth grade girls have been walking to and from school together since kindergarten. But one day after school, a bully challenges one of the girls to a fight. To avoid the conflict, she takes a shortcut home through the off-limits woods. Her friend, unaware of the reason for the detour, reluctantly follows. They soon get lost. And then they find trouble. Bigger trouble than anyone could ever have imagined....the reason why the woods have been off-limits...a werewolf.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Trellis Publishing
• Release date: Jul 11, 2021
• ISBN: 9798201010256

Book preview

WOLF IN THE WOODS

KYLIE DINNAMON

table of contents

WOLF IN THE WOODS

MARK OF THE BEAST

BIGFOOT CREEK

A RAINY DAY IN HELL

COYOTE GIRL

NIGHT OWL

MISTER SLASHER

DEADWOLF

GHOST PLAYER

Chapter One

Megan heard them first: the telltale sound of Jimmy and his friends’ bikes, whizzing up behind them. She glanced meaningfully over at Katie. They both picked up the pace, as though that could help them get out of this.

Jimmy had been bullying Megan for long enough now that they knew there was no way to get away from him once he had set his mind to something. It had started out more obnoxious than anything else. He’d followed them all the way to Katie’s street one day, just teasing Megan and calling her names. She’d been upset, but she tried to shake it off.

He’d taken her silence as acceptance, though, and things had gotten worse and worse, until he and his friends were there nearly every day, yelling after them, singing cruel songs about Megan’s weight that they made up on the spot.

There was plenty for them to tease her about, too. She was a little heavier than the other girls, and a lot of her clothes were her brother’s hand-me-downs. Her parents had moved the family to Wisconsin for a couple years, and by the time they came back, most of Megan’s friends had moved on and found new friends. The only person who stuck with her was Katie.

Even though Megan knew Katie deserved to be with the popular girls. They were only in eighth grade, but she could easily pass as a high schooler. She was tall now, with the grace that came from years of dance practice. She wore makeup, and her clothes were cute.

Megan didn’t know why Katie continued to walk home with her. Except for those two years when she’d been in Wisconsin, the girls had walked home together every single day since kindergarten, with the exception of days when one of them was sick.

She did know, however, why Jimmy never teased Katie. He totally had a crush on her. And to be honest, that was probably why he was there every single day to taunt Megan: he just wanted some attention. Megan wanted to say something, maybe to beg Katie to stop walking with her, but she wasn’t sure how to say it without sounding like she didn’t want to be Katie’s friend anymore. She wanted to be friends, and she wanted to keep walking together. She just also wanted to make it home without being taunted every day.

It had escalated beyond taunting now, though. Currently, one of their favorite games was to jump off their bikes and make a circle around Megan. Then, they would push her back and forth between them, until she was stumbling and on the verge of tears, while they sang out their stupid, made-up songs.

The problem was that Megan’s parents had tried to do something about it, when they’d found out about it. First, they’d called Jimmy’s parents. But they didn’t believe their son could be so cruel, and anyway, they were both busy entrepreneurs and didn’t have time to deal with ‘that finger-pointing game’, as they called it.

So Megan’s parents had gone to the school board. But because Jimmy was careful to always do his bullying once they were away from school property, the board of directors had shrugged and wrung their hands. It wasn’t really any of their business if it happened off school property, they said. They had no jurisdiction to discipline kids for things that happened away from school ground, unless it was part of a school-sanctioned event like a field trip or a football trip.

And now, Jimmy was more pissed than ever. He wanted Megan to pay for that.

Sure enough, they surrounded her again, just like they had done every day this week. Megan was already about ready to cry, just knowing what they were going to do. She hated this game, she especially hated how helpless it made her feel. They were all bigger and stronger than her, so it wasn’t as though she could fight back. Besides, even if she managed to get out of their circle and tried to run, they’d just catch her and start all over again.

No, she had to wait until they were finished with her. They’d give her that final push when she was breathless and terrified, only this time, there would be no one there to catch her at the other side of the circle. They would have already started to leave, to get back on their bikes and go off home. Megan would do her best not to skin her knees as she fell to the hard pavement. Katie would reach out a hand to help her up, and they would walk silently home, the silence only broken by Megan’s quiet sniffles.

Sure enough, that’s just what happened again today. But this time, as Megan fell to the sidewalk, she made a silent vow: rather than put up with this every single day, she was going to find some way to change things. There had to be a way out. There just had to be.

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Chapter Two

The next day, Megan had a plan. She wasn’t going to make things so easy for Jimmy. If he wanted to taunt her, then he was going to have to find her. I’m not walking home that way, she said when she and Katie were halfway home.

Katie turned to face her, laughing a little. What do you mean? she asked. There’s no other way to get home, unless you want to go all the way around by the highway. But there’s nowhere to cross the highway; that’s why we don’t go that way.

There’s another way, though, Megan said stubbornly. She pointed towards the dirt path to their left, which led off into the woods.

Katie’s expression turned incredulous. You know we can’t go that way, Megan, she said. It’s off-limits.

Megan rolled her eyes. What do you really think it going to happen? she asked.

Katie chewed on her lower lip, looking uncertain and frightened. You know the stories, she said. Some crazy murderer lives in there.

Megan snorted. That’s ridiculous, she said succinctly. If there was a crazy murderer in there, don’t you think the police would do something about it? Parents probably just say that because they don’t want their kids playing in there. It’s muddy and stuff.

I still don’t think we should go in there, Katie said, shaking her head. "It’ll be dark before you get out on the other side. And there aren’t any streetlights in there."

Look, you don’t have to come with me, Megan said, folding her arms across her chest. But I’m not going to make things easy for Jimmy. If he wants to get me, he’s going to have to follow me in there, and then he’s going to have to find me.

If this is just about Jimmy, can’t you—

No, Megan said flatly. Come on, Katie, you know my parents have already tried everything. There’s no way to stop him. And I’m sick and tired of worrying about him. She paused. You’ll be fine on your own.

I’m not letting you go in there by yourself, Katie said, her eyes flashing.

Suit yourself, Megan said, turning and starting into the woods.

Katie followed her a couple seconds later. Seriously? she said. Megan, come on, this is stupid. Let’s go back to the road.

No, Megan said stubbornly. "What’s stupid is letting him get to me every single day. But I guess you wouldn’t understand that."

Katie was silent for a long moment. We could do a makeover, she said finally. We could cut your hair and you could have some of my makeup.

Megan rolled her eyes, even though she appreciated the thought. They’ll just call me a pig in makeup, she said. And anyway, it’s not like I’m going to fit into your clothes.

I guess not, Katie agreed, sighing and deflating. The girls walked in silence for a bit, but at least Katie had stopped pushing to go back to the woods. I’d help you if I could, you know, she said.

I know, Megan said.

Suddenly, she froze, all her senses on high alert. There was someone behind them, but she didn’t hear the telltale whoosh of bikes that meant Jimmy and his friends were there. She glanced back over her shoulder, but it must have just been her imagination: there was nothing there.

Katie rubbed her arms. I don’t like this, she said.

Me neither, Megan admitted, starting to regret having brought them this way. Even if it meant that she didn’t have to face Jimmy for a day. She bit her lower lip. Do you think we should run? she asked.

Katie didn’t answer. Both girls could hear the thing behind them now. It breathed noisily, sounding beastlike.

Probably just a dog, Megan said, but her voice wavered uncertainly. Worriedly. She glanced back over her shoulder again, but as before, she didn’t see anything.

The path they were on turned, until they couldn’t see back to the road anymore.

Katie groped for Megan’s hand. If we die out here... she started to say.

We’re not going to die, Megan said, wishing that she could sound more certain. She was trying to be logical; she had always been the more rational thinker out of the two of them. She couldn’t let herself succumb to the same fantasies as Katie. If she could just stay calm, maybe they could get out of this.

She hated that she was already thinking in terms of ‘maybe’.

A branch snapped behind them; the thing was getting closer now, rustling through the bushes at the side of the trail. This time when Megan looked back, she thought she saw the figure of a man, huge and hulking, off in the shadows. But why would a man be breathing like that? Was he just trying to scare them?

Hello? she called out, even though as she did it, she regretted it.

Katie gave her a dirty look, warning her not to make any sort of contact with the thing. But she was just letting her imagination get to her. It wasn’t like they had any homeless people in the area, and what else could it be, other than a man? Even with breathing like that...

Megan swallowed hard, taking a step towards the looming shadow. Please, we’re just trying to get home, she said, wishing her voice didn’t sound so thin and small. Please stop following us.

The creature – because it definitely wasn’t a man – roared at them.

Megan, I think we should get out of here, Katie whispered. But both of the girls’ feet felt like they were rooted to the spot.

At least, until the beast moved, lunging at them. Megan hardly had time to process what it was she was seeing before she spun around and ran. Even as her feet pounded on the hard-packed dirt of the trail, though, she knew it was hopeless: the man-creature was much taller than her and would outrun her any day of the week.

She thought back to what she had seen, the furry muzzle and the sharp, pointed teeth. She had never believed in werewolves before, but she had to believe in them now. What would he do to her? Would he kill her? Eat her?

She didn’t have time to think about it; he came up from behind her and pounced, bearing her down to the ground with his weight. All the air went out of Megan’s lungs, and she felt pain flare through her body before suddenly, everything went black.

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Chapter Three

Megan shifted, whimpering as pain flared through her body from her head right down to her toes. Katie? she asked, her voice ragged.

But if Katie was there, she didn’t answer.

It was just as well, Megan thought. If Katie was there, she would probably say stupid things like, I told you we shouldn’t have gone through the woods, or, There’s a reason we’re not supposed to be here. Megan knew that. She’d just thought that whatever was out there in the woods wouldn’t be as bad as Jimmy and his friends.

She never should have agreed to let Katie come with her, though. What if her friend was hurt? She wasn’t the one who was being bullied. She could have gone home the normal way and avoided all of this.

Megan squeezed her eyes shut, feeling tears on her cheeks.

Outside, she heard a wolf howl. Her heart started to hammer.

She wiggled around, determining that her hands were tied behind her back. Her ankles were bound as well. She wasn’t going to be able to run away like that. She did, however, manage to sit up, not that sitting up did her much good. It was dark enough in the room that she couldn’t see much of anything, so sitting up only made her head throb worse.

There was still no sign of Katie. Megan breathed a small sigh of relief, hoping that meant that the creature had focused on her and had let Katie go. Maybe Katie had run away, back into town. Maybe she had been able to tell the police what had happened to Megan.

Or maybe, said a small voice in her head, she might already be dead. Maybe the werewolf ate her first.

Megan didn’t want to think of that. She closed her eyes, fighting off loneliness. Softly, she started to sing the song that her dad had always sung to her when she was upset as a kid. She didn’t know where the impulse came from, and she was surprised to find that she still remembered the words to the silly song about chasing after moonbeams. But as she continued to sing, her voice became stronger and she started to think more clearly.

She broke off singing as a door screeched open off to her left. It was only then that she realized she was in some sort of shed, with a heavy and rusted metal door.

The werewolf stood there, silhouetted against the dim light from outside. It must be nighttime now, of course. Megan wondered how many hours she’d been passed out for. Was it almost morning, maybe? She wasn’t hungry, but that could be her body’s reaction to her fright more than anything else.

The werewolf came slowly into the shed, flicking on one weak and yellow overhead bulb, and crouched down near Megan’s feet. Megan could feel her heart pounding in her throat as she got a good look at the beast. He looked more like a man than he had earlier, in the woods, but he was unkempt, his hair matted like fur and his eyes a curious shade of yellow that didn’t look human. His fingernails were long, and Megan would bet that his teeth were still just as sharp.

For a long moment, neither of them moved.

Finally, Megan swallowed, trying to get her voice to work. My friend – Katie. Is she okay?

I let her run, the werewolf said, inclining his head towards Megan. His voice was deep and velvety, surprisingly soothing.

Megan had to wonder about that though. If Katie had made it back into town and it was the middle of the night now, shouldn’t the police have found them already? The woods weren’t that large, and they hadn’t gone very far into them. Katie should be able to bring them to the exact spot where Megan had been knocked unconscious, and after that, it would be simple enough to pick up the tracks. She thought.

The police won’t bother coming out here, the werewolf said, his lips bending into the ghost of a smile. I pay them to leave me alone, and they warn people out of my territory. And even when idiots do blunder in here, I tend to let them go...eventually.

Megan drew in a sharp breath. Was he telling her that he wasn’t going to kill her?

She shifted uncomfortably in her bonds, wondering if he might take them off. I won’t run, she whispered. She grinned crookedly at him. We all saw what good running did for me before.

The werewolf stared at her for a long moment. Why aren’t you more scared of me? he asked. "Every instinct should be telling you to run away from me right now. And instead, I heard you singing."

Megan shrugged one shoulder, looking bitterly away from the other. Let’s just say, I have a lot of practice in feeling helpless, she said. "You’re not going