Chereads / The Werewolf In Colorado / Chapter 7 - The Hunter's Demise

Chapter 7 - The Hunter's Demise

In the wake of the nightmarish events that had unfolded on the roadside, a heavy silence settled over the bystanders who had witnessed the horrors. They were left in shock and disbelief, their faces etched with a mixture of fear, confusion, and the grim reality of what they had seen. The police officers, having opened fire on the Beast, were now left with the haunting question of what they were dealing with. Their weapons had proved useless against the creature, and their radio calls for backup and specialized response teams were met with growing dread. Officer Bruce, recognizing the gravity of the situation, quickly radioed the chief of police. He described how the Beast matched Mark's details about the creature he had encountered, except this one had brown fur. Bruce whispered to himself, "Maybe there's more than one."

The scene became more chaotic as an ambulance arrived, its flashing lights added to the eerie atmosphere. One of the paramedics approached Officer Bruce, asking, "What happened here?" Bruce, still grappling with the unfolding nightmare, replied, "A beast is what happened." Dr. Carter, still hidden in her vehicle, was wrestling with the implications of the situation. The Beast had proven far more terrifying and uncontrollable than any of her research had suggested. The transformation had gone beyond anything she had ever encountered or even imagined. It left her with a sense of helplessness and the need for answers that had become increasingly elusive.

As the moments passed, the night's stillness was shattered by the howls of the Beast, now deep within the woods. Those who had witnessed the events struggled to come to terms with the horrors they had seen. They questioned the reality of what had unfolded before their eyes, as fear gnawed at their hearts. The police officers, regrouping and exchanging nervous glances, knew that they had a daunting task ahead. They had to find a way to contain this threat or risk more innocent lives falling victim to the monstrous transformation.

In the forest, Alex is running on all fours through the forest, sniffing the air as his head turns to the right, continuing in that direction but unbeknownst to Alex, he had entered private land. The forest was cloaked in a shroud of darkness as Alex ventured further into the private land. The moon cast its eerie glow, illuminating his path, as he moved with an uncanny grace. His senses, sharpened by the transformation, allowed him to navigate the woods with ease, but he remained unaware of the hunters' presence. Unbeknownst to Alex, brothers Carl and Jake, along with their friend Sarah, were deep within the woods on their mission. They had set up camp, and the soft glow of a campfire painted a stark contrast to the surrounding darkness. Their nighttime hunting expedition, live-streamed from the beginning, had already captivated an online audience.

Carl, feeling the need for a quick break, Took his camera and ventured into the woods to find a suitable spot. As he disappeared into the shadows, Sarah entered their tent, leaving the other camera on its tripod, continuing the live stream, her voice filled with anticipation. The forest seemed to hold its breath, the silence broken only by the distant chirping of crickets and the occasional hoot of an owl. But an unseen tension hung in the air, raising the hairs on their necks. Then, an eerie silence descended over the forest. The crickets fell silent, and the owl ceased its haunting calls. In this unsettling stillness, a chilling howl pierced the night, reverberating through the trees and sending a shiver down their spines.

Inside the tent, Sarah whispered. "Did you hear that?"

Jake, monitoring the live stream and the audio feed, fell silent, straining to listen. The ominous growl that followed was like nothing they had heard before. It was a sound that defied their understanding and sent a shiver down their spines.

Jake gripped his rifle, his voice trembling. "That's no coyote; it's something else."

Their shared glances betrayed their growing unease. It was evident that they were not alone in the woods, and whatever lurked nearby was more dangerous than the coyotes they had come to hunt. Meanwhile, Carl had ventured deeper into the woods, seeking a moment of solitude. His flashlight cut through the darkness, revealing the shadows of towering trees that seemed to close in around him. Though he had often been in the woods at night, tonight's unease was different.

As Carl finished relieving himself and turned to head back to the camp, a low growl reached his ears, sending a jolt of fear through his body. He swung his flashlight toward the source of the sound, and in the dim light, he glimpsed a massive figure. Panic surged through him as he realized he was not alone. Back at the campsite, Jake and Sarah were on high alert. Their calls to Carl were met with an unsettling response—the low growl, now closer, echoed through the woods, leaving no doubt that it was not the cry of a coyote.

Sarah's hand shook as she whispered, "Jake, we need to be careful. We don't know what we're dealing with here."

Jake nodded, his face pale in the dim light. "I got a bad feeling about this. Stay close, and let's find Carl."

They ventured deeper into the woods, their flashlights piercing the night and casting eerie beams in every direction. The forest's stillness and the oppressive tension weighed on them with each step they took. In the depths of the forest, Carl stood frozen in fear. Before him loomed a monstrous creature, standing on two legs, its body shrouded in shaggy, matted fur. Its eyes gleamed with a golden light and its elongated face revealed a mouth filled with sharp, gleaming teeth. The growl had evolved into a sinister and otherworldly sound, and Carl had a terrifying realization. Face to face with this creature, he could no longer tell the tales of the legendary beast that roamed these woods. It was no longer folklore; it was a horrifying reality.

At that moment, the Beast swiped its claws, and Carl's instincts took over. With a desperate scream, he swung his flashlight down on the creature's head, disorienting it and causing it to miss its target. He turned and ran, adrenaline pumping through his veins.

Deep in the woods, Jake and Sarah ventured further in search of Carl. The livestream continued, broadcasting their every move to their online audience. The forest was silent, and the oppressive tension continued to hang in the air.

As they moved deeper into the woods, their flashlights darted around, revealing only fleeting glimpses of the night's shadows. Their anxiety grew with every step, and the memory of Carl's gasp and the rustling of leaves on their livestream audio haunted them. Back in the forest, Carl had managed to put some distance between himself and the pursuing creature. The Beast, disoriented but relentless, had not given up the chase. It followed Carl, its golden eyes fixed on its prey, its feral instincts taking over.

The live stream viewers watched in real-time as the terrifying encounter continued to unfold. The chat was flooded with frantic messages—some urging Jake and Sarah to find their friend, others expressing disbelief and fear.

Meanwhile, Jake and Sarah pressed deeper into the woods, their flashlights piercing the darkness. The eerie stillness and the disconcerting silence weighed on them as they continued their search. Every rustling leaf or snapping twig heightened their anxiety. As the minutes passed, they found no trace of Carl. The dread that had settled over them grew more palpable, and their whispered calls for their friend went unanswered. 

In the depths of the forest, Carl had reached the limits of his endurance. His breath came in ragged gasps as he stumbled through the darkness, his heart pounding in his chest. But he could feel the presence of the pursuing Beast, an ever present threat that loomed just behind him. Carl's strength gave out, and he fell to the forest floor. He knew that he couldn't outrun the creature any longer. With a sense of grim resignation, he turned to face his relentless pursuer. As the monstrous Beast closed in, the last moments of Carl's life were captured by his camera. The viewers of the livestream bore witness to the terrifying encounter, the frantic, disoriented breathing of the young man, and the gleaming eyes of the creature as it descended upon him.

Sarah and Jake's desperate search for their friend led them deeper into the heart of the forest, where the silence and darkness seemed to conspire against them. The unsettling feeling that they were being watched intensified, and their unease grew with each passing second. A gut-wrenching scream cut through the night, echoing through the trees. It was Carl's voice, filled with terror and agony. Sarah and Jake exchanged horrified glances and sprinted in the direction of the scream, their flashlights piercing the darkness.

They arrived at the scene just in time to witness the horrific sight—the lifeless body of Carl, torn and bloodied, lay at the feet of the monstrous Beast. Its eyes gleamed with a malevolent hunger, and its jaws were stained with fresh blood. Carl's camera, still recording, captured the gruesome scene in chilling detail. The livestream viewers watched in shock and disbelief as Sarah and Jake's cries of horror filled the air. Out of anger, Jake grabs his AR-15 and starts shooting Alex while screaming at Sarah to run while he distracts the beast. Jake fires 10 shots only for Alex to approach him and to slash him across the jaw and toss his body aside. As Sarah is running away she drops the camera making the camera face the sky as Alex follows. Each step Alex shook the camera, as a massive paw crushes the camera. Sarah looks behind her only to see fog and hear a quiet growl. She then feels an excruciating pain through her whole stomach. She looks down and Alex's claws are penetrating her stomach. She gasps in fear and collapses.