A few days later, Lukas' father came back early, limping as he walked in. He had sustained an injury and a ghastly one at that.
According to him, he was tracking some prey and fell off a short cliff. Snagging his legs on the rocks below. The wounds were deep, but not deadly. However, it meant he would be unable to carry his weight for at least a week or two.
He asked Lukas to replace him until he recovered. Lukas didn't have to start today his father told him that it was too late to hunt for anything substantial today anyway. But Lukas was adamant, he thought he could find something today, here and now.
So he went out and started following the tracks his father made. It was already early afternoon, but Lukas knew he could do something.
First, he found a large area filled with the stumps of past trees, where his father would collect firewood. There, he thought about the coming winter, if they had enough logs to feed the fire when the cold front knocked upon their door.
But this wasn't what he was looking for. This wasn't what he needed, although it was close, so he kept going.
Next, he found the small cliff where his father fell. The mud atop it was wet, and the rocks below it were sharp and still dripping with blood. A sorrow clung to his heart. What if his father had fallen just a little to the right? What if his father had slipped with a little more speed? Would he have been able to limp his way home?
He shook his head, now was not the time to ponder such things. He still hadn't found what he was looking for. This wasn't what he needed, but it was closer, so he kept going.
Lastly, he found a small clearing. His father has told him of this part of the forest, home to many wildlife. But he had never seen it before... It was beautiful. Like a painting brought to life. It was quiet and peaceful.
Was this what he was looking for? By his father's words, perhaps. There was plenty of prey to be found near this grove. But deep down, that wasn't what he wanted. Here, it was quiet. Here, it was peaceful. Here, there was nothing that Lukas had to do.
But Lukas was a fool. He had forgotten time and was left with scraps. The sun was setting, and with it, the light and warmth of day. He had to return, empty-handed.
But something else drew his attention, why was it so quiet here? The forest was home to many sounds, from insects to birds, frogs and elks. Where was all of the noise?
Then, he heard a strange noise. A distant cracking sound, like wood being ripped into splinters. It wasn't loud, but it wasn't close. Causing Lukas to reason that whatever was the cause of this sound must be quite large. Perhaps a large tree fell?
But there was more, it was followed by an ear-screeching, distorted howl. Once again, it wasn't necessarily loud. But for how far away it sounded, it must have been deafening up close. What's more, Lukas had never heard a sound like that before. It sent shivers up his spine.
It was a howl most definitely, but what ungodly creature could make a sound like that? It didn't sound like an elk or a wolf, more like something imitating them.
Something... something wasn't right. A creeping dread pulled at his heart. Something was... wrong.
So as the sun continued to drop in the sky, he ran home. Everything was fine... right? He could go home and sleep right? Eat dinner with his family?
...Right?
It wasn't hard for him to follow the tracks he made, so it was barely dusk when he returned. But when he made it home, the lights were out and there wasn't a sound. The door was gone, reduced to splinters, and there was a hole in the ceiling.
His mind went blank, without the ability to conjure thoughts to fill the silence. His body ran off instinct as he dashed inside. As a cold void filled his heart. He panicked and thought through every possible thing that could've happened. He was scared, worried, and anxious, and a shift in his body was present as if he was sick.
But inside, before him, were the massacred bodies of every single member of his family, torn to shreds and utterly disfigured.
His mother had her stomach torn out, and her organs littered about. His father's limbs were ripped apart, and his head was nothing but paste. His brother was crushed, and his sisters were stacked atop each other, with both of their bodies mangled into one another, completely hiding who was who.
Why the hell did he have to leave his family alone? Why didn't he listen to his father? Why wasn't he there to protect them? Was this real? Was this just a dream, a nightmare? Why won't he wake up?
WHY WON'T HE WAKE UP!?
Without thought, he ran to Shorstone. Maybe he could find some help. Maybe he could warn someone. Maybe he could do something!
But there he saw the streets littered with corpses. With a horrific monstrosity towering over the town around it. Its four soulless eyes stared directly into him, and Lukas' spirit shattered.
He frantically panicked and internally yelled at himself to run. But alas, his body froze at the worst possible time, paralyzed in fear.
The horrible nightmare of a creature let out a primal howling screech. Its deafening roar shook every part of Lukas, turning his limbs to jelly. Then, it slowly began to shamble in his direction. Lukas was stunned, but his body finally broke through the fear and ran.
He ran away, into the forest, never looking back, never checking if it was near, never checking where he was going, just running as far away as he could.
He ran and ran, stumbling over branches, feet bleeding, lungs worn, and his body exhausted.
His mind was a mess of panic and fear. Constantly his mind screamed, hoping that this wasn't real. It was a dream, it had to be, right? But every time he thought that a flash of the horrors he witnessed appeared throughout his mind. As real as the morning sun.
So Lukas kept running, never stopping, enveloped by the darkness of night. Until one branch snagged his foot and sent him crashing down. His consciousness began to fade, either from exhaustion or from hitting his head on the ground. But before he did, there was one last thing he saw. He saw the figure of a man standing above him.
Then, it all went dark.