Within seconds, Ethan's mind raced, formulating half-baked plans that fell apart as quickly as they were formed. His eyes were still locked on the ghastly white, milky eyes that stared down at him from within the thick, oppressive fog. His chest heaved as his breathing became erratic, the panic settling in. He whispered to himself, Breathe, just breathe, trying to force his lungs to steady. But fear clawed at his insides, and another thought broke through the surface: Should I even be breathing with that thing staring at me?
He wanted to run. Every muscle in his body screamed at him to bolt, to get as far away as possible. But the growling from the other creature—just out of sight, hidden in the shadows of the darkness—stopped him cold. It wasn't directed at him. No, the growl had an edge to it, like it was challenging something. Was it challenging the creature in the fog?
Ethan's eyes darted back to the milky-eyed monster above, but those ghastly white eyes weren't focused on him anymore. They were aimed downward, toward something deeper within the shadows. What the hell is going on?
His heart hammered as he took deep, shaky breaths. His mind was a whirlwind of panic and confusion. Slowly, he followed the gaze of the milky-eyed creature, forcing himself to look ahead, to see what it saw.
Then, in front of him, from within the darkness, came another low, guttural growl. The sound was unmistakable—the creature was close. Too close.
Ethan's lips quivered as he stifled a curse, biting down hard to keep from making any sound. The thing that had been stalking him and the group was right there, just ahead in the black expanse of the open area. He couldn't see it, but he could feel its presence. He knew how close it was. He could sense it.
The snapping of dead leaves and brittle branches behind him sent a jolt of terror up his spine. His eyes flicked back to the black fog, dread building with every passing second.
The milky-eyed creature was gone from its perch above. His heart sank, his stomach flipping in on itself. His blood ran cold. Where did it go?
Ethan's pulse raced as his gaze shifted to the right, and there, nearly at eye level with him now, were the same ghastly white eyes. They were closer. So close that he could see the faint, decaying outline of the creature's twisted form emerging from the fog. Ethan swallowed hard, the breath catching in his throat as his body froze again. How did it get so close so quickly? He hadn't even realized it had moved.
The creature's eyes were terrifying, but they weren't focused on Ethan. Not directly. They were fixated on what was in front of him. It's not interested in me, Ethan thought with a mix of fear and confusion. It's focused on the other thing.
His heart thudded loudly in his ears as he once again followed the milky-eyed creature's gaze, his eyes locking on the darkness just ahead. The oppressive black fog made it impossible to see, but the low growl—the other creature's growl—was unmistakable. Whatever it was, the two monsters were facing off.
The tension in the air was thick, electric. The growls from the other creature became more intense, more aggressive, as if it was warning the milky-eyed beast to back off. But the creature beside Ethan didn't flinch. It didn't retreat. Instead, it inched forward, slowly, purposefully, its body lowering even closer to the ground. Its low, hollow growl reverberated through the open space, echoing in Ethan's ears like a haunting melody.
The sound sent a violent shiver down his spine. He was so close to it now—close enough that he could feel the vibrations of its growl in his chest. Every instinct told him to run, to move, to do something, but he was trapped between two nightmares, frozen by the sheer terror of what might happen next.
As the milky-eyed creature moved forward, its hulking form became clearer in the shadows. The decaying, skeletal remains of its body loomed over Ethan, its grotesque form barely concealed by the fog. Its gaze remained locked on the other creature, its attention unwavering. Whatever these two beasts were, they were locked in some kind of confrontation, and Ethan was caught in the middle of it.
The other creature, still obscured by darkness, let out a more feral growl, louder and more guttural. The warning was clear: stay back.
But the milky-eyed monster wasn't fazed. It kept moving forward, slowly, as if it had all the time in the world. Its movements were deliberate, predatory. It was almost as if it wanted the other creature to make the first move.
Ethan's body trembled, his breaths coming in quick, shallow bursts. He could feel the tension between the two monsters rising, building to a breaking point. His mind raced, trying to come up with any plan to get out of there, but nothing made sense. There was no way out. No escape from this nightmare.
He was completely and utterly trapped.
Suddenly, the growls stopped. The silence was deafening, more terrifying than the noise. Ethan's breath caught in his throat as he stared into the darkness, waiting for something to happen.
And then, without warning, the air exploded with motion.
The sound of crashing branches and tearing leaves erupted from the darkness as the two creatures collided. Ethan's body instinctively dropped to the ground, his hands covering his head as the chaos unfolded around him. The growls, snarls, and the sickening sound of flesh tearing filled the air as the two monsters engaged in a violent, primal struggle.
Ethan's heart pounded in his chest, his mind screaming at him to move, to get away from the carnage. But he couldn't. His body was frozen in place, paralyzed by fear.
He dared a glance upward, just in time to see the monstrous silhouette of the milky-eyed creature rearing up, its massive form towering over the other beast. The darkness obscured most of the details, but the sheer size of the creature was enough to send another wave of terror through Ethan's body.
The other creature let out a feral scream, the sound cutting through the night like a blade. It lashed out, claws or teeth—it was impossible to tell—tearing into the milky-eyed creature's decaying flesh. But the milky-eyed beast didn't back down. It roared in response, a guttural, ear-splitting sound that shook the ground beneath Ethan's trembling form.
In the midst of the chaos, Ethan realized something horrifying.
They weren't fighting over him. They were fighting for him.