The howl pierced the night and froze the blood in my veins. I stopped dead in my tracks, my heart pounding as if trying to leap out of my chest. The forest, once so familiar, now seemed a maze of menacing shadows.
"Come on Alex, don't be a chicken," I told myself, forcing a shaky smile. "It's just a dog, or maybe a coyote." This sound... It was something else. Something that shouldn't exist outside of horror movies, which I used to enjoy watching from the safety of my couch. I cursed under my breath. This shortcut through the woods was supposed to save time, but now I was lost and would be late for the night shift at the hospital. Dr. Reyes would kill me.
Another howl, closer this time. I panicked and started running, stumbling over roots and low branches. The backpack with my nurse uniform tangled behind me with every frantic step.
Suddenly, something rough and heavy struck me from behind. I fell to the ground, the air rushing out of my lungs. I rolled onto my back, and what I saw paralyzed me with terror.
Golden eyes gleamed in the darkness, staring at me. A low growl resonated in the air, and I saw rows of sharp teeth. The creature was enormous, its black fur blending with the night, but its silhouette was unmistakable: a wolf, but the size of a bear.
"This can't be happening," I whispered, unable to move.
The beast closed the distance in the time it took me to breathe and leaped on me. I felt a sharp pain in my shoulder as its jaws clamped down on my flesh. I screamed louder than I ever had in my life, struggling uselessly.
Suddenly, a flash of light cut through the forest. The creature released my shoulder and roared, facing something I couldn't see. Gunshots rang out, and the monster fled into the darkness of the woods. Footsteps approached, and a figure leaned over me. It was an old man, with a weathered face and piercing eyes.
"Son, you're about to get into a world of trouble," he said, his deep voice filled with concern. "That thing was a werewolf. And it bit you."
I wanted to laugh, to tell him he was crazy. But the pain in my shoulder and the image of those golden eyes kept me occupied. My mind was spinning, unable to comprehend what was happening.
"What's going on? What happened... What does this mean?" I managed to ask, my voice barely more than a whisper.
The man looked at me with a mixture of pity and determination. "It means your life as you know it is over. But don't worry, kid. I'll help you survive... if you're willing to listen."
As unconsciousness overtook me, one last thought crossed my mind: of course, I was going to be late for work.