It had been over ten years since her last visit.

Gabriella's fingers tightened around the steering wheel of her old jeep as she entered Grayling, a powerful sense of nostalgia washing over her like a hot flush.

The weight of her disgraceful return pressed heavily on her chest as she guided the rusty Corolla into the driveway of the Victorian-styled home she never thought to return to over the years. 

Journalism had been her escape, the one thing that meant leaving this hick town that seemed stuck in the 1900s. Yet, a rookie mistake of publishing an article without verifying the source caused her world to collapse. Now, she was here, smack dab at rock bottom. Hiding away like a sewer rat.

Swiping her dark hair over her shoulders, she walked up the bushy path leading to the house, the cold air biting at her cheeks as she inserted the key into the lock, a sharp click resonating in the stillness.

She placed her bag down, taking a breath of the jasmine aroma of her grandmother's presence. The house seemed frozen in time, furniture draped in white sheets, pictures of her and her as a cheeky toddler hanging from the walls. She felt her throat tighten as she aligned an askew frame of her and her grandmother at the local fair. 

Her feet led her upstairs to her grandmother's room, pulling the windows open to let in the fresh air, her gaze fell on the dresser, a hefty oak piece her grandmother claimed she kept all her priceless possessions.

Her brow knitted in confusion as she opened the top drawer, pulling out a silver locket finely inscribed with runes that appeared to glimmer faintly in the dim light.

This was not supposed to be here.

Her grandmother always wore the locket underneath her clothes, claiming it would protect her from any harm. She remembered her mom saying it would be buried with her, but her grandmother had wanted her to have it when she died. Gabriella had left it behind, asking that they bury her with it.

So, why was it here?

She traced the inscriptions with her finger, their significance as enigmatic as the town itself. 

Suddenly, the locket glowed and she felt something shift in the air–a soft creak of the floorboards behind her. She quickly turned around, her heart racing, but the room was empty. The shadows in the corner appeared to stretch and shimmer, yet when she blinked, they froze. 

Shaking her head, she wore the locket around her neck. It wouldn't hurt to have some protection in this ghostly town. 

The bell above the grocery store jingled as Gabriella walked in, the warm air filled with scents of spices and fresh fruit. 

She picked up a basket and strolled through the aisles, scrolling through her phone for the grocery list that she had to strictly follow.

Her ears piqued up at the low murmur of conversation from a group of locals at the counter. 

"Someone has vanished again," an older woman said, holding her shawl close around her. "That makes four this month. I tell you, something is going on in this town. People don't just up and vanish for no reason."

Gabriella hesitated, feigning interest in a bag of chips. 

"I heard it was a deer, not a person. Get your facts straight before you speak, Beatrice." A man replied, his voice gritty like a heavy smoker. "Some tourists found its tracks leading into the woods and ran off when they heard the howls." 

"Well, deer don't just disappear," the woman shot back. "Who do you think the wolves will come for when they run out of deer? Us! We need to call the police and hunt down every last one of them."

Gabriella's brow knitted together as she walked up to the register. She had almost forgotten about the wolf tales from when she visited. She had seen a few running through the woods when she was younger but never heard about them taking people. 

Could this be newsworthy? Man, eating wolves would be a page-breaker for a start. Maybe she should look into it; after all, she had nothing but time.

The gritty voice man blocked her in the parking lot, his keen eyes staring into her soul. 

"You are the Farris girl, aren't you?" he asked, his voice raspy. 

She responded cautiously. "My name is Gabriella. Do I know you?" 

"Name's Pascal. Your grandmother and I were friends. I thought she hid you away forever. What are you doing back here? It's not safe." He leaned closer, lowering his voice to nearly a whisper. "Take my word—stay out of the woods after dark. Those beasts would love to have a Farris in their hands. Wear that locket everywhere, even in the shower. Don't let them catch you without protection."

Her stomach churned at his warning, but she managed to chuckle. "I appreciate the advice, but I don't believe the wolf tales." 

His expression stiffened. "Suit yourself." He tipped his hat and walked away, leaving Gabriella more curious than earlier. 

That night, her mind wouldn't settle. The memories of the last month, her downfall, the rumors that followed, and the return back to this cryptic town collided in her head like a bad mix.

She rolled onto her back and gazed at the ceiling, counting the cobwebs to occupy her mind. Just as her eyelids began to droop, a deep sorrowful howl ripped through the night. She shot up, clutching her heart in panic, as she raced to the window, looking out into the woods next to her room. The tales from the grocery store stood prominent in her head. 

A shadow dashed through the trees so fast she almost missed it; it was too large and quick to be a deer. She needed a closer look.

The locket around her neck turned warm and she returned to bed. Tomorrow, she would put an end to this man-eating wolf nonsense.

************************************

This probably wasn't the best idea.

Gabriella thought as she positioned herself at the foot of a tree, the camera hanging around her neck and her notebook secured under her arm. The chilly air carried a subtle scent of pine and moist earth, anchoring her as nerves fluttered up her spine. 

"I should have brought snacks." She whispered to herself, brushing aside the voice in her head urging her to go home. 

The forest was unsettlingly still as she edged on, the beam of the flashlight illuminating the sparkling patches of moss and roots. 

Her breath caught as she stumbled upon fresh paw prints. They were larger than any she had seen before, sinking deeply into the soft ground. She crouched, running her fingers along the edges, the sharp imprints affirming her doubts. 

"These can't be normal wolves," she whispered, capturing a few close-up shots of the prints. 

A soft rustle to her left drew her attention. Gabriella's heart raced as she pointed the flashlight in that direction. 

"Who is there?"

Then she caught it—low voices, rough and heated, like a dispute riding on the wind. 

She couldn't decipher the words, but she knew it was human.

A deep guttural growl resonated through the forest, sending chills down her spine. 

Tightening her grip on the flashlight and camera, she inched forward trailing the sounds to a clearing illuminated by the bright moonlight.

Crouching behind some bushes, she caught sight of six men, standing loosely in a circle. Their clothes looked muddy and wet, as though they had been running through the forest - a deer carcass stood in the middle of the circle, and the fresh blood smell clung to the air. Gabriella adjusted the focus of her camera; at least she could prove that the hunters were normal,, though weir,d, men.

Her eyes stayed with the leader of the group - a tall, broad-shouldered man with raven black hair who appeared to hold the group's focus. She felt drawn to him for some reason.

She inched closer to get a better look at his face when suddenly, he stepped out of the circle, tilting his head towards the sky. His body tensed, and a low growl erupted from his chest. Gabriella watched with wide eyes and horror as he hunched over and his body began to transform.

Thick, coarse fur broke through the skin, his fingers elongating into claws, bones, and joints snapped and rearranged, his face extended, a snout replacing his mouth, and his teeth morphed into razor-sharp fangs.

In less than seconds, the six men had transformed into giant wolves. The leader turned into a black wolf with bright golden eyes - eyes that seemed to stare right at her.

Her instinct said to run, to leave town and never return. She didn't sign up for this werewolf or whatever this was. It was a twilight zone and she wanted no part of it. Yet, her fingers pressed on the camera, the sound was like a gunshot in the dark.

The wolves immediately stopped and turned their heads in her direction. Gabriella felt a chill run down her spine as she made eye contact with the alpha wolf, who bared its teeth in a menacing snarl. 

The other wolves also growled in chorus. They moved in on her. 

All thoughts of her redemption left her head.

She ran.