Sheep's Clothing by Gary Lewis (free ebook reader for pc txt) 📕

the door shut as he flicked on the flashlight and ran through the clearing toward the woods just ahead. "Just a little further," he panted, finally gasping fresh air. As the bushes grew closer, he looked for the giant oak hanging above the woodline. "There!" Vance shuffled sideways a few feet before slipping slowly into the brush.

The blast of the door snapped Vance's attention back to the chicken house where he saw the distant creature limp out. It stood just outside. The door now laid flat beneath its feet along with its busted frame. As it hobbled off of the wrecked doorway, pausing to sneeze again, Vance waved the flashlight wildly through the air. "Down here, loser!" he yelled.

The werewolf tilted back its long ears, raising its snout for a bone chilling howl while spreading its extended fingers tipped with razor claws. Vance shuffled to the side a few feet. "Careful, now. Easy does it," he said to himself. He crept further into the dark tangle of sticks and leaves. "There," he said, laying the flashlight snugly between the fork in a branch, aiming the light toward the clearing. He paced a few yards to the side before crouching down quietly to hide behind the weeds.

It seemed as if the entire night would pass by while Vance waited in place, listening for every click of a twig or rustle of leaf. The silence weighed long and heavy on his patience as he considered breaking his cover. Just as he flexed his thighs to stand, a heavy object brushed through the edge of the forest. It gradually snuck closer until it broke into a scurry. Vance's heart jumped inside his still body as a raccoon crept onto a nearby log. He shook his head with a smirk.

Vance almost gave up hope of attracting the predator until a loud snap brought a yelping roar that blew out from the swaying branches, slinging a chain from one of the bear traps. Vance stood and backed behind the glare of the flashlight. The dark form destroyed the saplings in front of it, lunging through the undergrowth. Another pop caused it to jerk to the side, yelling out monstrous howls of torment. Then another pop and another. As Vance slowly backed up, the creature flailed within the dense plant life. It slapped chains across tree bark in all directions from numerous bear traps that clamped onto its arms and legs.

"Just a little closer," he said as he pulled a crossbow from the bag and racked an arrow in place. The beast stopped and let out a roar that punched Vance's eardrums into his brain. It suddenly hurled its way toward him, only to trip into a tangled mess. "Rusted barbwire." Vance smiled. "My treat." He continued to grin as he took aim at the creature, now rolling around the ground, swiping and yelling growls of fury to get loose. He fired a shot into the dark mass around where the neck should have been before locking another arrow into his sights.

As he took aim, the growls got deeper. So deep that they seemed to rattle the earth around them. Vance hesitated as he slowly paced back. "I don't like the sound of that.” He could see its back raise through the darkness, inflating with strength. The barbed wires that tightly wrapped around it started to spring apart one by one. Vance continued stepping backward even faster, the adrenaline pumping havoc through his breath.

His foot caught a tree root and he tripped back through the dark as the creature rose to its feet, taking the time to pull one bear trap after another free from its body. It turned its glare toward Vance who fired his arrow into the dark form. Whether or not it hit, it did little to faze the monster as it walked closer into the opening beside a large oak tree. The werewolf's shoulders rose and fell with every deep, angry breath. Its eyes and teeth were just barely visible in the dark, wooded space that closed between Vance and the beast.

Vance continued scooting back as the creature got closer, one step at a time. It seemed to take its time, savoring the moment. "There!" Vance shouted, slinging his buck knife from his ankle sheath and slamming it into the tree beside him. He snapped the tied rope in one swipe and the heavy, metal cage crashed down on the werewolf. As it stood growling, Vance rushed over and forcefully slid the bottom panel through its track, stumbling the creature on its feet before Vance quickly locked it in place.

He watched as it slammed and pounced into the side of the cage, growling and roaring at him. Slimy strings of saliva hung from its teeth. Finally, it tumbled the cage on its side, but the locked bottom door seemed more than it could force open.

Vance's awe returned to the anger that drove them both to this point. As the werewolf beat viciously at the locked side of the cage, Vance yelled. "You took everything from me!" His rage echoed through the hills. The creature bared its teeth and its snarl subsided for a moment. Vance eyed the monster in the face. "I promise... I will be the one to kill you."

He pulled out a sawed-off shotgun, the final tool in his bag of torture. As Vance slowly took aim, the werewolf backed up with a pause. Then it charged into the cage with such force, the metal prison flipped over at Vance. The steel beams knocked him back and he dropped the gun on the ground. He clambered to his feet and noticed the locking door now swung open as the beast rushed out with no hesitation.

Vance burst into a touchdown sprint for the abandoned well, breaking through saplings and weeds like nothing was there. He could feel it rush behind him, gaining closer as he approached the well. The force of a train plowed into his back, slamming him into the old stone landmark as a