Heated for the Wolfman

Stella walked along the dirt path. It was autumn. Bright leaves surrounded her. The air was crisp and clean. It had been a while since she last went on a hike. She missed the peaceful nature of the woods, the earthy smell that embraced her.

Stella had always been an outdoorsy type, but her new job had her spending most of her time in a cramped cubicle. Walking along the path that led through the national park made her realize she needed to get out more. She needed to make time for herself. Not everything had to be about work.

This was her first time in the national park. She had lived by it for years but never made the effort to check it out. Now, she was glad that she did.

The park stretched for miles and miles. It had some old and unique looking trees that Stella was certain were at least one hundred years old. There were large rocks. Cliffs. And supposedly, a waterfall.

That was her goal today. To find the waterfall.

She followed the signs and used her hiking staff to help her get through the areas with tougher terrain. Oddly enough, she didn’t meet anyone on the path. Part of her liked that. She liked how secluded the park seemed. Yet another part of her wondered where everyone was. It was the weekend. She couldn’t be the only one out enjoying this beautiful day, could she?

By the time she reached the waterfall, she was feeling rather tired. She realized she had pushed herself a little too hard. She used to be in great shape. She went for a jog every single day. But when she started her new job, exercise wasn’t as big of a priority. She worked long hours and when she was off, she’d rather watch TV than go for a jog.

She wanted to get back into shape, though she also knew she couldn’t rush back into it. She needed to let her body adjust.

She sat on a rock and watched the clear water roll over the rocks and into the large pool beneath. It was so peaceful. Like something out of a painting. That gave her the idea to snap a picture.

She pulled out her phone and took a picture of just the waterfall before she decided she wanted one of her in front of it as well. It took her a moment to fix her hair and make herself look presentable, then she held the camera out in front of her and snapped a selfie. Well she snapped several, just to make sure she got the best one.

Still seated on the rock, she scrolled through the new photos. When she found the perfect one, she decided to share it on social media. Only when she went to share it, she noticed something.

In the picture, on some rocks near the waterfall, was a person. A man to be exact. And it didn’t look like he was wearing any clothes.

A chill broke out over her body. Goosebumps tickled her arms and legs. What the fuck?

Slowly, she turned her head. She expected to see the man in her picture but… no one was there. He had disappeared. Or did he? Stella couldn’t help but shake the feeling that she was being watched.

“Hello?” she said. “Is anyone there?”

No response, only the sound of the rushing water. It was eerie. Stella felt the urge to get out of there. She no longer felt peaceful. She was scared.

She shoved her phone into her bag, snatched up her hiking staff and quickly started back the way she had come. What scared her more was that it was going to be a long trek back to her car. If someone was out there, she wasn’t sure if she’d make it. She guessed if worse came to it, she did at least have her staff as protection.

She walked as quickly as she could but the more she walked, the more tired she felt. She was panting for air and she didn’t think she was even half way back yet. When she reached a hill, she didn’t know how she was going to climb up it. Her legs felt like Jell-O.

“When did I get this outta shape?” she said, panting and huffing.

She looked at the hill and in the state she was in, it seemed like a giant mountain. She wondered if maybe there was a quicker way? What if she left the trail and cut through the woods? She knew it wasn’t the smartest idea, but she was so exhausted, she was willing to try it. If she got lost, she at least had her phone.

With her walking staff in her hand, she stepped off the trail and disappeared into the woods. She walked for quite some time, thinking she knew where she was going. But the parking lot never appeared. Eventually, she knew for certain she was lost.

“This can’t be happening,” she said, looking up at the sky through the thick trees. She was losing light. The sun was going to set any minute now.

She paused to find her phone. She knew now she had no choice but to call for help. Only when she started searching through her bag, her phone was nowhere to be found.

“Where is it?!” she said frantically.

She took a seat and pulled everything out of her bag. Her phone wasn’t there. Did she drop it? What was she going to do?! It was almost dark and she was lost!

She had no choice but to backtrack and hope to find it. If she didn’t find it soon, she was going to be stuck in complete darkness. She didn’t even have a flashlight. She didn’t plan to be out this long!

The leaves crunched under her sneakers as she pushed through the trees and climbed over rotting tree trunks. As she lost light, it became harder to see where she was going. She squealed when a branch brushed against her face. She worried it was some kind of bug or spider, crawling all over her.

Soon enough, she was shoved into darkness. The only light she had was the moon overhead. Thankfully, it was a full moon. Maybe it would be enough.

After walking for another hour, she dropped to the forest floor. She couldn’t find her phone. She had no idea where she was. There was no way to get help. And she was beyond exhausted.

She knew her best bet was to wait until morning, but that meant spending the night in the middle of the woods where anything could get to her. Bugs, bears, mountain lions… It was going to get cold too. All she was wearing was a light jacket.

She opened her mouth and thought about yelling for help. Maybe someone would hear her? Then she remembered the picture. What if that man was still in the woods? She didn’t want to alert him to where she was. What was he doing in the woods anyways? With no clothes?

She wondered if he was lost too? Maybe she shouldn’t have taken off. Then again, what if he was some sick, crazy person? If he needed help, he would have said so, right? Why did he just disappear?

She wanted to look at the picture again but she didn’t have her phone. That’s when she realized, she was glad she paid extra for cloud storage. If she didn’t find her phone, at least the pictures would still be there.

Feeling completely useless, she made herself comfortable against the trunk of a tree. She wrapped her arms around herself, in an attempt to keep warm, and she closed her eyes. After a little rest, she could try to keep going. Maybe she wasn’t that far from the parking lot. Or at the very least, a ranger station.

She woke suddenly to the sound of leaves crunching. Opening her mouth, she could vaguely see her breath. It had gotten very cold. She had that feeling again. That she wasn’t alone. She was being watched. But it was so dark, she couldn’t see anything.

“He-hello…?” she said nervously.

No response. She didn’t need one. Because she could feel something. It was like when you’re in a room, and you just know other people are there. You can feel their energy. Yet whatever it was she was sensing, it was big. Maybe not even human.

She reached to grab hold of her hiking staff. It was the only weapon she had.

“Stay-stay away from me!” she said, gripping the staff tightly.

The leaves crunched more.

Stella turned her head from side to side, hoping to catch a glimpse of whatever it was that was stalking her. Still, she saw nothing.

She didn’t know what to do.

If she tried to run, it would chase her.

If she stayed still, she was a sitting duck.

Suddenly, a light illuminated the area. It was the screen of her phone. Just a few feet away from her.

Seeing that gave her the urge to move. If she could get her phone, she could call for help!

She rose quickly to her feet, the staff still in her hand, and made a run for it. She only got a few steps when she felt sharp claws dig into the flesh of her back. She screamed, then Stella was yanked into the darkness.