Dave & Twyla
Dave & Twyla
by Anthony Parker
Once-revered action movie star and former stuntman David “Dave” Armstead had always been accustomed to the adulation of his fans. But a fan named Twyla Anderson was different. Her obsession with him had taken a dark turn, leaving him feeling like prey in a world where he had once been the hunter. Her relentless pursuit of him had escalated to the point of legal intervention, resulting in an arrest, a court appearance, court-mandated counseling, and a strict “no contact” policy with Dave Armstead. Yet, even as he had his agent obtain a restraining order on his behalf, Dave couldn’t shake the feeling of unease that lingered in the pit of his stomach. Little did he know that Ms.Twyla LaShay Anderson was no ordinary fan. She was vengeful and bloodthirsty, consumed by an obsession beyond human reasoning.
As the days passed, Dave’s unease grew as it manifested into restless nights and a constant sense of being watched. He found himself avoiding windows and constantly checking over his shoulder, unable to shake the feeling that Twyla was lurking in the shadows and just waiting for the perfect moment to strike. Dave’s once-charmed life had become a nightmare, and the bittersweet taste of his former fame now felt like a distant memory tainted by fear and paranoia.
Twyla, for her part, reveled in the power she held over Dave. Her transformation into a werehyena had only heightened her determination to make him pay for a perceived slight, and she relished the fear she instilled in him. Her nights were spent prowling the city streets, her senses heightened and her eyes gleaming with a feral light. The full moon held a hypnotic sway over Twyla, and as it waxed and waned, so too did her desire for vengeance. The bittersweet thrill of the hunt consumed her, driving her ever closer to the edge of sanity.
Meanwhile, Dave’s once-glorious mansion had become a fortress, its windows barred and all doors reinforced, with security cameras, motion sensors, and alarms installed all over the grounds. All of these were connected to a private cellular phone and laptop that he kept strictly for surveillance. Yet, no amount of security measures could ease the gnawing sense of dread that had taken root in his heart. The trappings of his former life now felt like a prison, and he longed for the freedom he had once taken for granted. The bitter irony of his situation wasn’t lost on him, and as he gazed out at the moonlit city from behind his barricaded window, Dave couldn’t help but feel a pang of longing for the simplicity of his former existence before becoming famous.
In the dead of night, as the moon hung heavy in the sky, Twyla’s relentless pursuit finally came to a head. With a feral snarl, she breached the perimeter of Dave’s mansion. Her eyes were wild and her teeth were bared in a savage grin. The air crackled with tension as she closed in on her prey. After first disabling the electrical connections to the mansion, she neutralized all the security cameras and alarms Dave had in place. Twyla’s every step was a symphony of anticipation and bloodlust. She clambered up a nearby tree and then leaped onto the fourth-floor rooftop, where she’d broken in through a seldom-used attic. Making her way from the attic and onto the second floor, Twyla smashed into the locked bedroom door at the opposite end of the hallway. As she stood mere feet away from the man who had once been her idol, the bittersweet taste of vengeance hung heavy in the air, poised on the precipice of fulfillment.
“Twyla, stop! Why are you doing this?“, Dave pleaded, his voice strained with fear and confusion. He clutched his silver-bladed knife and .357 Magnum handgun tightly, his heart pounding in his chest.
Twyla, in her monstrous werehyena form, laughed and snarled as she advanced towards him, her eyes glinting with a mixture of anger and hurt. “You don’t even remember, do you? All I wanted was your autograph and a selfie with you, and you treated me like I was nothing. You were such a self-centered bastard,” she growled, her voice deep and guttural.
Dave’s mind raced as he tried to recall the encounter. He’d met so many fans over the years that he couldn’t place Twyla among them. But her words struck a chord, and he realized that he might have unintentionally hurt her feelings.
“I...I’m sorry, Twyla. I meet so many people, and sometimes it’s overwhelming. I didn’t mean to hurt you,” Dave said, his voice trembling. He knew that his words might not be enough to stop her, but he had to try.
Twyla’s laughter echoed throughout the mansion, a chilling sound that sent chills down Dave’s spine. “Sorry? Sorry doesn’t cut it, Dave. You’re gonna learn a painful lesson in humility,” she snarled, her sharp claws glinting in the dim light.
Dave’s grip tightened on the weapons, his mind racing for a way out of this deadly confrontation. He knew that Twyla was beyond reasoning, consumed by her anger and desire for revenge. But he couldn’t give up. He had to find a way to stop her and make amends for his unintentional slight.
As Twyla lunged towards him, Dave made a split-second decision. He raised the Magnum and aimed for her heart, pulling the trigger. The custom-made silver bullet exploded on impact, sending shards of silver tearing through her monstrous form. With a howl of agony, Twyla stumbled backward as her eyes went wide with shock and pain.
After twitching for several minutes, the werehyena stiffened and stopped moving. Stepping closer, Dave knelt and checked to see if Twyla was truly dead, his handgun still clutched at his side.
After checking and finding no signs of a pulse or breathing, Dave stood to retrieve his cell phone to call 911 for the police department and an ambulance. As he turned to walk away, he felt something clamping onto his right calf muscle.
It was Twyla, using the final bit of her fading strength to inflict a last bite on her killer. As her powerful jaws tore through flesh and muscle, Dave fired three shots into the monster’s head. After the now-dead Twyla’s grip loosened from his leg, Dave fired one last shot into the dead beast to ensure she wouldn’t ever rise again.
It was shortly afterward that he realized the full gravity of this unexpected turn of events.
“Oh God! No, no, no,” Dave muttered to himself, his heart pounding in his chest. He stumbled backward, his hand instinctively reaching down toward the wound on his calf. Blood seeped through his fingers, and a cold dread settled in the pit of his stomach. Twyla’s last bite had been deliberate and calculated, and now the consequences were sinking in.
He knew what it meant. The curse of the werehyena was not just a myth or a cautionary tale to scare children. It was real, and now it was a part of him. The realization hit Dave like a sledgehammer, and he felt a surge of panic and despair.
Dave’s mind raced as he tried to process what had just happened. The stories he’d heard about the werehyena’s curse flooded his thoughts, each more terrifying than the last. He remembered the tales of insatiable hunger, of uncontrollable rage, and the loss of humanity. He thought these were just stories, not something that would ever happen to him.
Dave staggered to his feet, his vision blurring with fear and pain. The wound on his calf throbbed, and he could feel a strange, unsettling energy coursing through his veins. He knew he had only moments before the transformation would begin when he’d become like the thing he’d just killed.
Desperation clawed at him as he tried to think of a way out, a way to escape the inevitable. Deep down, Dave knew that there was only one way. Otherwise, he was doomed to become a creature of the night, a predator with no control over his actions.
As the first tendrils of the curse took hold, Dave’s last coherent thought was a plea for forgiveness. The .357 Magnum was still in his right hand, with two bullets remaining.
As his humanity began slipping away, Dave Armstead raised the gun to his open mouth as darkness closed around him.
The End
