A Carolina Forest Myth

Hali Faith Grainger

"You know there is a sense of fear in a prey when it's been cornered," said the wolf, morphing back into human shape. "For some funny reason, I can't sense any in you," a wolfish grin spreads on his face. "Not that it matters. Either way you're going to die. Now give me the book," he said reaching out in the darkness. The girl stood in the clearing, staring at the man. They were in the middle of the forest. No one would ever find her body if he were to bury her there. She pulled out a knife and got in a fighting stance.

"You'll have to pry it from my cold dead hands," she said calmly. She had long brown hair pulled back in a pony tail and was wearing a black assassin-like uniform.

"I'll be glad to grant your wish, Pheo," he said pulling out a gun. His hair was a spiky black, and he had jagged side burns. Everything about his aura said kill.

"You know, I was really starting to like you," he smiled as he lied through his teeth. They were a perfect, straight white row of teeth. "Any last words?"


2 Months Before

“So Pheo are you going to the library,” asked Tiana from her desk.

“Don’t we usually go? This is last block of school isn’t it,” said Pheo rhetorically.

Tiana rolled her eyes, “You go first. I’ll ask later.”

Pheo got up and went to the teacher’s desk, “Mrs. Lauterbach can I go to the library,” she asked in a sweet tone.

“Go ahead, but be back here in 20 minutes,” she said not looking up from her book.

Pheo walked out of the door and down the hallway to the library. The library was a boring place, but it was the best place to waste time and look at books. She bent down looking at a book that read EON.

“Hello.”

Pheo jumped looking behind her. There was a man dressed in a business suit standing a few feet behind her.

“Can I help you,” she said, suspiciously looking around. The library was empty. Not that THAT wasn’t surprising. The librarian was usually on lunch break at this time.

“Ah, yes you can. You wouldn’t happen to be interested in Latin books would you,” he said twitching around in the one spot he stood.

“Ummm, Not really?”

He made a fake laugh, “Of course you are, Pheo. Here, how would you like to buy this book?”

“I’m not interested,” Pheo said creeped out that he knew her name. She started toward the door.

“Here,” he said placing the book in her hands. There were strange symbols moving on the cover. “I’ll give you a discount! And the total cost of it is…Free,” he said, rushing out the door, leaving the book. Pheo walked outside the door and looked down the hallway. Tiana was walking toward the door which was only a few feet away.

“Hey, did you see that guy,” asked Pheo.

“Guy? What Guy? Is he hot,” she said, smiling and looking around.

“More like a creeper,” she said absently.


Later at Home



Pheo opened the weird book looking at the odd writing. Latin did he say? Pheo couldn’t read Latin but the pictures were very bloody and violent. She came across a paper wedged in the book. She took out the paper and read it out loud, “Burn the book and don’t ask why. If you don’t you’ll surely die.” She laughed at the short rhyme and put the paper back in the book.


2 Months later

“Who are you,” asked Pheo to the man who was threatening to kill her.

“Jack Frost,” he crowed and pulled the trigger. Pheo stumbled backwards with a shocked look on her face. She fell to the ground. The man walked toward her, looking for the book. The poor fool left his gun beside her. She smiled quickly, taking the gun and shooting the man. He stumbled backwards, but his psycho grin never left his face.

“Fool! You can’t kill me. I’m immortal.”

2 Months Before

Pheo took the book to a librarian for translation. The librarian smiled gladly, taking the book, but his eyes got wide when he read the text.

“What’s it say,” she asked.

The librarian just shook his head, rushing toward his fireplace and throwing it in. The book sat in the flames unharmed. Then, he looked back at Pheo. “You must throw the book in the flames yourself. Not that it matters. Either way you will still be inflicted with a curse,” he said grimly.

“A curse,” she asked, grinning.

He nodded slowly, “It is a book of evil, and evil has found you.”

Pheo started laughing, “Well, let it come! I fear no one. Not even the devil.”

The librarian just stood there looking at her, aghast. “Oh my.”

2 Months later

"Well then, that makes the two of us," she said, rolling away from him. She had the book shielding her stomach. He had shot the book instead of her.

"You want this book? You'll have to fight for it," she said, picking herself up and getting in a fighting stance.

"How about a deal instead? Give me the book, and you can become my apprentice. We'll both get the information we want," he said, reaching out for the book again.

"A deal with the devil? Ha! Only a fool would take it," she said, backing away. "Besides, all I have to do to get what I want is burn it," she said, lighting a match.

"No," he screeched, tackling her, but it was too late. The book was engulfed in flames, and so was he.

TAKE NO PRISONERS?

A savage, unidentified animal is on a bloody rampage. Local police say that it could be a black bear but aren't sure why one would be so violent. In the past three days, fourty-seven people have been savagely mauled to death. No one has seen the creature and lived to tell the tale. News and police helicopters are circling the area in search for such a creature. The creature is nocturnal, for the attacks have only happened at night. Locals are calling this one the Demon Wolf. The area has recently been evacuated of all people because the creature can break through a solid concrete wall. Is this natural or supernatural? A wild rumor was going around about a local girl being a werewolf after an anonymous call to the police was issued. The police have dismissed it as a prank call, but locals are saying it's true. Locals say enormous wolf tracks have been spotted in the Carolina Forest are. The local police say it's just coyote tracks. Is it fact or fiction?