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The frozen lake cracked beneath his feet...Each step cautiously placed as he moved swiftly across his icy path. He looked upon the dismal landscape, a bitter reminder of the darkness he had found himself in. He HAD to run. They had killed the only family he had. His thoughts turned to the blood that now decorated the walls of his once-happy home."Now it's too late," he thought.THEY were coming. As he hastily walked north, there stood a sightly forest of pine trees. The once-vibrant nettles were now covered in snow that glistened beneath the cold December moon, which only reminded him of what was to come."The change," he thought. "I wonder if it will be painful?" Shaking his head, he sighed in fear, then quickly turned to anger. It was only a scratch, just one little scratch...How could all of this have happened?Up ahead, he could hear the trickle of water and was reminded of how he had loved the woods as a child. They had always been an adventure, with trees to climb, rivers to catch fish, or go for a swim. But that had been so long ago. Now all he felt was cold and beaten down from exhaustion. He had been running for days, and time was running out. He could feel the changes coming with every breath he took, the power, the darkness, enveloping and building up inside him, waiting to burst. Almost suddenly, his sense of smell had increased tenfold, and he could see clearer and farther in the dark. He was changing faster than he had anticipated. He kept thinking about how things would have been different, If he hadn't met THEM. Two weeks had passed since his encounter with Dark and Mysterious stranger named Vasile, or the "regele bestiilor" and his family. He would later find out that it meant "The King of Beasts." Vasile had come to rural Washington state from Romania in search of his nephew, Boian, who had taken a family heirloom—a pendant of solid silver and ruby that had a frightful "curse" on it. As a rare art and wares dealer, Charlie was a determined collector of valuable artifacts, and Boian had taken this jewel to sell to him. by doing so, he unknowingly changed the course of his life forever. Boian had become a friend and later confessed to him their family secrets and how a scratch could change everything. He had instructed him to run when he had heard his uncle was on his trail, but Vasile had taken it personally that he had the pendant now and would kill anyone to get close to him. The King of Beasts waited two days before he caught up with him. On the night he finally returned home, he discovered that his family had been brutally murdered. In his anger, he grabbed a rifle to take out the man who had slaughtered them so mercilessly. In the ensuing struggle, he had gotten scratched quite deeply during Vasile's "transformation." This proved to be a brief moment where he managed to flee as quickly as possible. Now he found himself with nothing but stars, in the darkness. He thought back to his last moments before he had to run, as he contemplated going back to it all. More than ever, he longed for the warmth of the home he had to leave behind. But there was no home, and no more family. Only blood remained."Where the hell could I even go?" he cursed as he crossed the shallow stream before him to the barely visible wooded game trail on the other side. There was nowhere to go, he thought. He was trapped out here, and as the night grew longer, the moon rose higher.He could still see the faint city lights in the distance. Looking back, it felt like he had walked a hundred miles without stopping. His stomach grumbled louder with each step, but he ignored it. All he could think about was what would happen when they caught up to him. "They must be getting close," he said, swallowing hard. "And I don't want to hurt anyone."The path was partially lit as the moonlight cascaded down, and he could make out a small cave just down the way. He wondered about making camp for the night. As he stepped forward, he felt his legs start to give out beneath him. He fell forcibly to the ground, hitting his palms firmly on the ice as he trembled. Searing pain began shooting through his toes and traveling up to his back, like a thousand sharp needles piercing his skin. His knuckles clenched. He felt hot as he watched steam from his palms melt the snow beneath them. "I'm not going to make it," he yelled as he writhed in pain on the frozen ground. As he lay there, he could hear the haunting howls of those who had followed...getting closer. He was being hunted. ""WHY DID THEY DO THIS TO ME!" he screamed. His anger raged within as he punched the ground, and blood spurted out like glistening rubies in the fresh snow. He gazed, frightened, up into the full moon that hung overhead. He thought he could hear it whispering to him, begging and beckoning him to GIVE in. Moments later, his bones began to snap and reshape, bending and twisting into a grisly sight. His skin peeled off in large, matted clumps of blood and mangled tissue, as thick, black, coarse hair grew in its place. His teeth became dislodged and tumbled to the ground around him. He tasted&nbsp;warm, metallic blood fill his mouth as sharp, white fangs began to poke through in their place. He screamed and howled into the night, completely helpless to stop the transformation. Stronger and larger he became until his arms and legs became powerful, muscular limbs. His anger only grew with the pain. He panted and growled as his fingernails fell off one by one, revealing claws as sharp as a razor, ready to inflict their will on those who had wronged him. Finally, it was done. He stood up proudly at over 7 feet tall, reborn anew as a beast of the night, and returned the howls to the moon. His fear was all but gone, and his path became much clearer. He knew now why he was here; he could smell their scent in the crisp air; they weren't far away.Now, the hunted becomes the HUNTER. He flew through the darkness, like smoke caught in the wind, faster and faster, he chased after the howls that haunted him. This animal within had taken over, and the urge for blood was prominent. It's all he could think about. JUST AHEAD NOW, he thought, as his feet pounded the fresh snow.&nbsp;Appearing just in sight, galloping at full speed, he charged at them without another thought. As he approached, he could see movement off to the sides;&nbsp;they were circling him. As he slowed down, he noticed the colossal white beast that stood in the center, with two more on each side. The great beast was larger than any other and towered over them, with blood-stained fangs and claws far beyond his own. He had piercing green eyes that stood out in the bleak landscape of ice and snow stretched all around them. "This must be him," and his only thought was to "kill, Kill, KILL"&nbsp;as the anger overtook him. He sprinted forward, only to be met with a piercing sting and then...Darkness Perhaps we cannot outrun the path that is laid before us. Under the moonlight, the beasts began to recede as they made one final glance at his seemingly lifeless body that now lay in the frozen wasteland. A hidden whisper of breath escaped him, never to be seen...

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Hunted

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The King of Beasts 

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More chapters to come after the challenge!! 

The King of Beasts

KDouke13

Kelliann Marie Douke

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Hunted

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Kelli Douke

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