The group started running down the mountain as fast as they could in this cold winter night. Their breaths getting heavier and heavier. Piter was rubbing hands alongside George. Who started sweating, he wiped his sweat with his jacket. John and Ann were leading the group with Mario, Eva and Mia. Emily, however, was running slower than the rest. She kept looking back, having the image of the goatman on her mind. She didn't feel threatened by it, she shook her head and tried to keep up with the others.
"Do you think we are getting closer?" Piter whispered to George and Emily.
"I don't know, man." George said between breaths.
"Did you see that? Messi saved us." He said laughing awkwardly while trembling.
"You sure are something Pit." Emily chuckled while George laughed awkwardly.
"Thank you. You are welcome" He said smiling.
Even though they were feeling euphoria from the events they had just went through, they still managed to let out a laugh.
"GUYS!" John yelled. "RUN FASTER!"
That snapped them back and started running faster trying to keep up with the others. After a while they started listening to the forest's sounds again. In that moment they dropped their pace, feeling more at ease. While they continued moving forward Piter stopped and started laughing. The rest quickly turned around with panicked expressions. He continued laughing while his legs were shaking. He laughed so much he fell to the ground. Their panicked expression quickly changed into smiles of relief. With Mario laughing along side him.
"OUREE MALAKA WE WERE ABOUT TO DIE!"
"I KNOW RIGHT!"
"Guys", Ann said, "we have to get going." The wind had calmed down by they time they were closing the cars. The closer they got the clearer they could see. The cars had been damaged. John and Ann ran quickly up to them to inspect them.
"FUCK!" Ann screamed angrily, kicking a rock nearby. John took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes from their sides, letting out a sigh. The rest gathered around and saw the scratches through the cars, which had flat tiers, the groups' expressions changed again this time to fear.
"Do you have changes?" George said.
John looked up. "Only one!" He said in calm voice.
"How long would it take us to reach the nearest village?" Emily asked.
"Can't say. An hour, I believe?" The rest where getting more and more worried.
They were standing in a circle. Eva checked for signal on her phone, but there was none. They grew more and more impatient.
"We should go for it!" Ann said in a determined look.
"Are you crazy?" George countered her suggestion. "If we continue moving we will get tired easily, and if we get tired before reaching the nearest village. AND, that thing comes out again, when we are unprepared, what will happen?" The group fell silent, with John nodding his head in agreement.
"What are we supposed to do?" She asked. "Wait here? Till when?"
"Till dawn!" John said with a fixated look, gazing inside the woods.
"John's right!" Piter said. "I mean, it did seem like a werewolf, so if we go by that-"
Ann interrupted him. "ARE YOU SERIOUS?" She screamed so loud owls flew their nests. John quickly put a hand covering her mouth. She took a deep breath. "That ISN'T what our source should be! We do not know what will happen till then!"
"Ann's right here." John backed her up. "This is no time to talk bullshit. However, I think that it would be better for us, if we remain here. We will figure out the rest."
The group looked as if they were thinking the whole ordeal. Emily, however, stepped forward. "I believe we should follow and help that goatman." Everyone started starring at her, dumbfounded by the suggestion.
"Just so you know..." George broke the silence, while simultaneously placing his hand on her shoulder. "You can keep your thoughts for yourself!"
"I'm serious!" She removed his hand. "That thing came to our rescue."
"Exactly. Thing. Thanks for clarifying our situation." Piter said.
"Guys..." She pleaded. "Please, trust me. This is probably connected to the whole island thing that we are-" George stepped quickly with an annoyed expression.
"AHHH. Here's the thing, YOU are working on it, or investigating about it, or whatever. It's a YOU, problem. NOT an US problem. First thing first,-" John and Ann got between them with Ann criticizing George.
"You don't have to be this rude about everything-"
"Sorry..." George wore a sarcastic smile on his face. "I am in the wrong? I'm the only one who is being realistic. I AM, THE ONLY ONE. Who is being straightforward with her-you-everyone."
John broke them off. "George please, this is no place to start dumb arguments."
He got offended by the comment. "Dumb arguments?" John tried to excuse himself but George cut him off. "Are you listening to what she is saying?" He yelled in a low tone. "She is believing in her dumb fairy tales we tell children in order to sleep. I am saving her. And you, all of you, but specifically you, are following her... Intuition? It is out of character for you. Unacceptable. We made fun of people with imperialistic dreams, and now. You support Emily? Who doesn't know anything about what she is doing? That's contradicting yourself. Be honest."
"George, this is no time to talk about this stuff."
"NO. It is. Tell me, will you follow her to fight that... Werewolf thing? If so, be her guest."
Emily looked down at the ground, holding her left elbow with her right hand. The rest just listened to the exchange with John, who just stared at George; not with anger, rather with a knowing look, he knew he was right but couldn't bring himself to admit it. Eva, however, was observing the woods. She noticed that it had become quieter. She turned her head. Nothing. She continued looking. She saw water spilling to the ground, took her hand out, nothing. It wasn't raining. She looked up the trees, the werewolf watching with it's abnormal eyes, spit drawling from it's face. She froze up, all she managed was a quiet gasp. Mia, who was next to her heard it and turned around. She screamed when she looked at that picture. Everybody looked behind them.
"ANN THE GUNS!" John said as Ann grabbed the two shotguns, throwing one on John's feet. She aimed. The creature let out a chilling growl that could make a bear freeze in place. She was unbothered, whereas the rest were panicking, she breathed in. She pulled the trigger. The creature flew away from the hit.
"RUN!!" Piter yelled pulling Mario and the twins, who were closer to him, running down the mountain. Before the rest started following them Emily yelled back.
"NO. WE SHOULD STAY HERE!" They turned to face her.
"THIS IS NO TIME FOR SUCH THINGS!" George yelled, eyes twitching. "JUST RUN!" They continued. Ann, didn't move. She stayed there. John, had enough, started pulling her by her right arm. She pushed him away. He looked at her eyes. He nodded.
"YOU GO. I WILL KEEP HER GUARD!"
Even though were confused and afraid they didn't flee. Ann turned to face both of them. She stayed in place, faced the others. Searching their faces. Also giving them a signal. A signal to turn back. They were hesitant, but the creature's growls didn't give them much to think. They rushed towards the other 3. Piter's face had drifted towards his left cheek, on a similar note, George was just looking towards the woods, his eyes sharp. They grouped together, all facing towards the woods. Mia and Mario were praying. They heard intense footsteps coming towards them. Red lights were visible from there. Getting higher and higher. With the exception of Ann and John, the rest raised their torches. Revealing the creature's heinous look, spit drawling from it's face. It's left arm was bigger than a tree's log. It's legs grew taller and bigger. His left eye seemed like invisible, while his right one grew bigger. The group were trembling. Ann and John exchanged looks, with the ladder giving her a smile. She smiled. They looked back at it. Pointing their guns towards it. It growled, it growled so hard it made the trees shook. As it was about to jump towards them, it took a couple steps back. Although the creature was big and seemed unshakable, the goatman managed to fly from up the mountain kicking it's back with his right foot. The creature started screaming as the goatman pressed his leg towards it's back. The creature scratched the ground furiously. With the goatman continued pressing his leg, even harder pushing him down to the ground. He looked towards the group and pointed towards it's bigger eye. They were trembling, sweating and their eyes were looking at him and the other creature. The werewolf's intense movement made it slip from the goatman's block, whom in retaliation did a front flip and kicked it harder to the ground, leading to ground breaking. The group was taken aback and took a couple steps back, shocked by the power he had. He looked up and spoke pointing at Ann.
"You, shoot it it's bigger eye."
She was taken aback, but she didn't let it get over her head. She aimed and pulled the trigger. The eye was still there barely harmed. Even so, it's eye was flinching uncontrollably. Companied by the creature's cries, it was if someone scratched their nails on chalkboard in stormy night. Ann gulped her spit, charging her gun again.
"Don't stop!" The goatman said in a calm, yet loud enough voice for her to hear.
She started shooting repeatedly at the eye of werewolf, while it cried and screamed. The goatman didn't flinch once. Despite that, it was as if he wanted to cry but couldn't. His expression seemed cold, but it felt like an act. Or at least, that's what Emily was thinking to herself. The rest just stood there, almost like mannequins. While Ann continued shooting, the creature eventually stopped screaming and crying. She continued again and again, until it's eye finally exploded. Blood flew everywhere, it reached some of groups' shoes, while the goatman was hit in his left side off his body. He wiped the blood with his pawn and got down from the werewolf. Walking up to the group. They moved backwards, with Ann and John raising their guns. He stopped, got to his knees and apologized.
"I am terribly sorry for the situation you found yourselves in, please forgive me for this mess!" Even though he spoke very good English, he seemed to have an accent which was closer to Spanish. With being closer to the group, whom held up torches, they could see the scratches on his costume and his face. They had no clue how to respond to him, the only thing they could do is stare.
"What..." Piter broke the silence, stumbling between his words. "What are you?"
He opened his eyes wide, not expecting such a question. George and Mario kicked him with their elbows, which lead to him falling to the ground holding his tummy. The goatman got up.
"I was a goat..." They listened carefully. "Now..." He looked around, gazing up the horizon. "I am a monster!" He bowed his head. "Again, I apologize for... My friend's actions. She used to be... Gentler. I am sorry, but it's time to go now. There's another like her." He turned around leaving them with puzzled faces. Emily spoke up.
"Wait!" She said leaving the group and approaching him. "We could help with the other."
Their puzzled expressions quickly swapped with shocked expressions.
"ΤΙ ΣΚΑΤΑ ΛΕΣ!?!" (The fuck you're saying) George screamed, frustrated. She didn't respond, nor gave him a single look. The goatman looked at her with a surprised expression, at the group, back to her. He didn't respond immediately. "It would be very risky..." He thought to himself. "On the other hand, they did prove they were worthy enough to handle creatures like this."
"It would be really helpful. However, only if you don't separate from me. If you get lost in here, I cannot guarantee that you will survive!" He turned around going to the place where they came from. Emily stood there, looked back at the group. She saw that they were unpleased by the situation so she approached them.
"Guys, I know how you feel, but you need to understand that if another of these things shows up we won't be able to kill it. And worse, one of us can die."
They nodded, they still were upset but they understood the logic.
"You, unfortunately, have a point here." John said. "Our ammos are limited, we don't even know if the other one is stronger than this." He backed Emily up, wore his backpack and walked up to Emily. "We should get going!"
The rest gave in, started to follow the goatman. As they continued to walk forward, George stopped besides Emily. "Did you give it our help because you thought it would be the best for us? Or did you gave him our help because you found an opportunity to act as you want?" Emily just stared at him, both tired and offended by his comment. However she knew it wasn't a place for that. They walked alongside one another without wording out a single word. Keeping their torches glued to their hands, lighting the pathway. The wind whispering slightly louder than before. Yet there was no sound coming from the woods.