Chapter 1

It was twilight and there was a light mist starting to creep through the forest.

There was a lone figure walking through forest and it only to stopped when there was a lone howl coming not far off in the distance.

After the howl ended the figure started to walk faster to the cottage that was in the clearing.

" So did you get it?" the old lady asked as she took the basket from the young girl who came into the house.

" Yes, but there is something else out there because on the way back here I heard a howl that I never heard before." Bridgette said taking off her red cloak.

" Oh really because we both know there really shouldn't be anything out there in the forest." the old lady said with a puzzled look on her face.

" Well then someone needs to go out there and see what it is and get rid of it." Bridgette said.

" Um ... sure I'll go and have a look in on it." the old lady said.

" Ok well it's been a very long day so am heading for bed." Bridgette said.

" Oh sweetie sleep good and I will see you in the morning." the old lady said.

" I will and you too Granny, night." Bridgette said before heading for her bedroom.

Going into the bedroom Bridgette shut the door behind her, and headed over to the wardrobe. She opened up the door of the wardrobe before she untied the string of her cloak.

She took off the cloak and reached into the wardrobe and grabbed for the hanger and put the cloak on it.

Little did she know that she was being watched, as she got undressed and went over to the vanity and grabbed the hair brush and began brushing her hair before going over to the bed and pulling back the covers and getting into the bed.

The lone dark figure was standing behind the huge thick trunk of the tree, watching the shadow of the girl that was undressing by the pale light of the oil lamp.

The sound of a twig breaking off in the distance caused the figure to turn its head and lift it up into the air.

The wolf sniffs the air and he could smell her coming. He backed away from the tree and took off running back towards his den.

The next morning a thick fog rolled low through the forest so that the lone driver could not see anything in front of him.

" Man I always hate coming out here, when the weather is like this." the Sheriff said as he slowed down when he came around the curve of the road.

" I know but the body was found just outside her fence." the deputy said as she looked down at the mutilated body.

" Why do I get this strange feeling that we are dealing with something evil." the sheriff said.

" So do you think that they are involved with this, but I thought they were killing the animals on their land?" the deputy ask as the medical examiner showed up.

" Yeah that's what I was told, What the Hell!" the sheriff yelled out as something ran out on front of the truck.

" What happen?" the deputy asked.

" Nothing really, um . . . it just looked like some kind of animal is all and it ran out in front of me." The sheriff said as he shook his head to clear his thoughts as he was trying to figure out if what he saw was correct.

" Well I will let you go now because the medical examiner is here to look at the body, and we know he is going to have some fun with this one." The deputy said as she turned to see the medical examiner pulling up behind her vehicle.

" Ok I will see you later, and yeah he will, there may not be much for him to look at." The sheriff said as he came out of the forest and saw the cottage a few yards away from him.

They hung up just as the sheriff pulled up to the old cabin.

Once the truck was parked the sheriff got out and began walking towards the front door.

The sheriff too off his hat and was about to raise his hand so he could knock on the door.

" Morning Lionel." The old lady said as she came up behind the sheriff.

" Damn Robertta you startled me, um . . . I need to talk with you and I also need to know if Bridgette is here?" Lionel said as he turned to face the older lady.

" I see, um . . . well she was in her bed before I went to the barn late last night, that was because there was something out there that was upsetting Betsy." Robertta said as she pulled off her hood and put the basket that she was carrying down on the ground.

" Really, could we go inside so that way we can talk." Lionel asked as he opened the door for the older woman.

" Sure, please come in and make yourself at home, it is little warmer in here." Robertta nodded over to the older man before walking into the house.

They walked into the warm cozy cabin and Robertta took off her cloak and hung it up on the peg that was next to the door.

Lionel shut the door and took off his coat and hung it up right next to the elder lady's cloak.

" Please have a seat, um . . . would you like a cup of tea?" Robertta asked as she went over to the huge fireplace and grabbed the kettle that was sitting on the grate over the low burning fire.

" Yes please that would be good." Lionel said as he sat down on the small loveseat.

" Do you want sugar with that?" Robertta asked.

" Yes please, two teaspoons or two lumps." The sheriff said.

" Why do I get this feeling that your visit really isn't a social one?" the older woman asked as she poured the hot water into the cups before she put the sugar into the cups full of tea.

" Um . . . well am sorry to say it's not a social call." Lionel looked over to one of the closed doors.

" I see, here you go, your tea with two teaspoons of sugar, would you like some cream too, and a muffin?" Robertta came over to the seating area and put the cup down on the coffee table.

" Thanks, no thank you on the cream, but yes to the muffin. Ok the reason why am here, I need to see Bridgette." Lionel started to say but was interrupted by a door opening up.

" Morning Granny . . . oh hello sheriff." Bridgette said as she stood in the doorway of her room now dress in a short cut t-shirt and sweat pants.

" Oh morning dear, Lionel is here to talk to you." Robertta said as she put the small basket of muffins down on the coffee table.

" I see, well let me get dress quickly, Gram could you please fix my tea while I get dress." The younger lady looked over to her grandmother.

" Sure thing." The older lady said as she grabbed three saucers from the cabinet.

Bridgette nodded to the man sitting on the loveseat before going back into her room and closed her door, and began getting dress.

Bridgette walked out of her room fully dressed and came into the small seating area.

" Thank you granny. So Uncle what brings you way out here?" Bridgette asked as she sat down in the chair that was next to the loveseat.

" Well for starters I need to know if you were out last night, and if so where did you go to?" the sheriff asked.

" Yes I was out last night, that was because granny had sent me out to collect the moon flower and some mushrooms, um . . . why are you asking me this questions for?" Bridgette asked as she picked up her small plate and picked out a muffin from the small basket.

" Well ladies I have some bad news there has been a murder, and the body was found just outside your gate and from the looks of it, the body was mauled by something." The older man said also taking a muffin from the basket.

" I see, will like I said I was looking for the moon flowers and mushrooms, and all I can tell you is that I never left our lands." Bridgette bit into her muffin.

" I see, did you hear or see anything last night while you wondering around in the forest last night?" Lionel asked as he sipped his hot tea.

" Now that you mention it, I did have this feeling that I was being watched while I was walking through the forest, and I was not too far from here when there was a howling coming from the forest." Bridgette said as she watched the two elder couple look at each other.

" Really, did you recognize the howl or get the sense of the thing watching you?" the sheriff asked.

" No I did not recognized the vocal tone or even sense the creature." The young girl said but was interrupted when the front door opened up.

" Morning granny . . . oh hey uncle Lionel, I guess you are here because of all the commotion that was going on at the gate." A young man said as he was coming into the house.

" Morning Seth, it seems we have something running loose out in our forest, have a seat, would you like some tea?" the older lady said to the young man who was hanging up his coat.

" Yes please that sounds great. Hey sis, why do I get a feeling that you had something to do with what was going on out by the gate?" the younger man said as he sat down in the other chair.

" Hey, and no I had nothing to do with what was going on outside the gate. But we think we have a rouge on our hands." Bridgette looked over to her brother.

" I see, then I guess I will go out tonight and patrol the forest that is if you want me to, Gram." Seth asked as Robertta came up to him with a cup of hot tea.

" Yes that would be good, because whatever it is, it was upsetting my cow, and she did not give me milk this morning." Robertta said as she took her seat next to her son.

" Ok, I will be here before twilight or when the sun goes down it depends on the traffic from the city." Seth said as he took a sip of his tea.

" That sounds good, and you can also have dinner with me too because Bridgette has to work tonight at the hospital." Robertta said.

" Sure that sounds great to me Gram." Seth smiled at his grandmother.

" Well ladies and Seth, I need to get back to the office, thanks Bridgette; and I will also be looking into any new people who came into town within the past couple of weeks. Thanks mom and see you on Sunday?" Lionel said as he stood up.

" Ok thanks Lionel, sure I will see you Sunday." The older lady said as she got up and followed her son to the door and hugged him before he grabbed his coat and opened the door.

Robertta stood in the doorway and watched the sheriff drive off.

Going back inside the cottage she took her seat back on the loveseat.

" Why didn't you tell him that you left the house after I went to bed?" Bridgette said as she looked over to her grandmother.

" Because I know you did not have anything to do with that body that was found this morning, and I too did not have anything to do with it either, and yes there is another one here, I know because I thought I caught a glimpse of it as it took off deeper into the forest. And also did not want him to know that I went out looking for it because you know it would have worried him if I told him." Robertta said as she finished her tea.

" Yeah he would have worried if he had known, well I better get going I need to meet up with Lynette, I just hope that she is at the station and not at the crime scene, love you bye, and bye Seth see you later and please, be careful tonight." Bridgette said getting up and giving her family hugs before going back into her room and grabbing her cloak and leaving the house and getting into the car.

Once inside the car Bridgette started up the car, and began heading for the town.

The lone figure stood behind the huge tree and watched the people inside the house. It stepped into the shadows of the forest as the door opened up and the sheriff came out of the cottage then followed by the younger woman ten minutes later.

After watching the girl drive off the figure turned away from the tree and headed back deep into the forest. After running through the thickets the figure came to what looked like ruins of a very old house.

The figure went inside the ruins until it came to one small part of the house that had not fallen down on itself yet, going into the room he went over to the nest that he had made earlier in the day, laying down on the soft leaves and twigs, so now the only thing he could do now is wait until sun down. Curling up into a ball the dark figure closed its eyes and fell asleep.